No one likes to spend money on a printer. It’s one of the most mundane pieces of tech in any household.
As such, it’s tempting to opt for a model at the cheaper end of the price spectrum. After all, regular printed text all looks the same to most people, right? No one would know whether your printer was top-of-the-range or plucked out of the bargain basement.
The Price of Printer Ink
Unfortunately, unlike most pieces of tech, choosing a new printer isn’t as simple as finding the right balance between price and features. You’ve also got to factor in the price of replacement ink cartridges. Cheap printers could end up costing you a lot more, in the long run, thanks to costly refills.
Worse still, it’s not just printing pages that use your ink. Cleaning printheads and other printer maintenance tasks use a significant amount, especially if your printer sits idle for long periods between sessions. Some reports claim maintenance tasks alone could cost you more than $100 per year.
This reality makes manufacturer guidelines for ink mileage inaccurate. They are based on bulk printing, i.e. when you print dozens of sheets in one go. If, like most home users, you print a couple of sheets here and there every month, your ink will not go as far as the claims suggest.
So which are the best printers for home use with cheap ink? Keep reading to find out.
1. Epson Expression ET-3700 EcoTank
Epson Expression ET-3700 EcoTank Epson Expression ET-3700 EcoTank Buy Now On Amazon $347.88Our first pick doesn’t use traditional ink cartridges. Instead, it relies on refillable ink wells. The upfront price of the Epson Expression ET-3700 EcoTank isn’t cheap, but it ships with enough ink for two years of heavy usage—it’s good for 14,000 black pages or 11,200 color pages. According to the manufacturer, that’s roughly equivalent to 30 regular ink cartridges.
And even when the time comes to refill, you can expect to save around 80 percent when compared to regular cartridges for the same amount of output. Other important features include a 150-sheet paper tray, support for two-sided printing, borderless printing, a print speed of 15 black or eight color pages per minute, and a 2.4-inch color screen. Sadly, the printer does not have a fax feature, meaning it might not be suitable for people who work from home.
2. Canon Pixma TS8320
Canon Pixma TS8320 Canon Pixma TS8320 Buy Now On AmazonIf the high price of the Epson Expression ET-3700 EcoTank is off-putting, check out the Canon Pixma TS8320 instead. One of the most critical aspects of making sure you get the most value out of your ink is buying a unit with four separate cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow). In this regard, the Pixma TS8320 delivers.
It costs about six cents for a page of black text, 17 cents for a sheet of graphics, 40 cents for a 4 x 6 photo, and $1.25 for an 8 x 10 photo. Aside from ink cost, you can enjoy duplex printing, an LCD screen, and wireless connectivity. Like the Epson model, it does not support faxing. Unusually for a printer, it’s also available in three colors, making it ideal for anyone who wants their device to blend in with their room.
3. Epson Expression ET-2650 EcoTank
Epson Expression ET-2650 EcoTank Epson Expression ET-2650 EcoTank Buy Now On Amazon $269.99The Epson Expression ET-2650 EcoTank is a cheaper version of the previously discussed ET-3700 model. Like it’s big brother, the printer does not use ink cartridges. Aside from price, the most significant difference between the ET-2650 and the ET-3700 is the size of the ink wells.
It can produce 4,000 black pages or 6,500 color pages off a single refill. Replacement black ink will cost you no more than $10. The colors run a couple of dollars more expensive. Bottom line? The Epson Expression ET-2650 is possibly the best printer for home use with cheap ink.
4. Brother MFC-J6930DW
Brother MFC-J6930DW Brother MFC-J6930DW Buy Now On Amazon $287.69If you want to print cheap photos, the Brother MFC-J6930DW is the way to go. Estimates suggest it costs about 35 cents per 4 x 6 photo, which is less than most other models. The printer is also suited to heavy use in a small office or home business thanks to its 500-sheet paper tray. Regular cartridges will produce 550 black and 550 color sheets before running out.
Brother also offers Super High Yield cartridges. They’ll produce 3,000 black sheets and 1,500 color sheets. The unit can print 22 pages per minute and includes a 3.7-inch touchscreen display. The printer is compatible with Apple AirPrint, which is a great way to print when you’re out of the house.
Interestingly, the Brother MFC-J6930DW is also Amazon Dash-enabled. If you live in a supported market, Amazon will monitor your remaining ink levels and automatically order replacements when you start to run dry.
5. Brother HL-L2350DW
Brother HL-L2350DW Brother HL-L2350DW Buy Now On Amazon $99.99A sad truth of inkjet printers is that they are prone to printhead failures. Over time, the nozzles become blocked with dried ink—especially if you don’t print very frequently. At best, you’ll eat through a ton of ink just to get them operational again. At worst, you’ll need to buy an entirely new printer.
Laser printers don’t suffer from such issues. Better yet, they also tend to have a cheaper cost per printed page than their inkjet counterparts. Laser printers are also much faster. As it’s a laser printer, the Brother HL-L2350DW uses toner rather than regular ink. A single toner refill should last for two years based on normal home use. A printed page costs 3.5 cents.
The major downside of the Brother HL-L2350DW is that is can only print in black and white. However, depending on your use case, it might be adequate. Other features include duplex printing, a 250-sheet paper tray, wireless printing, and Amazon Dash toner replenishment.
Printer Ink: More Expensive Than Champagne?!
By the ounce, printer ink is more expensive than a high-end bottle of champagne. As such, the cost is not something you should take lightly. Before buying a new printer, you need to think about how much you’re going to use it and how much it could cost you over the course of a year.
If you print on your Mac, check out our tutorial on setting up and using printers on Mac. As a supplement, you might also look at the best label makers.
Read the full article: The Best Printer for Home Use With Cheap Ink
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