Those who are old-school about printing can hold down costs
In March 2016, I compared and contrasted Epson’s EcoTank with HP’s also (then) new Instant Ink subscription plan. My conclusion was: “The bottom line is that the fewer pages you print each month, the more likely HP’s Instant Ink will be more economical. Conversely, the more pages you print each month, the more you’ll save by going with an Epson EcoTank.”
I like to print, so I went with an EcoTank (a WorkForce ET-4550) which served me well since then. In two years, I printed many thousands of pages (with many of them in full color). Last year I bought four bottles of Epson ink for around $60, and the tanks are still half-full.
After almost two years of ownership, printing roughly 500 pages a month, Instant Ink would have cost me at least $239.76 ($9.99 a month), plus $1 for every 25 pages over 500 in a month.
I realize I may be in the minority, but I’m old-school when it comes to printing, and I print a lot of stuff every day. Of course I print lots of owner’s manuals and quick-start guides, but I also print recipes, business cards, greeting cards and glossy photos regularly. The specialty paper aisle at Office Depot is one of my favorite places to shop.
So when Epson asked if I wanted to test the newest EcoTank model, the WorkForce ET-4750, I asked what made it better than the printer I use daily (a WorkForce ET-4550), which still worked perfectly and had half-full ink tanks. They said, “just about everything is better,” so I moved the ET-4550 to my wife’s MacBook (since she also likes to print a lot) and set up the new ET-4750.
Both printers are “all-in-one” models with identical feature sets: wireless or wired printing, copying, scanning and faxing (not tested).
The first thing I noticed is the new 4750 is 40 percent or even 50 percent smaller than its predecessor. Its paper tray holds more paper and is easier to insert and remove.
The second thing is that while refilling the ink tanks wasn’t difficult before, the new model uses redesigned “auto-stop” ink bottles that make filling (or refilling) the tanks even easier and less messy.
Print, scan, and copy quality are more than good enough for my needs.
Priced at $499, it comes with enough ink to print more than 10,000 pages. Replacement ink will be roughly 80 percent less expensive than traditional ink cartridges (not to mention a subscription plan).
There is one last thing: The ET-4750 is on sale for $399 at Epson.com and Amazon.com.
bob@workingsmarter formacusers.com