I've had my Epson ecotank printer for 2 years now and I've been loving it ever since. My ink levels are still in good levels after 2 years of owning it. Just cutting down my costs on things a bit since my old HP Printer is becoming a money pit so decided to go with an Epson ecotank printer from Best Buy and haven't looked back ever since.
My eco tank has been going strong for around 4 years. It has saved us so much money because my previous inkjet was costing a fortune in ink. Everytime we went on holiday, our printer refused to operate after we returned after a week or so. Now, we just switch on and it connects to our WiFi and it’s good to go again. The refillable ink tanks are so economical and reliable. We have just started to have a few issues with the operating system. I’m still researching how to fix this. It’s still printing basically but restarting and printing two lots of everything! It’s not able to hold more than 10 pages in memory when I print wirelessly. I’ll check how it goes with usb computer connection. Still been a great purchase though.
I have an Epson ET 2550, which is 7 years old. I got an error message the other day that said the waste ink pads were full and to contact Epson. Apparently, there is a page counter and it will no longer work when you reach this number. I watched a TH-cam video and was able to remove and clean the ink pads, but unfortunately, the download to reset the page counter, would not open on my Mac, so sadly, even though the ink pads are clean, the printer doesn't know this. I think this is a dirty scam by Epson to get you to purchase a new printer.
Thanks for the notes. Some people are reporting similar info, and some are saying that newer machines don't have the problem. (Fingers crossed that I don't run into that trouble myself). I appreciate your report though. What did you end up doing to replace your machine?
@@robertleach6402 Doesn't matter, the printer has a set number of uses before it thinks the pads are full. You can clean the pads all you want, the printer doesn't care because it doesn't actually scan the physical state of the pads, it just assumes they're full after a certain number of uses.
I recently bought one. My HP was killing me with cartridge costs. Just cleaning the print heads would lowers the ink levels. I bought the 4850 and am impressed. I have printed several full page photos and the level has not visibly dropped. I should have done this years ago.
I bought an Ecotank printer a few years ago, but it really wasn't all that great. The black print head seemed to randomly leak ink onto the paper, especially the corners. But the main issue was, if I hadn't used it for a week, the heads would clog, which was much faster than other inkjet printers I'd had before. Then it would waste so much ink doing head cleaning...I used most the ink for only a few hundred pages actually printed. It might not had been an issue if I was printing every day, but I can go a couple of weeks not needing a printer and then needing to print off a dozen pages. Not being able to rely on it was an issue, so I did what I should've done when I bought it, I got a laser (LED) printer, and all these ink problems just don't exist...easiest printer I've ever owned. BTW, I never print off photos as it's so cheap and easy to do in the local store, so having a printer that isn't made for printing photos doesn't bother me.
Sorry to hear about that. I have not had those issues myself, but I do print something every day (except weekends). I assume that LED does not do photography justice? Or are those getting better for that?
@@KookyCraftables They can print photos, but I wouldn't call it high quality. On plain paper, printing off document style images (logos, charts etc.) it does a great job. But it's on text where toner based printers look great, as there is no ink soaking into paper to smudge the edges, even very fine print is crisp.
@@KookyCraftablesYou're welcome. BTW, I kept my Ecotank for the flatbed scanner as the all-in-one laser printers are huge and cost a bit. I got a Brother color laser printer without a scanner for less than the cheapest Epson Ecotank.
@@JBoomer-pi6ml Cool... let me know how it works out for you. The only trouble I have had is that sometimes it seems to lose connection with my Mac (even though it is hard wired). The print project will queue up and never come out. But all I have to do is quickly unplug and plug the USB cable and it wake up enough to print. That might be just a ME thing, but I'm just putting it out there.
It is always the question how long the printer itself will survive. If you have ink for two years and the printer breaks after a year? There are so many printers that I have broken after a few years. Or they don't turn on anymore. They probably have a timer built in. So that you can buy a new printer.
A scam? I have had an eco tank for over 5 years, and I have only needed to put new ink like 3 or 4 times. My wife runs a daycare, and she uses it for kids' activities every day. These things are amazing.
Yeah, its called a click bait headline.. I hate such headers and always 'dislike' them as i did for this one too, though some info was useful. he said nothing about the larger user experience. also partly to promote own papercraft whatever.
@@archNagel I just got one and the ink seems to be lasting well beyond the cartridge printer I previously had. I would have replaced the ink twice by now. So I’m happy so far! Even if it doesn’t last a year or whatever.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you - for showing EXACTLY what I wanted and needed to see from a printer review! I am a designer and crafter and care about how a printer prints on card stock and if the colors are accurate and vibrant. This was SO helpful.
I have the Epson L355, nearly 9 years old and still running. As long as you have the right software to reset the ink sponge counter, you will do just fine.
Great to hear! Mine is still going strong after a year. It has already paid for itself many times over in ink savings so I'm in the win column already!
My ecotank L4250 has worked well but a couple of weeks ago decided to give me 'contact epson message' saying it was empty alhough I've always kept it well inked and it was half full. I've had it for years and refilled the tanks several times. I'll get it fixed and buy one of these if the price is right and get the other one fixed just have to a spare and back up. My wife uses the other ET 2550 I used to have, it was perfect.
I recently purchased a new Epson Eco Tank 3850 printer at Costco for $325.00. The setup was relatively easy and I had it up and running in about 15 minutes after unboxing. However, I am extremely disappointed in the quality of the printing for both documents and photos.The edging in the photos were grainy and the colors were darker then the original photos. I reset the color management and it still produced a low quality image. The scanner is also cheap inefficient. After scanning a simple document I discovered the text had jagged edges and the tops of the fonts in some sentences were chopped off. The only way I could get nice sharp fonts in a document was to scan in Photo Mode. The top automatic feeder which is used to scan multiple documents or make copies, pulls the entire stack of papers into the feeder all at once. I had to physically stagger each page individually to prevent the stack from jamming the feeder. All in all this printer is ,sfr of poor quality materials and is cheaply made. Thank God I saved the box. I'm packaging it back up and taking it back to Costco first thing tomorrow.
Once again, I will warn anyone using tank printers to be sure to cycle every ink color once a week. If the print head dries up, it is difficult to clear. I learned the hard way. If you print colors lot, it won't matter. Color codes are--- 00ffff cyan ff00ff magenta ffff000 yellow These will print the individual colors.
Thanks for the comment. I myself have not had trouble with any dry up. But then again, I print almost every day. I'm working on a follow up video to talk about this printer and I do want to include warnings like yours because a LOT of people have commented something similar.
I am glad you like my info. The other thing you may need to know is the 'USED" ink tank on the printer. the printer will cycle when turned on or after a print job to clear the ink jets. This ink goes to the used ink tank. On my Epson 2760 it is in the bottom rear right corner. This tank can be cleaned but the problem is the printer keeps tracked on how much ink it THINKS is in it and lock out the printer. It takes a code to clear it so you can keep printing. Check you model on how to clean and reset the printer. Also, there is a print head cleaning program that uses the ink and fills that used ink tank. PS, neat artwork.@@KookyCraftables
@@jeremybarker8996 You may be one of the lucky ones. I lost one color another before I started my weekly test. I started just to use just black for most of my printing and that started it all. Epson recognized this and it has a built-in program to "Clean" the print head.
Thanks for the video. I've seen reviews complaining the ink not being stable after like 6 months, colors fading and the worst being the black fading. Any observations since you did the video in August 2023? Thanks
I have had no problems with the machine other that some weird connection losses with my Mac (easily fixed). I am working on a follow up review this month to review it six months later and share my thoughts about who I think this printer is best for. Stay tuned!
First, cardstock or glossy paper should never be placed in the paper drawer; it needs to be placed in the back of the printer. Only standard inkjet paper goes in the front tray-nothing else. The EPSON EcoTank ET-4850 is the wrong printer for the type of projects you are doing. In due time, you will end up with bad printer heads and start seeing ink marks on either one side or both sides of the paper. This printer is designed for non-creative users or crafters; it's for general printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. What you should have purchased is any of the Epson EcoTank printers that are designed for photos and cardstock, with a paper sheet tray in the back of the printer. This is true for any printers with eco tank or cartridge inks. PS: Love your paper crafting 👍
Thanks so much for the kind words. Perhaps I've never tired to roll really thick card stock through (I like 65#). I will say my old EPSON workforce never had trouble with putting card stock in the tray even after almost a decade of use. Hopefully this new one will be a winner for me too. :)
This printer is compatible with 64g to 300g paper in epson own specs, so no worries it is made for printing 300g paper (thickest paper in thaaa worlddd for printing)
- [00:00] 🖨 Traditional inkjet cartridges are expensive, prompting consumers to explore alternatives like the Epson EcoTank printer. - [00:16] 🚫 This review is not sponsored, and the Epson EcoTank printer requires a higher upfront cost but may save money in the long run. - [00:50] 🖨 Filling ink bottles is straightforward with the EcoTank system, aided by the accompanying app. - [02:00] 🎨 Quality tests confirm that the printer performs well, producing accurate colors and smooth prints. - [02:24] 📄 The printer successfully handles cardstock paper, demonstrating versatility in media type. - [03:43] 📸 Experimentation with different print settings improves color accuracy, enhancing the quality of glossy photo prints. - [04:05] 💭 After extended use, the printer maintains consistent ink levels and performs reliably, promising durability and cost-effectiveness.
I have the ET-4750 and it's truly a game changer in terms of cost... In fact the color tanks seem to never get empty ! It's the perfect color printer for home office... Weaknesses : the automatic paper feed half working, the LCD display is too small, the colors printed are not fully saturated and therefore this printer is not the ideal for photo printing...But in terms of cost per page this printer is the best ! No doubt
Hi! Thank you for the video. I am a bookbinder and I’m considering buying this print for my projects. I have a laser printer as I mostly bind novels or planners (5-15 a month), but considering adding some colours, maybe magazines or even photo albums, but probably my work will still be 70% just text, 30% graphs and photos. Is this printer good for that? Will I waste ink or printing books will take too long or make the black runs out super faster? I haven’t found anyone talking about text printing on this printer. It’s hard to find information online. Thanks a lot!
I used to use laser printers a lot and those are POST SCRIPT printers so the line art is SUPER SHARP and CRISP compared to ink jet. (Lasers are also a lot faster to print after it renders a page). I don't think you're going to like the quality hit. I would go to an office store and see if there are any models on display that print TEST SHEETS (I've seen many stores that do that). Just my opinion, but I hope it helps!
Hi! This may sound strange but does the ink run/bleed much if water is brushed over the ink? Also how good do greyscale images print? Thank you so much ☺️
Well, that is not something I have tested, but I would pretty much guarantee that it would smear with moisture. Are you talking photo paper? Or matte paper? I don't print much grayscale so I am not sure how to advise you, but I do know that it is acceptable to me. There is another Epson printer that actually has some dedicated GRAY ink that would be much better if grayscale is super important to you. I have not used it myself, but the EcoTank Photo ET‑8500 offers Borderless Printing up to 8.5" x 11", 6‑Color Claria® ET with Photographic Dye Inks, Up to 5,760 x 1,440 dpi Resolution - and if you look at it online you'll see it has a dedicated GRAY ink chamber.
I don't often use glossy paper. I'm working on a follow up video about this machine and will print some glossy photos during that. (Not sure if I have 240 gsm though). I THINK it would print okay as I have printed on some VERY thick card stock... (seems to top out at 100# card though)
I don't do a lot of glossy photos so I'm not a good person to report quality of those. But I am going to do a follow up video very soon and I'll print some glossy photos as reference to feature in that video.
I have not tried that, but if the gloss label sheet is designed for ink jet printers, I don't see why it would not work. This EcoTank has behaved like older ink jet machines I've had in the past when I was doing more label work. Hope this helps!
I've had my epson 2856 printer for about a year and I think it's a good printer with good quality and incredibly lean on ink. The scanner on the other hand has a lousy unfriendly interface and is unbelieveably slow.
@@KookyCraftables thats great! i purchased a canon A3 printer in 2020, refilled the ink, printed maybe 30 big pictures and then i got more and more annoying stripes. it ended on trash. everyone at social media cracks jokes and memes about printers and it seems there is no serious printer out there anymore. do you know this video? th-cam.com/video/AHX6tHdQGiQ/w-d-xo.html
The ET-5150 - 5180 range are the better buy since they are more heavily built (and designed to replace Office - spec. lasers). VERY fast throughput and software obviously aimed at the "professional" rather than home user, nevertheless an extremely capable printer design, with the 250 page tray meaning you don't have to refill paper every five minutes! 🙂Ideal for academic use, especially if you need a combination of clear crisp mono text, and far more than adequate colour images.
If you put a paper in the automatic feeder is there a setting to select print 2 sided-to 2 sided? So for example, I need to make a copy of something that has writing on both sides. Will it automatically copy and print both sides without me having to reinsert the paper?
The Canon Maxify GX series printers in the same price range have that feature and you can do that. They are called duplex printing (if you want to print something digital on 1 paper front and back) and 2-sided copying.
Mine failed the first year because the printer was in an attic and the printing heads went dry. I've done verything I could to solve the problem and it went worse. Got replaced. Second year failed because the sponge inside the printer was full of ink. I've tried repalcing it and it was worse, once again :p Set every screw back and got a replacment. Has been working for 4 years in a row now.
It's tough to know, but printers are pretty sensitive about wanting to know exactly what PAPER you are printing on. So make sure you are digging around into the print dialogue boxes to search for menus where you can specify what you're trying to print on. There will also be settings for quality in those menus. (SOMETIMES reducing the quality of the print IMPROVES colors, because higher quality settings usually lay a lot more ink down on the paper.) But most of the time, with some testing, you can really dial it in and then you get consistent results moving forward! Good luck.
I am also a crafter and was wondering about your card stock if it ever got jammed. I heard that for card stock. It’s best to have a back feed Tray. Does this one have one?
They do make models with rear paper feed, but I don't believe this one has that. That said, my card stock is rolling through great. (there is a point though where if the paper gets TOO thick it won't take it)
It is still doing very well for me . I am going to release a follow up video soon. A lot of people have commented that if you don't PRINT a lot, then it might not be as good a value as it has to clean itself between long stretches of no use (but I print every day so it has been doing great for me.)
@@KookyCraftables Really good to hear, are you using original ink or did you try 3rd part link too? and did you hit the ink waste counter? I wonder if you could reset it like Brother printer or you can't. Those's two important factors for me to buy a new printer, right now I have Brother J 105 but it's super slow. Thanks btw for your video, I came for the printer but your channels look awesome, so I'm going to look around your work :)
I am using the EPSON ink (have not tried 3rd party) because I feel like the value is there. The bottle are huge and cost seems much more fair. I have not hit the ink waste counter, but I have been in touch with Epson and they confirmed I can replace the waste reservoir (and the cost of that is not bad either). Thanks for the kind words about my work. So glad you found me!@@mhnoni
@@KookyCraftables glad to hear that the waste tank is available through them. How much $ ? What about the rest code related to the printer locking up (waste ink because of the number of pages) 4:58 unless sent to Ep$on for a pricey $service call ? People are paying for codes from Ebay etc.
176 gsm is what I normally use. But I have been able to put things a little thicker than that through with no issues. Not sure where the gsm breaking point is, but that's what I can say for now.
Yeah my experience with the Brother tank printer is like others here. Don’t print a lot and when I need it it’s clogged up. Barley used it a few times last year and now I think it’s already garbage. Won’t recognize tanks are refilled and been through all it’s trouble shooting maintenance type procedures. I’m sure with some patience I can take it apart and breathe some life back into it…..But my patience tank for printers dried up a while back and I’ve yet to find a refill for it
Someone pointed out that I could add the remaining ink back in after the machine loaded the initial amount. But I didn't actually do it. I don't think the ink will dry out in the bottle because they are still very much fluids even now.
Can you refill the ink bottles with cheap ink and then refill the printer. Ink is very cheap, how much are the epsom scam bottles or are they cheap too ?? Has Epsom stopped this printer from working yet? @@KookyCraftables
just got my et-16650, $900. This printer is scary awesome. standard settings on the et-16650 is BETTER than high settings on my old wf-7610. this is absolutely insane!! time to get to work!!! :D
Another scam is, every time Windows has a new version, printers and other peripheral drivers are discontinued, and the old drivers don't work with the new system. Heck, my current computer will not work with Windows 11, and the computer is in perfect condition.
Thanks for the warning. That sounds terrible. I am a Mac guy and have never experienced driver issues with any of my printers. That must be totally frustrating!
@@KookyCraftables I'm a Mac too. I have a small HP LaserJet P1102. When I want to print a page, it works fine. Then I try to print another page, and it doesn't print. I close the document and try again and it might work. There is no updated driver so I suspect that is the issue because this started a year ago or so. Thinking about buying another printer to replace it. I don't necessary need color because I have a large format color printer. Not sure I want another HP printer. Epson is not making laser printers anymore. I need black laser prints for some art works I do.
Hi! Great video and great paper art! I was wondering, how does the paper quality hold up if you print multiple pages one after the other? Does it smudge the pages?
i was searching for reviews because i wanted to buy a new printer, and randomly saw this printer, with the ink bottles i was like "this is good to be true there has to be a catch" but it seems like there is not
Saw this while investigating a replacement for my finally-dead Photo Stylus R1800 (printhead went belly-up and not worth $300 at that point IMO, nor is there any support in CUPS to use it with my Raspberry Pi print server), and I busted out laughing when I saw your turkey at 4:28 Good video. I'm a little more willing to dig more into the Ecotank line after seeing this.
Thanks! Keep me posted about your research and what experiences you have. I"m still happy with mine. SOME people have emailed me to say that if you don't use it a lot it has a problem with drying up ink sponges. I have not had any trouble with mine though (but I use mine a lot). I am VERY happy to be putting it through its paces and still seeing so much ink in the reservoirs!
It is saving ME a ton of money on ink. There is SO much more ink in the ECO Tank bottles vs a cartridge. That said, The ECO tank might not be the right printer for someone who does not print very often. But if you print daily or every day or two, it's great. I am in the process of making a follow up review video about all the details and will be releasing that soon. Thanks for asking!
@KookyCraftables That's really awesome! I need something reliable and cost-effective for my business. By the way, you are very talented. God has blessed you! Thanks again!
So far so good... I am going to make a follow up video soon but I had some questions for Epson that I am waiting for an answer on. The quick answer is, if you print a lot then this is a great printer and much more cost effective than a cartridge printer. But I do have concerns for the user that might only print things sporadically... or have long stretches between prints (like over a week at a time). But I'll address that in my follow up video. For me, I am super happy I bought this to replace my cartridge based printer.
I am not sure... I have run my 65# uncoated paper through it with zero issues. did a test print on really heavy photo paper. Maybe if I can get a bunch of card samples I'll do a follow up torture test video.
I have a ET16650 and have printed on 110# coated cardstock with no problems. This is heavier than recommended but it had no problem. Had the printer for 7 months now and have received cash back for two refills. Definitely getting my moneys worth out of the 2 years of free ink. Do a lot of 11x17 prints, (monthly newsletter). Far cheaper and less problems than the Brothers colour laser it replaced.
Epson ET-3760 is certainly junk. I printed almost daily. My tanks are all half full and now won't print in color. B&W gives a meager gray. Clean the nozzles a dozen times-only got worse. It is supposed to self-maintain by dumping ink to a soaking pad. $40-$60 on more ink to merely verify it is terminally clogged is pointless. Can't be donated-only discarded. I would avoid this printer and be highly skeptical of other Eco-Tanks in their catalog.
I am not sure. I roll 65# uncoated card stock through it all the time with no problems. I also have tested premium glossy photo paper (not sure the weight of that as it was a loose sheet). I have not tried super thick things yet.
I use adobe illustrator and a lot of trial and error. Sometimes I even play around with Blender and the paper craft plug in for that to get some of the more weird shapes right.
Looks like a great printer for PHOTO printing, but I honestly don't do much of that. For my papercraft, glossy papers are not great for folding and gluing. For the price of the et-8500, I wish it did not look so flimsy! (paper tray, etc.) The additional gray ink chamber is intriguing though. Do you have an 8500? If so, what do you think of it? Would you recommend? Thanks for the comment! Love talking about printers!
I will never buy Epson again. I had just bought reman cartridges that were working fine. Then a couple weeks later the printer asked for an update. The update then stopped recognizing my cartridges and brought my business to a stand still. They basically held me hostage until I bought their cartridges at twice the price. I'm gone from Epson for good now.
Ugh... that's terrible. I never had problems with my cartridge printer (except for how expensive the ink was). But I also doubt that I ever updated the software. I did try off-brand cartridges once and they definitely did not work well (kept getting LINES in my prints that were unacceptable). So that forced me to buy their premium priced EPSON cartridges. What are you moving to?
To make things worse, I got their cartridges in today and they must be old inventory, the print is barely legible, unuseable. I'm done with epson, moving on to HP or Cannon. I want to be sure neither has no association with epson first.
Good luck with your new printer! Let me know what you move to. I'd be curious to hear because I've been an Epson user for a long time and don't know what the other brands are like at all.@@billwyko2392
it's a yay from me but there are a FEW factors that might make some people pause. IF you print lots of pages, then yes... I highly recommend. If you only print a rare page here and there, it might not be worth it. I am going to do a 6-month later review video very soon to fully explain.
Brother give you a 5 year guarantee, sadly the one I bought for Windows 7 didn't work for Windows 10. The HP professional business printer scanner copier I bought for a Windows 7 desktop won't work with windows 10 either. All manufacturers seem to be in on this scam. Not even Mike the scavenger ( on u tube) will pick up a dumped printer. Someone dumped a HP four in one in the local rubbish, the dustman took it out and it spent over a week on the kerb
It's another scam. This printer is designed to waste ink and all the wasted ink is pumped into a sponge in the back of the machine. Once that sponge us full the machine shuts down
I hope that is not the case! I have been loving the machine so far. The only troubles I have had is sometimes my Mac does not FIND the printer even though I have it wired up. So I have to unplug and plug the USB back in to get it to be seen. (That could be my USB hub though.)
Waste inkt is what every inktjet printer has, it's necessary for cleaning the heads. And with inkt 10$ for 70ml instead of 30$+ for 4ml it's a non issue, however.. the old models of the ecoTank printers had a " non-user replaceable " waste inkt container and a " non-user replaceable " waste ink counter. Yet even on these older models it isn't hard to fix the inkt pad full error, removing two screws, clean the pads (or buy replacements from Amazon for less than 10$) and use WIC reset utility (1 reset to 80% free, $6 for a full reset) and your good to go for many thousands of pages again.
@@TentaclePentacle Got a ET2500 bought in 2017. It still works and it's now starting to show it's age, but a month ago was working flawlessly. So it worked perfectly for 6 years for less than 150€ and not sure how much I spend on ink, but not much... it's been the cheapest printer to use by far. Nothing compared to laser inkjets or even toners.
For me it has been a revolution. I am doing a follow up video with a full report. But my first impressions still continue. I have been using it for over six months and still have more than half of the ink I installed from day one. I will say that sometimes the machine loses connection with my Mac (even though it is plugged in with cord). So I have to unplug and replug the USB and it wakes it up. But that might be a cord issue... I have not spent time to troubleshoot that. But I recommend this machine IF you print frequently. I worry about people that might have it sit unused weeks on end though because I hear it will clean itself all the time if it sits (wasting your ink).
I use 65lb card stock paper STAPLES BRAND (oddly they don't seem to sell the white sheets on their website, as all I see there is different colors, but they sell it at my local store. But I have also used Astrobrights (but not with this machine). On STAPLES paper I use "PLAIN PAPER" as the settings and then update the quality to "BEST". Hope that helps... but YES, I have tried other settings and you get wildly different results if settings don't match the paper well. @@Zyswest
@Zysweet I just got an 8500 and it will definitely not print on card stock no matter the setting, won’t even feed in the roller, it only takes plain paper, there are no settings for card stock.
Printers don't work.. I've received 3 replacements from last year and everyone of these a3 printers all jammed paper everytime... I was fobbed around and time wasted so I eventually couldn't send it back... Avoid this rip off company like the plaque. Printers are terrible
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I certainly have not had that issue, but perhaps I'm not using the same paper you were. Having to get 3 replacements is awful!
SCAM! Put back in box and stuffed in garage after 1 month. HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE, AWFUL picture printing colors. WiFi connection keeps failing. Scanner sucks.
One odd thing mine does is that it sort of loses connection with my Mac even though it is connected with USB. So sometimes I need to quickly unplug and plug the USB to get it paired again. Not a huge deal, but it freaked me out the first time it happened. But I am happy with the colors for MY needs at least.
I feel like color laser printers don't have the dynamic range that an ink jet does. That said, I have not seen what color lasers can do in the past year or so, but they always printed too HOT from my experience. Do you agree that it has trouble with more subtle color ranges or blends? Or have they fixed that?
@@KookyCraftables Hi, have you, by chance made a follow up on the performance of this printer? I really want to buy one, but I've read so many "horror" stories in so many reviews about how it seems to be working fine for a while, (even a year) and then, it starts messing up. Your video was great and it helped me to understand a lot about this printer, but before I spend money on it, I'd like to know how well it has (or hasn't LOL) been performing. THANK YOU!!!
@@robinsydney140 Hi! No, I have not been able to film a follow up, but I will say the printer is doing fine for me. I TOO have heard lots of horror stories from commenters on this video, but I have not had their experiences. I have been using this printer for a year of heavy use and I'm only about 1/2 way though my first batch of ink that I installed when I filmed this review. To me, that alone is a huge value because with my old cartridge printer I would spent more money on that ink than the cost of this new printer. So that alone is a win. MOST people seem to be complaining about the ink cleaning causes a sponge to fill up and "break" the machine. But I will say that the sponge is replaceable behind a hatch in the back of the printer. Epson does not document this very well in their materials, so perhaps many people don't realize you can replace that. THAT SAID, I have not had to replace that sponge yet, so I can't give my own experiences about that yet. Hope this helps.
@@KookyCraftables Yes, it does help me because, among all those other bad stories, I have also come across positive stories like yours. Also, thanks for the tip about the sponge. I guess, it's a matter of "luck" (LOL). I will investigate other brands of tank printers and what you explained to me will have its weight in my decision. Thanks again and I wish you many, many more happy printings with your current ink supply!!! Thanks!
I've had a much better time with Epson than you. My first Epson was a cartridge machine worked flawlessly for 10 years (except the ink cost was totally ridiculous). This new EcoTank does not quite have the build quality of my older epson, but so far it's been working great for me.
I have been an EPSON fan boy for a long time. But any cartridge based machine just hurts SO BAD$ every time I need to replace them. EcoTank sure seems like the right choice for me. I have not owned a Canon in many many years, so I don't have opinion on Epson vs Canon. Hope my video helps though!
Epson Printers are a SCAM. Avoid at all cost . I am sitting with 2 epson ink tank printers that are unusable . Basically Epson installed a piece of software inside the printer that forces consumers to pay Epson more money to reset/change Ink pads(which work perfectly). There are no sensors that actually do any checking on ink in ink pads. So, once you hit their preset number of prints, the WHOLE multifunction printer shuts off and you can't use it unless you bring it for servicing. And you can't do it yourself and just change ink pads. You have to pay Epson or its dealer for the reset. Isn't that extortion? Pay us money and let us reset your printer or you will not be able to print,scan,etc??
It is a scam. They are expensive junks whose inks dry up and clog the flow in few weeks of installation, means even ink supplied with printer do not do its job. HP printers works but expensive to maintain. Best printers are that of Brother.
@@KookyCraftables every brother printer I ever bought, even refurbished ones. Laser printers were so cheap few years ago that it was cheaper to get new one instead of new cartridge.bun non had problem printing to the last drop. Recently, I bought multifunction inkjet and it is just as good. The set of refill set of cartridges (colors and black) is just $69. That is cheaper than HP and Eason.
The only good thing about the Epson is that it's true that you almost never have to replace ink. However, otherwise it is the most non-intuitive, cryptic printer I have ever had, sorry.
@@KookyCraftables I have an A3 HPOOC8DF.lan (HP OfficeJet Pro 7720 series) and an A4 EPSONB6FB7C (ET-2720 Series). The HP printer only allows me to use HP Ink, I've never had to buy ink for the Epson. I put A3 flyers in a clubroom window and the HP ones last well over a year but the Epson ones only last a few months.
you don't need a 4850 - a 3850 does everything just as well. The 2850 is rock bottom and should be avoided. Nevertheless, you'll never get that glossy shiny print quality unless you still pay to have it printed professionally. With any epson you are what you always were - an amateur.
@@KookyCraftables it depends on your purpose: - if you want to shuffle cards, professional prints give smooth shuffling. - If you don't want cards to move off their placed position, home printing gives you just that. Since pnp is so cheap wrt cards/boxes/manuals, you can always go later for a professional reprint.
Bought this "printer" about a week ago. I cannot say anything good about it. It never connects, never prints, never scans, etc. A certified piece of shit (sorry about my English). And trust me, it's not like my wife and I are computer-illiterate. This is not our first printer, but it is definitely by far the worst one we have ever owned. DO NOT BUY IT! And no, I'm not a paid endorser of competing printer manufacturers or out to knock the Epson company. It's my honest opinion, and I will definitely never buy any Epson product again (and this one will be returned to the store today).
So sorry to hear! That sounds like a nightmare. I use mine wired to my Mac. (I will say that sometimes it loses connection even wired up, but if I unplug and plug the USB it wakes it up). I've had great luck with EPSON products through the years but always interested to hear what other people are using. What are you going to move to? Good luck!
well HP has 40% of the market share in ink printers. Canon has 28% and Epson has 26%. I have used HP printers before and all I can remember is that their software was intuitive. Now looking to get a new printer after not using/needing one around 10 years.
I've had my Epson ecotank printer for 2 years now and I've been loving it ever since. My ink levels are still in good levels after 2 years of owning it. Just cutting down my costs on things a bit since my old HP Printer is becoming a money pit so decided to go with an Epson ecotank printer from Best Buy and haven't looked back ever since.
Great to hear! I am doing a follow up review soon so it's great to hear reports from people. Because some people complain about it.
My eco tank has been going strong for around 4 years. It has saved us so much money because my previous inkjet was costing a fortune in ink. Everytime we went on holiday, our printer refused to operate after we returned after a week or so. Now, we just switch on and it connects to our WiFi and it’s good to go again. The refillable ink tanks are so economical and reliable. We have just started to have a few issues with the operating system. I’m still researching how to fix this. It’s still printing basically but restarting and printing two lots of everything! It’s not able to hold more than 10 pages in memory when I print wirelessly. I’ll check how it goes with usb computer connection. Still been a great purchase though.
what vrsion? L or ET?. cause im going to buy epson l1250 for sticker haha
I have an Epson ET 2550, which is 7 years old. I got an error message the other day that said the waste ink pads were full and to contact Epson. Apparently, there is a page counter and it will no longer work when you reach this number. I watched a TH-cam video and was able to remove and clean the ink pads, but unfortunately, the download to reset the page counter, would not open on my Mac, so sadly, even though the ink pads are clean, the printer doesn't know this. I think this is a dirty scam by Epson to get you to purchase a new printer.
why not remove the waste ink pads before they expire and clean them.
Thanks for the notes. Some people are reporting similar info, and some are saying that newer machines don't have the problem. (Fingers crossed that I don't run into that trouble myself). I appreciate your report though. What did you end up doing to replace your machine?
Ink pads are replaceable so you don't need to buy a new printer.
@@robertleach6402I have heard that sensors are built into the ink pads which break when removed
@@robertleach6402
Doesn't matter, the printer has a set number of uses before it thinks the pads are full. You can clean the pads all you want, the printer doesn't care because it doesn't actually scan the physical state of the pads, it just assumes they're full after a certain number of uses.
I recently bought one. My HP was killing me with cartridge costs. Just cleaning the print heads would lowers the ink levels. I bought the 4850 and am impressed. I have printed several full page photos and the level has not visibly dropped. I should have done this years ago.
I hear ya... the cartridge costs are outrageous. I'm so happy you're loving your new printer!
I bought an Ecotank printer a few years ago, but it really wasn't all that great. The black print head seemed to randomly leak ink onto the paper, especially the corners. But the main issue was, if I hadn't used it for a week, the heads would clog, which was much faster than other inkjet printers I'd had before. Then it would waste so much ink doing head cleaning...I used most the ink for only a few hundred pages actually printed. It might not had been an issue if I was printing every day, but I can go a couple of weeks not needing a printer and then needing to print off a dozen pages. Not being able to rely on it was an issue, so I did what I should've done when I bought it, I got a laser (LED) printer, and all these ink problems just don't exist...easiest printer I've ever owned. BTW, I never print off photos as it's so cheap and easy to do in the local store, so having a printer that isn't made for printing photos doesn't bother me.
Sorry to hear about that. I have not had those issues myself, but I do print something every day (except weekends). I assume that LED does not do photography justice? Or are those getting better for that?
@@KookyCraftables They can print photos, but I wouldn't call it high quality. On plain paper, printing off document style images (logos, charts etc.) it does a great job. But it's on text where toner based printers look great, as there is no ink soaking into paper to smudge the edges, even very fine print is crisp.
Thanks for the details!@@Pete856
@@KookyCraftablesYou're welcome. BTW, I kept my Ecotank for the flatbed scanner as the all-in-one laser printers are huge and cost a bit. I got a Brother color laser printer without a scanner for less than the cheapest Epson Ecotank.
@@Pete856 which model you bought from Brother ?
There wasn't any ink left over. After the printer initializes you put the "left over" in, and viola completely full tanks.
Ah... I didn't think of that but you're right for sure!
Thanks. I received my ET-4800 last week. I had a few glitches with the set-up, probably because it was 3:00 AM.
@@JBoomer-pi6ml Cool... let me know how it works out for you. The only trouble I have had is that sometimes it seems to lose connection with my Mac (even though it is hard wired). The print project will queue up and never come out. But all I have to do is quickly unplug and plug the USB cable and it wake up enough to print. That might be just a ME thing, but I'm just putting it out there.
It is always the question how long the printer itself will survive. If you have ink for two years and the printer breaks after a year? There are so many printers that I have broken after a few years. Or they don't turn on anymore. They probably have a timer built in. So that you can buy a new printer.
A scam? I have had an eco tank for over 5 years, and I have only needed to put new ink like 3 or 4 times. My wife runs a daycare, and she uses it for kids' activities every day. These things are amazing.
Yeah, its called a click bait headline.. I hate such headers and always 'dislike' them as i did for this one too, though some info was useful. he said nothing about the larger user experience. also partly to promote own papercraft whatever.
In that case, I’m excited to buy one and use it for homeschool! 😁
Yall obviously don't print shit then lmao cause it lasts nowhere near that long when you actually use it mate 😂
@moneybilla I have a childcare at home. At a minimum, we print near 100 pages a week.
@@archNagel I just got one and the ink seems to be lasting well beyond the cartridge printer I previously had. I would have replaced the ink twice by now. So I’m happy so far! Even if it doesn’t last a year or whatever.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you - for showing EXACTLY what I wanted and needed to see from a printer review! I am a designer and crafter and care about how a printer prints on card stock and if the colors are accurate and vibrant. This was SO helpful.
I have the Epson L355, nearly 9 years old and still running. As long as you have the right software to reset the ink sponge counter, you will do just fine.
Great to hear! Mine is still going strong after a year. It has already paid for itself many times over in ink savings so I'm in the win column already!
How do you get a software like this?
My ecotank L4250 has worked well but a couple of weeks ago decided to give me 'contact epson message' saying it was empty alhough I've always kept it well inked and it was half full. I've had it for years and refilled the tanks several times. I'll get it fixed and buy one of these if the price is right and get the other one fixed just have to a spare and back up. My wife uses the other ET 2550 I used to have, it was perfect.
Sorry to hear about the 4250 message. Good luck with it!
I have nothing to do with printers and came up to this video randomly but I enjoyed the video. Good review and cute crafts.
Thank you so much 🤗 I really appreciate your comment and your kind words!
I recently purchased a new Epson Eco Tank 3850 printer at Costco for $325.00. The setup was relatively easy and I had it up and running in about 15 minutes after unboxing. However, I am extremely disappointed in the quality of the printing for both documents and photos.The edging in the photos were grainy and the colors were darker then the original photos. I reset the color management and it still produced a low quality image. The scanner is also cheap inefficient. After scanning a simple document I discovered the text had jagged edges and the tops of the fonts in some sentences were chopped off. The only way I could get nice sharp fonts in a document was to scan in Photo Mode. The top automatic feeder which is used to scan multiple documents or make copies, pulls the entire stack of papers into the feeder all at once. I had to physically stagger each page individually to prevent the stack from jamming the feeder. All in all this printer is ,sfr of poor quality materials and is cheaply made. Thank God I saved the box. I'm packaging it back up and taking it back to Costco first thing tomorrow.
Once again, I will warn anyone using tank printers to be sure to cycle every ink color once a week. If the print head dries up, it is difficult to clear. I learned the hard way. If you print colors lot, it won't matter. Color codes are---
00ffff cyan ff00ff magenta ffff000 yellow These will print the individual colors.
Thanks for the comment. I myself have not had trouble with any dry up. But then again, I print almost every day. I'm working on a follow up video to talk about this printer and I do want to include warnings like yours because a LOT of people have commented something similar.
I am glad you like my info. The other thing you may need to know is the 'USED" ink tank on the printer. the printer will cycle when turned on or after a print job to clear the ink jets. This ink goes to the used ink tank. On my Epson 2760 it is in the bottom rear right corner. This tank can be cleaned but the problem is the printer keeps tracked on how much ink it THINKS is in it and lock out the printer. It takes a code to clear it so you can keep printing. Check you model on how to clean and reset the printer. Also, there is a print head cleaning program that uses the ink and fills that used ink tank.
PS, neat artwork.@@KookyCraftables
Nonsense scaremongering! I've had this printer for several years, use it periodically and it has never dried up.
@@jeremybarker8996 You may be one of the lucky ones. I lost one color another before I started my weekly test. I started just to use just black for most of my printing and that started it all. Epson recognized this and it has a built-in program to "Clean" the print head.
@@d.l.harrington4080Do you know where to find this code for different models?
Had it for about two years. Absolutely love it. Almost no paper jams.
Thanks for the video. I've seen reviews complaining the ink not being stable after like 6 months, colors fading and the worst being the black fading. Any observations since you did the video in August 2023? Thanks
I have had no problems with the machine other that some weird connection losses with my Mac (easily fixed). I am working on a follow up review this month to review it six months later and share my thoughts about who I think this printer is best for. Stay tuned!
First, cardstock or glossy paper should never be placed in the paper drawer; it needs to be placed in the back of the printer. Only standard inkjet paper goes in the front tray-nothing else. The EPSON EcoTank ET-4850 is the wrong printer for the type of projects you are doing. In due time, you will end up with bad printer heads and start seeing ink marks on either one side or both sides of the paper. This printer is designed for non-creative users or crafters; it's for general printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. What you should have purchased is any of the Epson EcoTank printers that are designed for photos and cardstock, with a paper sheet tray in the back of the printer. This is true for any printers with eco tank or cartridge inks.
PS: Love your paper crafting 👍
Thanks so much for the kind words. Perhaps I've never tired to roll really thick card stock through (I like 65#). I will say my old EPSON workforce never had trouble with putting card stock in the tray even after almost a decade of use. Hopefully this new one will be a winner for me too. :)
This printer is compatible with 64g to 300g paper in epson own specs, so no worries it is made for printing 300g paper (thickest paper in thaaa worlddd for printing)
- [00:00] 🖨 Traditional inkjet cartridges are expensive, prompting consumers to explore alternatives like the Epson EcoTank printer.
- [00:16] 🚫 This review is not sponsored, and the Epson EcoTank printer requires a higher upfront cost but may save money in the long run.
- [00:50] 🖨 Filling ink bottles is straightforward with the EcoTank system, aided by the accompanying app.
- [02:00] 🎨 Quality tests confirm that the printer performs well, producing accurate colors and smooth prints.
- [02:24] 📄 The printer successfully handles cardstock paper, demonstrating versatility in media type.
- [03:43] 📸 Experimentation with different print settings improves color accuracy, enhancing the quality of glossy photo prints.
- [04:05] 💭 After extended use, the printer maintains consistent ink levels and performs reliably, promising durability and cost-effectiveness.
thanks
I have the ET-4750 and it's truly a game changer in terms of cost... In fact the color tanks seem to never get empty ! It's the perfect color printer for home office... Weaknesses : the automatic paper feed half working, the LCD display is too small, the colors printed are not fully saturated and therefore this printer is not the ideal for photo printing...But in terms of cost per page this printer is the best ! No doubt
Hi! Thank you for the video. I am a bookbinder and I’m considering buying this print for my projects. I have a laser printer as I mostly bind novels or planners (5-15 a month), but considering adding some colours, maybe magazines or even photo albums, but probably my work will still be 70% just text, 30% graphs and photos.
Is this printer good for that? Will I waste ink or printing books will take too long or make the black runs out super faster?
I haven’t found anyone talking about text printing on this printer. It’s hard to find information online.
Thanks a lot!
I used to use laser printers a lot and those are POST SCRIPT printers so the line art is SUPER SHARP and CRISP compared to ink jet. (Lasers are also a lot faster to print after it renders a page). I don't think you're going to like the quality hit. I would go to an office store and see if there are any models on display that print TEST SHEETS (I've seen many stores that do that). Just my opinion, but I hope it helps!
I´ve been using Epson Ecotank for so long and loving it every minute. Thank you for the review.
Great to hear!
Hi! This may sound strange but does the ink run/bleed much if water is brushed over the ink? Also how good do greyscale images print? Thank you so much ☺️
Well, that is not something I have tested, but I would pretty much guarantee that it would smear with moisture. Are you talking photo paper? Or matte paper? I don't print much grayscale so I am not sure how to advise you, but I do know that it is acceptable to me. There is another Epson printer that actually has some dedicated GRAY ink that would be much better if grayscale is super important to you. I have not used it myself, but the EcoTank Photo ET‑8500 offers Borderless Printing up to 8.5" x 11", 6‑Color Claria® ET with Photographic Dye Inks, Up to 5,760 x 1,440 dpi Resolution - and if you look at it online you'll see it has a dedicated GRAY ink chamber.
just wanted to ask if you've tried this with 240 gsm glossy for photos, and if you've had any pin wheel / rolloer problems? thanks
I don't often use glossy paper. I'm working on a follow up video about this machine and will print some glossy photos during that. (Not sure if I have 240 gsm though). I THINK it would print okay as I have printed on some VERY thick card stock... (seems to top out at 100# card though)
How is the print quality for glossy good quality photos?
I don't do a lot of glossy photos so I'm not a good person to report quality of those. But I am going to do a follow up video very soon and I'll print some glossy photos as reference to feature in that video.
@@KookyCraftables Alright. Cool.
Hello dear,this printer can print gloss label ?
I have not tried that, but if the gloss label sheet is designed for ink jet printers, I don't see why it would not work. This EcoTank has behaved like older ink jet machines I've had in the past when I was doing more label work. Hope this helps!
I've had my epson 2856 printer for about a year and I think it's a good printer with good quality and incredibly lean on ink. The scanner on the other hand has a lousy unfriendly interface and is unbelieveably slow.
Oh wow... thanks for that report. I will have to test the scanner myself. I never used it! :)
Mine does use your computer to change the setting.
and hows it working now, after one year, especially with photo prints?
Working on a follow up video now! I still don't do many photo prints, but will show one off in my new video.
@@KookyCraftables thats great!
i purchased a canon A3 printer in 2020, refilled the ink, printed maybe 30 big pictures and then i got more and more annoying stripes. it ended on trash. everyone at social media cracks jokes and memes about printers and it seems there is no serious printer out there anymore.
do you know this video?
th-cam.com/video/AHX6tHdQGiQ/w-d-xo.html
The ET-5150 - 5180 range are the better buy since they are more heavily built (and designed to replace Office - spec. lasers). VERY fast throughput and software obviously aimed at the "professional" rather than home user, nevertheless an extremely capable printer design, with the 250 page tray meaning you don't have to refill paper every five minutes! 🙂Ideal for academic use, especially if you need a combination of clear crisp mono text, and far more than adequate colour images.
Good to know. I do wish mine had better build for the tray. But that said, I've had no problems with it so far.
If you put a paper in the automatic feeder is there a setting to select print 2 sided-to 2 sided? So for example, I need to make a copy of something that has writing on both sides. Will it automatically copy and print both sides without me having to reinsert the paper?
I have not tested this, but I don't THINK so... Sorry for the late reply. Super busy on a film project right now. Best wishes!
The Canon Maxify GX series printers in the same price range have that feature and you can do that. They are called duplex printing (if you want to print something digital on 1 paper front and back) and 2-sided copying.
Aside from the printer review (thanks for that!), your craftable creations look really cute, well done!
Thanks so much!
Mine failed the first year because the printer was in an attic and the printing heads went dry.
I've done verything I could to solve the problem and it went worse. Got replaced.
Second year failed because the sponge inside the printer was full of ink. I've tried repalcing it and it was worse, once again :p
Set every screw back and got a replacment. Has been working for 4 years in a row now.
I guess third time was a charm!?
I got epson Ey 4800 after one week its started to print one paper black and white in 5 minute i sent it back to amazon
How come when I print the picture of my models, the colors sucks, it was not clear. What am I doing wrong ? Please help
It's tough to know, but printers are pretty sensitive about wanting to know exactly what PAPER you are printing on. So make sure you are digging around into the print dialogue boxes to search for menus where you can specify what you're trying to print on. There will also be settings for quality in those menus. (SOMETIMES reducing the quality of the print IMPROVES colors, because higher quality settings usually lay a lot more ink down on the paper.) But most of the time, with some testing, you can really dial it in and then you get consistent results moving forward! Good luck.
Thank you
I am also a crafter and was wondering about your card stock if it ever got jammed. I heard that for card stock. It’s best to have a back feed Tray. Does this one have one?
They do make models with rear paper feed, but I don't believe this one has that. That said, my card stock is rolling through great. (there is a point though where if the paper gets TOO thick it won't take it)
Hi, is this printer still doing will for you?
It is still doing very well for me . I am going to release a follow up video soon. A lot of people have commented that if you don't PRINT a lot, then it might not be as good a value as it has to clean itself between long stretches of no use (but I print every day so it has been doing great for me.)
@@KookyCraftables Really good to hear, are you using original ink or did you try 3rd part link too? and did you hit the ink waste counter? I wonder if you could reset it like Brother printer or you can't. Those's two important factors for me to buy a new printer, right now I have Brother J 105 but it's super slow.
Thanks btw for your video, I came for the printer but your channels look awesome, so I'm going to look around your work :)
I am using the EPSON ink (have not tried 3rd party) because I feel like the value is there. The bottle are huge and cost seems much more fair. I have not hit the ink waste counter, but I have been in touch with Epson and they confirmed I can replace the waste reservoir (and the cost of that is not bad either). Thanks for the kind words about my work. So glad you found me!@@mhnoni
@@KookyCraftables glad to hear that the waste tank is available through them. How much $ ? What about the rest code related to the printer locking up (waste ink because of the number of pages) 4:58 unless sent to Ep$on for a pricey $service call ? People are paying for codes from Ebay etc.
How many gsm is the cardstock that you used, sir?
176 gsm is what I normally use. But I have been able to put things a little thicker than that through with no issues. Not sure where the gsm breaking point is, but that's what I can say for now.
Yeah my experience with the Brother tank printer is like others here.
Don’t print a lot and when I need it it’s clogged up. Barley used it a few times last year and now I think it’s already garbage. Won’t recognize tanks are refilled and been through all it’s trouble shooting maintenance type procedures.
I’m sure with some patience I can take it apart and breathe some life back into it…..But my patience tank for printers dried up a while back and I’ve yet to find a refill for it
You had a little ink left-over. Any issue with the remaining ink drying out in the bottle?
Someone pointed out that I could add the remaining ink back in after the machine loaded the initial amount. But I didn't actually do it. I don't think the ink will dry out in the bottle because they are still very much fluids even now.
Can you refill the ink bottles with cheap ink and then refill the printer. Ink is very cheap, how much are the epsom scam bottles or are they cheap too ??
Has Epsom stopped this printer from working yet? @@KookyCraftables
just got my et-16650, $900. This printer is scary awesome. standard settings on the et-16650 is BETTER than high settings on my old wf-7610. this is absolutely insane!! time to get to work!!! :D
Wow, that's a great review, I'm super happy to hear that you're enjoying your new printer!
Any updates on the printer?
Still loving it. It does a few wonky things, but nothing bad enough to bother me too much. money savings on ink is amazing.
Another scam is, every time Windows has a new version, printers and other peripheral drivers are discontinued, and the old drivers don't work with the new system.
Heck, my current computer will not work with Windows 11, and the computer is in perfect condition.
Thanks for the warning. That sounds terrible. I am a Mac guy and have never experienced driver issues with any of my printers. That must be totally frustrating!
@@KookyCraftables I'm a Mac too. I have a small HP LaserJet P1102. When I want to print a page, it works fine. Then I try to print another page, and it doesn't print. I close the document and try again and it might work. There is no updated driver so I suspect that is the issue because this started a year ago or so. Thinking about buying another printer to replace it. I don't necessary need color because I have a large format color printer. Not sure I want another HP printer. Epson is not making laser printers anymore. I need black laser prints for some art works I do.
curious... what do you make with your black laser prints?@@bcyclegirl
Hi! Great video and great paper art! I was wondering, how does the paper quality hold up if you print multiple pages one after the other? Does it smudge the pages?
I have not seen any smudging on mine.
Can we download your paper prep blue prints ?
i was searching for reviews because i wanted to buy a new printer, and randomly saw this printer, with the ink bottles i was like "this is good to be true there has to be a catch" but it seems like there is not
Saw this while investigating a replacement for my finally-dead Photo Stylus R1800 (printhead went belly-up and not worth $300 at that point IMO, nor is there any support in CUPS to use it with my Raspberry Pi print server), and I busted out laughing when I saw your turkey at 4:28
Good video. I'm a little more willing to dig more into the Ecotank line after seeing this.
Thanks! Keep me posted about your research and what experiences you have. I"m still happy with mine. SOME people have emailed me to say that if you don't use it a lot it has a problem with drying up ink sponges. I have not had any trouble with mine though (but I use mine a lot). I am VERY happy to be putting it through its paces and still seeing so much ink in the reservoirs!
So, do you save any money on ink, or is it the same as a cartridge printer?
It is saving ME a ton of money on ink. There is SO much more ink in the ECO Tank bottles vs a cartridge. That said, The ECO tank might not be the right printer for someone who does not print very often. But if you print daily or every day or two, it's great. I am in the process of making a follow up review video about all the details and will be releasing that soon. Thanks for asking!
@KookyCraftables
That's really awesome! I need something reliable and cost-effective for my business. By the way, you are very talented. God has blessed you!
Thanks again!
Thanks for the kind words! I should release my follow up video in a week or two so you can hear all the details. Best wishes to you!@@TheChube25
so is it good or not?
So far so good... I am going to make a follow up video soon but I had some questions for Epson that I am waiting for an answer on. The quick answer is, if you print a lot then this is a great printer and much more cost effective than a cartridge printer. But I do have concerns for the user that might only print things sporadically... or have long stretches between prints (like over a week at a time). But I'll address that in my follow up video. For me, I am super happy I bought this to replace my cartridge based printer.
What is the maximum recommended gsm paper size for Epson ecotank print?
I am not sure... I have run my 65# uncoated paper through it with zero issues. did a test print on really heavy photo paper. Maybe if I can get a bunch of card samples I'll do a follow up torture test video.
@@KookyCraftables thank you
I have a ET16650 and have printed on 110# coated cardstock with no problems. This is heavier than recommended but it had no problem. Had the printer for 7 months now and have received cash back for two refills. Definitely getting my moneys worth out of the 2 years of free ink. Do a lot of 11x17 prints, (monthly newsletter). Far cheaper and less problems than the Brothers colour laser it replaced.
Epson ET-3760 is certainly junk. I printed almost daily. My tanks are all half full and now won't print in color. B&W gives a meager gray. Clean the nozzles a dozen times-only got worse. It is supposed to self-maintain by dumping ink to a soaking pad. $40-$60 on more ink to merely verify it is terminally clogged is pointless. Can't be donated-only discarded. I would avoid this printer and be highly skeptical of other Eco-Tanks in their catalog.
What's the thickest card it will take please?
I am not sure. I roll 65# uncoated card stock through it all the time with no problems. I also have tested premium glossy photo paper (not sure the weight of that as it was a loose sheet). I have not tried super thick things yet.
How you build your templates for the papercrafts? I love papercraft!!!
I use adobe illustrator and a lot of trial and error. Sometimes I even play around with Blender and the paper craft plug in for that to get some of the more weird shapes right.
I'm using an old version of Corel Draw (X3) which is a line-art program similar to Illustrator but with a few more features and is easier to use.
I envy your artistic talents. Great video.
Thanks for the kind words Esra!
3:42 Why do you *assume* I'll be using glossy paper? What do you know?!
I love my printer we use it a lot! Ink lasted me a lot ! I recommend it 100 percent
Thanks for the comment! I am loving mine too for cost savings on ink for sure.
Looks like et-8500 is more adapted for you
Looks like a great printer for PHOTO printing, but I honestly don't do much of that. For my papercraft, glossy papers are not great for folding and gluing. For the price of the et-8500, I wish it did not look so flimsy! (paper tray, etc.) The additional gray ink chamber is intriguing though. Do you have an 8500? If so, what do you think of it? Would you recommend? Thanks for the comment! Love talking about printers!
I will never buy Epson again. I had just bought reman cartridges that were working fine. Then a couple weeks later the printer asked for an update. The update then stopped recognizing my cartridges and brought my business to a stand still. They basically held me hostage until I bought their cartridges at twice the price. I'm gone from Epson for good now.
Ugh... that's terrible. I never had problems with my cartridge printer (except for how expensive the ink was). But I also doubt that I ever updated the software. I did try off-brand cartridges once and they definitely did not work well (kept getting LINES in my prints that were unacceptable). So that forced me to buy their premium priced EPSON cartridges. What are you moving to?
To make things worse, I got their cartridges in today and they must be old inventory, the print is barely legible, unuseable. I'm done with epson, moving on to HP or Cannon. I want to be sure neither has no association with epson first.
Good luck with your new printer! Let me know what you move to. I'd be curious to hear because I've been an Epson user for a long time and don't know what the other brands are like at all.@@billwyko2392
@@billwyko2392 which one have you chosen? are you happy with the new one? I am also thinking of getting an HP.
I now know what printer I will be getting next. I'm really tired of the ink cartridges.
If you print a lot, it sure seems like a good deal to me! I've been very happy so far.
I have the ET-4750 bought back in 2014 Best Ptinter. Paid $450.00 excellent investment IMO :)
Glad to hear! So far so good with my machine... a few little quirks, but the ink savings more than makes up for it.
So is that a yay or a nay? You didn't really make that clear. . .
it's a yay from me but there are a FEW factors that might make some people pause. IF you print lots of pages, then yes... I highly recommend. If you only print a rare page here and there, it might not be worth it. I am going to do a 6-month later review video very soon to fully explain.
thanks for actually printing!
You bet!
Brother give you a 5 year guarantee, sadly the one I bought for Windows 7 didn't work for Windows 10. The HP professional business printer scanner copier I bought for a Windows 7 desktop won't work with windows 10 either. All manufacturers seem to be in on this scam.
Not even Mike the scavenger ( on u tube) will pick up a dumped printer. Someone dumped a HP four in one in the local rubbish, the dustman took it out and it spent over a week on the kerb
That sounds like a nightmare for windows users. Not fair!
Ink initialization fills the tube with ink, it's part of the system
Yep! It's just surprising HOW much ink it took to prime the lines. That said, I am still loving the capacity and cost savings. :)
It's another scam. This printer is designed to waste ink and all the wasted ink is pumped into a sponge in the back of the machine. Once that sponge us full the machine shuts down
I hope that is not the case! I have been loving the machine so far. The only troubles I have had is sometimes my Mac does not FIND the printer even though I have it wired up. So I have to unplug and plug the USB back in to get it to be seen. (That could be my USB hub though.)
@@KookyCraftables it's designed to fail shortly after the warranty end.
Waste inkt is what every inktjet printer has, it's necessary for cleaning the heads. And with inkt 10$ for 70ml instead of 30$+ for 4ml it's a non issue, however..
the old models of the ecoTank printers had a " non-user replaceable " waste inkt container and a " non-user replaceable " waste ink counter.
Yet even on these older models it isn't hard to fix the inkt pad full error, removing two screws, clean the pads (or buy replacements from Amazon for less than 10$) and use WIC reset utility (1 reset to 80% free, $6 for a full reset) and your good to go for many thousands of pages again.
@@rj7855 you like to be over for the scammers don't you?
@@TentaclePentacle Got a ET2500 bought in 2017. It still works and it's now starting to show it's age, but a month ago was working flawlessly. So it worked perfectly for 6 years for less than 150€ and not sure how much I spend on ink, but not much... it's been the cheapest printer to use by far. Nothing compared to laser inkjets or even toners.
Uninstall your old software and remove it from windows 10/11 settings and make a note of you wifi network address before starting
What’s with the “pick the best option” crap? It has a scanner, it should ask for that sheet back and figure it out.
very true, but actually that would make it take longer. I trust my eyes more than putting it on the scanner and having it choose the best.
And whats your conclusion? Is it scam or a revolution? How long did the ink last? Much longer then with the usual cartridges?
For me it has been a revolution. I am doing a follow up video with a full report. But my first impressions still continue. I have been using it for over six months and still have more than half of the ink I installed from day one. I will say that sometimes the machine loses connection with my Mac (even though it is plugged in with cord). So I have to unplug and replug the USB and it wakes it up. But that might be a cord issue... I have not spent time to troubleshoot that. But I recommend this machine IF you print frequently. I worry about people that might have it sit unused weeks on end though because I hear it will clean itself all the time if it sits (wasting your ink).
If you have any questions... please feel free to ask! I'm here to help. 😀
what exact cardstock are you using? i’m having the worst time with extremely dull settings on my new 8500 and i’ve done over a hundred tests
I use 65lb card stock paper STAPLES BRAND (oddly they don't seem to sell the white sheets on their website, as all I see there is different colors, but they sell it at my local store. But I have also used Astrobrights (but not with this machine). On STAPLES paper I use "PLAIN PAPER" as the settings and then update the quality to "BEST". Hope that helps... but YES, I have tried other settings and you get wildly different results if settings don't match the paper well. @@Zyswest
@Zysweet I just got an 8500 and it will definitely not print on card stock no matter the setting, won’t even feed in the roller, it only takes plain paper, there are no settings for card stock.
Printers don't work.. I've received 3 replacements from last year and everyone of these a3 printers all jammed paper everytime... I was fobbed around and time wasted so I eventually couldn't send it back...
Avoid this rip off company like the plaque. Printers are terrible
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I certainly have not had that issue, but perhaps I'm not using the same paper you were. Having to get 3 replacements is awful!
SCAM!
Put back in box and stuffed in garage after 1 month. HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE, AWFUL picture printing colors. WiFi connection keeps failing. Scanner sucks.
One odd thing mine does is that it sort of loses connection with my Mac even though it is connected with USB. So sometimes I need to quickly unplug and plug the USB to get it paired again. Not a huge deal, but it freaked me out the first time it happened. But I am happy with the colors for MY needs at least.
Has mine three years Colors are accurate, never dropped WIFi, scan is as good as an expensive flatbed.
Get a Brother Laserjet printer / toner and leave inkjet behind for good.
I feel like color laser printers don't have the dynamic range that an ink jet does. That said, I have not seen what color lasers can do in the past year or so, but they always printed too HOT from my experience. Do you agree that it has trouble with more subtle color ranges or blends? Or have they fixed that?
Connection issues in this day in age making printers that can't connect to wifi ridiculous
Such a great video! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!
@@KookyCraftables Hi, have you, by chance made a follow up on the performance of this printer? I really want to buy one, but I've read so many "horror" stories in so many reviews about how it seems to be working fine for a while, (even a year) and then, it starts messing up. Your video was great and it helped me to understand a lot about this printer, but before I spend money on it, I'd like to know how well it has (or hasn't LOL) been performing. THANK YOU!!!
@@robinsydney140 Hi! No, I have not been able to film a follow up, but I will say the printer is doing fine for me. I TOO have heard lots of horror stories from commenters on this video, but I have not had their experiences. I have been using this printer for a year of heavy use and I'm only about 1/2 way though my first batch of ink that I installed when I filmed this review. To me, that alone is a huge value because with my old cartridge printer I would spent more money on that ink than the cost of this new printer. So that alone is a win. MOST people seem to be complaining about the ink cleaning causes a sponge to fill up and "break" the machine. But I will say that the sponge is replaceable behind a hatch in the back of the printer. Epson does not document this very well in their materials, so perhaps many people don't realize you can replace that. THAT SAID, I have not had to replace that sponge yet, so I can't give my own experiences about that yet. Hope this helps.
@@KookyCraftables Yes, it does help me because, among all those other bad stories, I have also come across positive stories like yours. Also, thanks for the tip about the sponge. I guess, it's a matter of "luck" (LOL). I will investigate other brands of tank printers and what you explained to me will have its weight in my decision. Thanks again and I wish you many, many more happy printings with your current ink supply!!! Thanks!
Got scams badly after buy those expensive HP inkjet cartridges for years. Thanks god for Epson, the printer already paid for itself after a few months
Yes! I have printed over 1000 pages of color and my ink levels are still about 75% full.
got the best one and i hate it it never worked, i just want something that works without me having to go to school. epson is crap
I've had a much better time with Epson than you. My first Epson was a cartridge machine worked flawlessly for 10 years (except the ink cost was totally ridiculous). This new EcoTank does not quite have the build quality of my older epson, but so far it's been working great for me.
Well at least these are a step up from the cartridge based printers. But at this price level, these devices are really just made to throw away.
I am making cards as well. I am thinking about buying an Epson E-2803
Awesome! Hope it works well for you. I am still very happy with my machine.
Thnx for the info.... Canon looks like it's going to lose a user 🙂
I have been an EPSON fan boy for a long time. But any cartridge based machine just hurts SO BAD$ every time I need to replace them. EcoTank sure seems like the right choice for me. I have not owned a Canon in many many years, so I don't have opinion on Epson vs Canon. Hope my video helps though!
Does people still use fax?
Believe it or not, SOME people do. I still have one client that uses it exclusively. But you're right it is a RARE thing now.
Anything to beat HP
Nice crafts came for the printer but ended up interested in the crafts
Thanks so much!
It’s 7 years old. It’s old
Epson Printers are a SCAM. Avoid at all cost .
I am sitting with 2 epson ink tank printers that are unusable .
Basically Epson installed a piece of software inside the printer that forces consumers to pay Epson more money to reset/change Ink pads(which work perfectly). There are no sensors that actually do any checking on ink in ink pads.
So, once you hit their preset number of prints, the WHOLE multifunction printer shuts off and you can't use it unless you bring it for servicing. And you can't do it yourself and just change ink pads. You have to pay Epson or its dealer for the reset.
Isn't that extortion? Pay us money and let us reset your printer or you will not be able to print,scan,etc??
It is a scam. They are expensive junks whose inks dry up and clog the flow in few weeks of installation, means even ink supplied with printer do not do its job. HP printers works but expensive to maintain. Best printers are that of Brother.
Thanks for the comment. My epson is still working great for me.. But I'm curious to know which model Brother do you like?
@@KookyCraftables every brother printer I ever bought, even refurbished ones. Laser printers were so cheap few years ago that it was cheaper to get new one instead of new cartridge.bun non had problem printing to the last drop. Recently, I bought multifunction inkjet and it is just as good. The set of refill set of cartridges (colors and black) is just $69. That is cheaper than HP and Eason.
The only good thing about the Epson is that it's true that you almost never have to replace ink. However, otherwise it is the most non-intuitive, cryptic printer I have ever had, sorry.
The ink looks very diluted
I've found that my HP ink is better quality than Epson ink.
I don't think I've ever owned an HP. Curious to know what model you're using? Thanks for the comment!
@@KookyCraftables I have an A3 HPOOC8DF.lan (HP OfficeJet Pro 7720 series) and an A4 EPSONB6FB7C (ET-2720 Series). The HP printer only allows me to use HP Ink, I've never had to buy ink for the Epson.
I put A3 flyers in a clubroom window and the HP ones last well over a year but the Epson ones only last a few months.
SCAM! I have an L3160 WiFi. Problematic. Very bad buying. Is ready for recycling.
you don't need a 4850 - a 3850 does everything just as well. The 2850 is rock bottom and should be avoided.
Nevertheless, you'll never get that glossy shiny print quality unless you still pay to have it printed professionally. With any epson you are what you always were - an amateur.
Thanks for the feedback. I know that pro printing and home printing are two different things. Those printers cost BANK. :)
@@KookyCraftables
it depends on your purpose:
- if you want to shuffle cards, professional prints give smooth shuffling.
- If you don't want cards to move off their placed position, home printing gives you just that.
Since pnp is so cheap wrt cards/boxes/manuals, you can always go later for a professional reprint.
Why do you need fax ? Ring the other company to fax their email address ? See what I did there ?
Bought this "printer" about a week ago.
I cannot say anything good about it.
It never connects, never prints, never scans, etc.
A certified piece of shit (sorry about my English).
And trust me, it's not like my wife and I are computer-illiterate.
This is not our first printer, but it is definitely by far the worst one we have ever owned.
DO NOT BUY IT!
And no, I'm not a paid endorser of competing printer manufacturers or out to knock the Epson company. It's my honest opinion, and I will definitely never buy any Epson product again (and this one will be returned to the store today).
So sorry to hear! That sounds like a nightmare. I use mine wired to my Mac. (I will say that sometimes it loses connection even wired up, but if I unplug and plug the USB it wakes it up). I've had great luck with EPSON products through the years but always interested to hear what other people are using. What are you going to move to? Good luck!
Wilfredo Cape
From Indonesia to the world: you're welcome.
ok
Epson is shit, better to get a small Chinese man to chisel it on a rock and copy it than use this shit printer
Alexandra Spur
fake caption. This video is about picture quality. - where does the "scam/revolution" topic come in ? Sorry - one minus for mostly wasting my time.
Worst than cartridges!! Epsom sucks now!! Worst than Brother!!
Marjorie Square
broo if you want good quality prints go with canon.
I was pondering getting a canon for my home office so I could compare. If I do, what model canon do you recommend?
Epson number one, Canon number two, HP number three and so forth.
I have always used Epson, but I am curious to try a Canon some time to compare. I do love this new epson so far.
well HP has 40% of the market share in ink printers. Canon has 28% and Epson has 26%. I have used HP printers before and all I can remember is that their software was intuitive. Now looking to get a new printer after not using/needing one around 10 years.
Thanks for the review.