When choosing a printer, it's essential to consider both the initial purchase price and the long-term costs of operation. This means evaluating the cost of replacement ink or toner, as well as the printer's efficiency in ink usage.
Printers with low cartridge expenses and efficient power consumption often provide the best value whether you are dealing with a small business printer or a home printer.
Several brands, such as Epson, Canon, and HP, offer models that strike a balance between initial affordability and long-term cost-effectiveness. Here are six printers that I consider the cheapest to run.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-3830
The Epson EcoTank ET-3830 is one of the best examples of a cost-effective printer, especially for users who print frequently. The key to its affordability lies in its refillable ink tanks, which eliminate the need for traditional cartridges. Priced at around $369.99, this printer comes with enough ink to print thousands of pages right out of the box.
Epson’s refill bottles are designed to provide significant long-term savings. For instance, the black ink bottle costs just $32.99 and can print up to 7,500 pages, resulting in a nearly negligible cost per page. The color bottles also offer similar savings, making the EcoTank ET-3830 an all-around budget-friendly option. As a bonus, this printer operates at approximately 12W during active printing, 5.3W on standby, and only 0.2W when powered off, making it energy-efficient for everyday use.
Read our full Epson EcoTank ET-3830 review here.
2. Canon PIXMA G3260
The Canon PIXMA G3260, part of Canon's MegaTank series, is another standout option for cost-conscious users. Priced at around $209.99, this printer offers extremely low running costs thanks to its refillable ink tank system.
One of the PIXMA G3260's key advantages is its ink cost efficiency. The black ink bottle, priced at $14.99, can print up to 6,000 pages, resulting in a cost per page of just $0.0025. In addition to high-volume printing, the Canon PIXMA G3260 consumes approximately 12 W during operation, 1 W on standby, and only 0.2 W when powered off.
3. HP Smart Tank 5101
The HP Smart Tank 5101 offers a balance between versatility and affordability. This device is available for about $249.99, and it is one of HP’s most competitive offerings in the refillable ink tank category. Like the Epson EcoTank and Canon MegaTank series, the Smart Tank 5101 is designed for long-term savings, with low-cost ink bottles that yield thousands of pages. For black-and-white printing, the HP Smart Tank 5101 provides a cost per page of about $0.0028, making it extremely affordable.
The color ink bottles are also cost-effective, which makes this printer a solid choice for both monochrome and color printing. The HP Smart Tank 5101 is designed for efficiency, consuming approximately 3.02W in ready mode, 1.1W in sleep mode, and only 0.11W when powered off, ensuring low energy costs for high-volume printing.
4. Brother HL-L2350DW
If you’re looking for a laser printer that’s economical to run, the Brother HL-L2350DW is a great option. This monochrome laser printer is priced at around $159.99 and is known for its toner cartridges that can print up to 3,000 pages, providing a cost per page of approximately $0.016.
Laser printers like the HL-L2350DW are generally more expensive upfront, but their long-lasting toner cartridges make them more cost-effective in the long run. However, the Brother HL-L2350DW is let down slightly by power consumption, using approximately 440 W during printing, 42 W in ready mode, 6.2 W in sleep mode, and 0.03 W when powered off. However, it is a laser printer, so it is expected.
5. Brother MFC-J4335DW
For users who need a low-cost colour printer, the Brother MFC-J4335DW is another decent option. Printing up to 6,000 black-and-white pages or 5,000 colour pages on a single cartridge, this is a great choice for an economical color printer.
With a price tag of around $159.99, this inkjet printer uses Brother’s INKvestment Tank system, which offers a much lower cost per page compared to traditional ink cartridges. The average cost per page is about $0.01 for black-and-white and $0.02 for colour printing. It also offers good savings on power consumption as it uses only 21 W during operation, 3.5 W in ready mode, 1.1 W in sleep mode, and only 0.2 W when powered off.
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