Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer Review: The Ultimate Home Office Workhorse?

We’ve all been there. That sinking feeling when an urgent task requires a physical document—a signed contract, a last-minute school project, or a crucial shipping label—and the old, neglected printer in the corner decides to stage a protest. It blinks cryptic error codes, claims to be out of ink despite new cartridges, or simply refuses to connect to any device in the house. This digital-to-physical bottleneck is more than just an inconvenience; it can be a source of genuine stress, turning a simple task into a frantic search for a local print shop. In a world where our homes have become our offices, classrooms, and creative studios, the need for a reliable, no-fuss all-in-one printer has never been more critical. It’s not just about putting ink on paper; it’s about having a dependable hub for printing, scanning, and copying that seamlessly integrates with our increasingly wireless lives.

What to Consider Before Buying a Home All-in-One Printer

An all-in-one ink printer is more than just an item of hardware; it’s a key solution for managing the administrative and creative tasks of a modern household. From printing high-quality family photos and detailed documents to scanning important receipts and copying identification, these multifaceted devices serve as a central command post. The primary benefit is consolidation: instead of cluttering your space with a separate printer, scanner, and copier, you get all three functions in a single, compact unit. This not only saves space but also simplifies your workflow, especially with the advent of wireless technology that allows you to print directly from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop without ever touching a cable.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the common challenges of a home or small office environment. This includes parents printing homework, remote workers needing to scan and send documents, hobbyist photographers wanting to bring their creations to life, or anyone who needs an occasional but reliable machine for life’s administrative hurdles. It’s for the user who values convenience and versatility over raw, high-volume speed. Conversely, this type of printer might not be suitable for those who run a business with heavy daily printing needs, where the cost-per-page and speed of a laser printer would be more economical. For users who only need to print documents and never scan or copy, a simpler, print-only model could also be a more targeted choice.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: While modern all-in-ones are designed to be compact, you must measure your intended space carefully. Consider not just the printer’s footprint (the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer is 40D x 47W x 23H cm), but also the clearance needed for the scanner lid to open fully and for paper trays to be extended. Ensure there is adequate ventilation around the unit as well.
• Capacity/Performance: Look at key performance indicators. Print resolution, measured in DPI (dots per inch), determines the sharpness of text and images; a 4800 x 1200 DPI resolution is excellent for photos. Print speed, measured in PPM (pages per minute), tells you how quickly it handles jobs—the TS5151’s 13 ppm for black and white is solid for home use. Also, consider the paper tray capacity; a 100-sheet capacity means less frequent reloading.
• Materials & Durability: Most home printers are constructed from plastic to keep costs down. While some may feel less premium than their office-grade counterparts, look for sturdy construction in key areas like paper trays and hinges. The build of the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer is what we expect at this price point—functional and robust enough for typical home use, as noted by users who found it surprisingly sturdy.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: The setup process, particularly wireless connectivity, should be straightforward. Look for models with intuitive on-device controls and a user-friendly companion app. The most significant maintenance cost will be ink replacement. Research the cost and page yield of the required cartridges (e.g., PG 540 & CL 541 for this model) and investigate if high-yield (XL) versions are available to lower the long-term cost per page.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer stands out in several areas, particularly its balance of features and price. You can explore its detailed specifications and current offers here.

While the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing the Canon PIXMA TS5151: Sleek Design and First Impressions

Pulling the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer from its box, our first impression was one of pleasant surprise. As confirmed by several user comments, the packaging is substantial and secure, with a polystyrene shell ensuring the device arrives in perfect condition. Once unwrapped, the printer reveals a clean, modern aesthetic in a crisp white finish. For a multifunction device, it boasts a remarkably compact footprint. One user noted its dimensions were “davvero pochi” (very small) for an all-in-one, and we agree. It sits comfortably on a desk without dominating the space.

Inside the box, we found everything needed to get started: the printer itself, a power cord, a set of starter ink cartridges (one black PG-540 and one tri-colour CL-541), and the requisite manuals and installation CD. The inclusion of a CD feels a bit dated in an era of disappearing optical drives, but thankfully, all necessary software is easily downloadable. The build quality, while predominantly plastic, feels solid and well-engineered, a sentiment echoed by users who described it as both “elegante” and “robusta.” The manual tilt control panel with its colour LCD screen adds a touch of sophistication not always found at this price point, giving us confidence before we even plugged it in.

A Deep Dive into the Canon PIXMA TS5151’s Performance

A printer’s true worth is revealed not on the spec sheet, but in the day-to-day grind of printing, scanning, and copying. We put the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer through its paces, from the initial setup to complex photo printing, to see if its real-world performance lives up to its promise.

Setup and Connectivity: A Tale of Two Experiences

The setup process for the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer proved to be a perfect illustration of the mixed feedback we saw from users. For us, the experience was largely seamless. We bypassed the included CD and instead downloaded the Canon PRINT app directly to a smartphone. The app-led installation was intuitive, guiding us through unboxing, removing the transport tape, installing the ink cartridges, and connecting to our Wi-Fi network. From downloading the app to printing our first test page, the process took about 15 minutes, mirroring the experience of one user who, despite not being tech-savvy, had it running “en 15 min chrono.”

However, we can fully appreciate why some users described the process as “kastastrophal.” The guided setup heavily relies on a standard, modern router configuration. If your network has custom security settings, is a 5GHz-only band, or if you attempt the setup manually through the printer’s small screen without the app, the process becomes exponentially more complex. The instructions can be vague, and as one user pointed out, the printer struggled to find their router initially. Our advice is unequivocal: use the Canon PRINT app. It simplifies the handshake between the printer and your network and is the most reliable path to a quick and painless setup. For those using alternative operating systems like Linux, another user confirmed that the app was their saving grace after the Windows-centric CD proved useless.

Print Quality: Sharp Documents and Vibrant Photos

When it comes to output quality, the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer truly shines, especially considering its price. For standard document printing, text is crisp, clean, and highly legible, even at smaller font sizes. The black pigment ink produces a deep, solid black that rivals more expensive machines, resulting in a professional “sauberes Schriftbild” (clean typeface). Speeds of up to 13 pages per minute for monochrome documents are more than adequate for any home or small office environment. Where this printer really impressed us, though, was with photo printing. The 4800 x 1200 DPI resolution, combined with Canon’s ChromaLife100 ink system, produces vivid, detailed, and colourful photos with accurate skin tones and deep blacks.

A standout feature here is the dual paper feeder—a rear tray for photo paper or envelopes and a front cassette for plain A4. This is a massive convenience, allowing you to keep both media types loaded simultaneously without the hassle of swapping paper for every print job. However, our testing and user feedback suggest a crucial caveat: photo quality is intensely dependent on the paper used. With high-quality Canon photo paper, the results were brilliant. On cheaper, third-party paper, colours could appear slightly less saturated. We also have to acknowledge the reports from some long-term users who experienced “blass, milchig, streifig” (pale, milky, streaky) results over time, suggesting the print heads may be prone to clogging if not used regularly, a common issue with inkjet technology.

Functionality and Everyday Use: The All-in-One Advantage

The true power of the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer lies in its versatility. The flatbed scanner is sharp and accurate, capturing documents and photos with good detail and colour fidelity. Scanning directly to a connected computer or to the cloud via the Canon app is straightforward and efficient. The copier function works well for quick duplicates, with options to resize from 25-400% directly from the control panel. But the feature that we, and many users, found most valuable is the automatic duplex printing. The ability to print on both sides of a page without manually flipping and re-feeding the paper is a game-changer for printing longer documents, saving paper, time, and hassle. It’s a premium feature that makes this budget-friendly printer feel much more expensive than it is.

The day-to-day user experience is enhanced by thoughtful design choices. The manual tilt-up control panel and the bright, clear colour LCD screen make standalone operations simple. We could easily make copies or check ink levels without ever touching a computer. While it’s not the fastest printer to wake from sleep, as one user noted it’s “schon etwas langsamer bis er anläuft” (a bit slower to get going), the actual print speed once it starts is perfectly acceptable. The seamless integration with mobile printing standards like AirPrint for iOS and Mopria for Android means printing from a phone or tablet is effortless, a feature one user praised as making life easy for their “not technology compatible” spouse. For its combination of smart features and reliable performance, the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer is a remarkably capable machine for any household.

The Elephant in the Room: Ink Consumption and Running Costs

We cannot provide an honest, in-depth review without addressing the most significant and consistent criticism leveled against the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer: its thirst for ink. This is the classic inkjet printer business model—a low upfront hardware cost subsidized by higher-margin consumables. Several users reported alarmingly high ink consumption, and our testing confirmed that the printer performs frequent and lengthy cleaning cycles. One user stated that after just “20-25 Seiten” (pages), both starter cartridges were nearly 50% depleted. Another calculated they would need 12 colour cartridges a year for their moderate usage.

These cleaning cycles, which occur upon startup and periodically during use, are designed to prevent the print nozzles from clogging and maintain print quality. However, they undoubtedly use a significant amount of ink. We observed that even when printing exclusively in black and white, the colour cartridge level also depletes, as it’s used during these maintenance routines. The solution is to invest in the high-yield Canon XL cartridges (PG-540XL and CL-541XL), which offer a better cost-per-page. However, as one user astutely pointed out, the colour XL cartridge is physically smaller than the black XL cartridge, which feels like a missed opportunity. For anyone considering this printer, it is crucial to factor in the ongoing cost of ink. It is an excellent machine for occasional to moderate use, but for those printing hundreds of pages a month, the running costs could quickly eclipse the initial bargain price.

What Other Users Are Saying

Across the board, user feedback paints a picture of a printer that delights in its value and features but frustrates with its running costs and occasional setup hurdles. On the positive side, many users are ecstatic about the bang-for-buck they receive. One reviewer was in “dreamland” over getting such a capable machine for a bargain price, with mobile printing being a standout feature. Another echoed this sentiment, noting how easy it was for his wife, who is not tech-savvy, to print directly from her phone. The automatic duplex printing is frequently praised as a high-end feature that simplifies life.

However, the negative feedback is just as consistent and focuses on two key areas. First and foremost is the ink. Comments like “der Tintenverbrauch hoch und die Patronen ziemlich teuer” (ink consumption is high and the cartridges are quite expensive) are common. Users feel the frequent, “exzessive” cleaning cycles waste ink and drive up the long-term cost, making the printer less attractive over time. The second major complaint revolves around the Wi-Fi setup, with several users finding the process incredibly frustrating. One German user spent “Stunden” (hours) and lost “etliche Nerven” (several nerves) trying to get it to connect to their router, a sentiment that highlights the gap between an app-led setup and a manual one.

How Does the Canon PIXMA TS5151 Compare to the Competition?

While the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer is a strong contender, the home printer market is crowded. Here’s how it stacks up against three notable alternatives.

1. HP OfficeJet 200 Mobile Printer

The HP OfficeJet 200 occupies a completely different niche. This is a portable, battery-powered printer designed for professionals who need to print on the go—in a car, at a client’s site, or in a hotel room. It is not an all-in-one; it lacks scanning and copying capabilities. Compared to the stationary and feature-rich Canon TS5151, the OfficeJet 200 prioritizes mobility above all else. If you are a mobile worker, consultant, or field technician, the HP is an invaluable tool. However, for a home user needing a central hub for printing, scanning, and copying, the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer offers far more versatility and a significantly lower purchase price.

2. HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer

The HP DeskJet 2710 is a direct competitor to the Canon TS5151, targeting a similar budget-conscious home user. It’s a very basic all-in-one that handles printing, scanning, and copying wirelessly. Its main advantage is often an even lower upfront cost and its eligibility for HP’s Instant Ink subscription service, which can simplify ink replacement and potentially lower costs for consistent users. However, the DeskJet 2710 makes significant compromises. It lacks the automatic duplex printing, the dual paper trays, and the more advanced colour LCD screen of the Canon TS5151. For users who can stretch their budget slightly, the Canon provides a much richer feature set and greater convenience.

3. Canon PIXMA TS3350 All-in-One Wireless Printer

The Canon PIXMA TS3350 is essentially the TS5151’s younger sibling. It offers the same core Canon print quality and wireless connectivity in an even more affordable package. It is a great choice for those on the tightest of budgets who only need the most basic all-in-one functions. However, to achieve its lower price, it sacrifices several of the key features that make the TS5151 so compelling. The TS3350 lacks automatic duplex printing (it’s manual only), has a much smaller and more basic 1.5-inch mono LCD screen, and does not feature the convenient dual paper feeder. The Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer represents a significant step up in functionality and user experience for a relatively small increase in price.

The Final Verdict: Is the Canon PIXMA TS5151 the Right Printer for You?

After extensive testing and analysis, our verdict on the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer is overwhelmingly positive, albeit with one major caveat. This machine delivers an incredible amount of value and functionality for its modest price tag. The combination of excellent print quality for both documents and photos, the convenience of wireless and mobile printing, and premium features like automatic duplexing and dual paper trays makes it a standout choice for most homes, students, and small offices. It’s a versatile workhorse that capably handles a wide range of tasks with ease.

The crucial consideration, however, is the long-term cost of ink. This is not a printer for high-volume users; the running costs associated with its frequent cleaning cycles and standard cartridges would be prohibitive. But for the average family that prints a few dozen pages a month—from homework and reports to holiday photos and return labels—it strikes an almost perfect balance between upfront cost, features, and performance. If you understand and accept the ink cost model, you will be rewarded with a machine that consistently punches well above its weight.

If you’ve decided the Canon PIXMA TS5151 All-in-One Wireless Printer is the right fit for your home, you can check its current price and purchase it here.