Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer Review: The Small Office Workhorse That Slashes Printing Costs

We’ve all been there. It’s 10 PM, a crucial report is due in the morning, and the printer flashes that dreaded “Low Ink” warning. A frantic search reveals you’re out of the specific magenta cartridge you need, and every local shop is closed. The cartridge printer, once a convenient office staple, has become a source of constant frustration and a surprisingly significant drain on the budget. The endless cycle of buying expensive, low-yield cartridges that seem to run out at the most inconvenient times feels like a trap. For any small business or busy home office, this isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a bottleneck that costs time, money, and adds unnecessary stress. We knew there had to be a better way—a solution that offered reliability, performance, and, most importantly, freedom from the tyranny of the ink cartridge.

What to Consider Before Buying an Ink Tank Printer

An Ink Tank Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for breaking the expensive cycle of disposable cartridges. Instead of replacing small, costly cartridges, you refill large, integrated tanks with affordable bottles of ink. This fundamentally changes the economics of printing, dramatically lowering the cost per page and allowing you to print thousands of pages before needing a refill. The main benefits are significant long-term savings, reduced waste, and the sheer convenience of not having to constantly monitor and replace supplies. It transforms printing from a recurring expense into a predictable, low-cost utility, perfect for high-volume environments.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing high printing volumes. Think small businesses generating daily invoices and reports, educational settings printing coursework, or busy home offices that handle a constant flow of documents. If your monthly printing costs are a noticeable line item in your budget, an ink tank system is designed for you. However, it might not be suitable for those who print very infrequently—perhaps only a few pages a month. For such users, the higher upfront investment of an EcoTank model might not pay off quickly, and a more basic, cheaper cartridge printer could suffice. Likewise, professional photographers needing gallery-quality prints might look towards specialised photo printers with more ink colours for superior fidelity.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: High-capacity printers are rarely small. The Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer is a substantial piece of office equipment. Before you buy, measure your intended space carefully, accounting not just for its footprint but also for clearance to open the scanner lid and access the paper trays. As one user noted, it’s often “larger than expected,” so planning is key to avoid a cluttered workspace.
• Capacity & Performance: Look beyond just print speed (PPM). Consider paper capacity—how many sheets can it hold? A larger capacity, like the 550-sheet total of the ET-5800, means less time spent refilling trays. Also, look for features like an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for scanning/copying multi-page documents and automatic duplex (two-sided) printing, both of which are massive time-savers in a busy environment.
• Total Cost of Ownership & Durability: Don’t just look at the purchase price. The true cost includes the ink. Calculate the cost-per-page using the price of replacement ink bottles and their stated page yield. The ET-5800’s model is built around its heat-free PrecisionCore printhead, designed for reliability and longevity, making the higher initial cost an investment in a durable, long-term solution.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A printer should simplify your workflow, not complicate it. Features like a clear touchscreen interface, simple Wi-Fi setup, and mobile printing apps are essential. For ink tank models, the refilling process is paramount. Look for systems with keyed, drip-free bottles, which make topping up the tanks a clean and foolproof process.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer stands out in several areas. You can explore its detailed specifications and features here.

While the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank 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:

First Impressions: A Substantial and Purpose-Built Machine

Unboxing the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer, the first thing that struck us was its sheer presence. This is not a compact, occasional-use home printer; it’s a serious piece of office hardware. Weighing in at nearly 18kg and with a considerable footprint, it feels robust and built to last. Our experience mirrored that of many users who found it larger than anticipated, so we were glad we had cleared ample desk space. The design is functional and professional, finished in a matte black that resists fingerprints. Assembly is minimal; it’s mostly a matter of removing transport tapes and loading paper. The real “wow” moment of the setup, however, is filling the ink tanks. Epson has perfected this process. The bottles are keyed so you can’t mix up colours, and they feature an auto-stop valve that prevents spills and overfilling. It’s a clean, simple, and deeply satisfying process to watch the large tanks fill up, knowing each one holds thousands of pages worth of printing potential. It immediately sets a new standard for anyone used to fiddly, messy cartridges.

Deep Dive: Performance, Cost, and Usability of the Epson ET-5800

After setting up the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer, we put it through its paces in a simulated small office environment. Our goal was to test not just its advertised speeds and feeds, but to understand how it performs day-to-day, how much it truly costs to run, and whether it genuinely simplifies the printing process. This machine makes some big promises, and we were keen to see if it delivers.

The EcoTank Promise: Unpacking the True Cost of Printing

The single biggest reason to consider the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer is its revolutionary approach to ink. We can confirm that filling the tanks is as easy and mess-free as advertised. Each bottle slots perfectly into its corresponding tank, and the ink flows in without a single drip. There’s no squeezing required; gravity does all the work. It’s a brilliant piece of engineering that removes any anxiety about handling liquid ink. However, it’s crucial to note a key finding from our initialisation, which was also highlighted by other users: the first setup consumes a noticeable amount of ink. We observed the levels drop by about a quarter as the printer charged its printhead and internal tubes. This is a one-time process, but it’s important to understand that the full yield of the first set of bottles won’t be realised for printing. Once running, however, the efficiency is staggering. The included bottles are rated for up to 13,300 pages in black and 5,200 in colour. When you compare the cost of replacement ink bottles to the price and yield of standard ink cartridges, the savings are astronomical. We calculated a cost-per-page that is fractions of a penny for monochrome, a figure that is simply unbeatable by any cartridge-based competitor. For any business that prints hundreds or thousands of pages a month, the ET-5800 will pay for its higher initial price tag surprisingly quickly, and then continue to save you money for years to come.

An Office Workhorse: Speed, Capacity, and Workflow

In an office, speed and efficiency are paramount, and this is where the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer truly excels. Powered by its PrecisionCore Heat-Free printhead, it delivers on its promise of speed. The first page out time of just 5.5 seconds for black-and-white means no more waiting around for a single page to print. When printing longer documents, it consistently hit its advertised 25 pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome text. This is laser-printer territory, and we found it incredibly effective for churning out reports, manuals, and invoices. Colour printing is slower at 12 ppm, but the quality of charts and graphics is vibrant and professional. Beyond raw speed, its paper handling is a standout feature. The dual front-loading trays hold a combined 500 sheets of A4 paper, a full ream. This, combined with the 50-sheet rear feed for specialty media and the 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), creates a seamless workflow. We could load the trays and essentially forget about them for days. The ADF performed flawlessly, scanning a 30-page double-sided document in a single pass without a single jam. It’s a productivity powerhouse. And we have to mention a delightful, if somewhat novel, feature: the motorised output tray. When you send a print job, the tray automatically extends to catch the pages and retracts when not in use, helping to keep the printer’s profile neat. It’s a small touch that adds to the premium feel of the machine.

Seamless Connectivity and User-Friendly Control

A modern office printer needs to be accessible from anywhere, on any device, and the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer offers a full suite of connectivity options. We tested it via Ethernet for a stable wired connection, Wi-Fi for general office access, and Wi-Fi Direct for connecting a guest laptop without needing network credentials. All three worked perfectly. The real star, however, is the mobile integration. Using the Epson Smart Panel app, we could print documents directly from a smartphone, scan a document to cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox, and check ink levels and printer status with a few taps. The app is intuitive and powerful, effectively turning your phone into a remote control for the printer. For direct control, the 10.9cm colour LCD touchscreen on the front of the printer is bright, responsive, and easy to navigate. The menus are logically laid out, making it simple to execute tasks like copying, scanning to a USB stick, or sending a fax without ever touching a computer. This combination of robust physical controls and excellent mobile/network connectivity ensures that the ET-5800 fits effortlessly into any modern office setup, catering to both traditional and mobile-first workflows. This level of flexibility is exactly what busy teams need to stay productive. If you’re looking for a printer that truly understands the demands of a connected workplace, you can find out more about the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 right here.

What Other Users Are Saying

Across the board, user feedback strongly corroborates our own findings. A common theme is initial surprise at the printer’s physical size, with one user noting it was “larger than expected,” reinforcing our advice to measure your space beforehand. The ink filling process receives universal praise for being “super easy and drip free,” which is a major selling point for those hesitant to move away from cartridges. Many also confirm our observation about the initial setup consuming a fair amount of ink, describing it as about “¼ of the ink from the tank.” This is valuable for setting realistic expectations for that first set of bottles. The printer’s performance is another area of consensus. We saw multiple comments highlighting that “the printer is fast, when comes to black and white printing.” Finally, the small quality-of-life features don’t go unnoticed, with one person calling the automatically extending output tray a “space saying novelty,” capturing its clever and slightly futuristic feel perfectly.

How Does the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 Compare to the Alternatives?

While the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer is a formidable machine, it exists in a competitive market. Understanding its strengths relative to other popular models is key to making the right choice for your specific needs.

1. HP OfficeJet 200 Mobile Printer

The HP OfficeJet 200 represents a completely different approach to printing. This is not an office hub; it’s a portable printing solution designed for professionals on the move. Its primary advantage is its compact size and battery-powered operation, allowing you to print high-quality documents from a laptop or phone in a car, at a client’s site, or in a hotel room. Compared to the ET-5800, it sacrifices everything for portability—it has no scanning or copying functions, a tiny paper capacity, and uses traditional (and more expensive) ink cartridges. If your work requires you to be mobile and produce documents on the spot, the OfficeJet 200 is an excellent tool. However, for any stationary office environment, the Epson’s speed, capacity, and dramatically lower running costs make it the far superior choice.

2. HP Envy Inspire 7220e Multifunction Printer

The HP Envy Inspire 7220e is aimed more at the home and family market than a busy small office. It’s an all-in-one that often comes bundled with HP’s Instant Ink subscription service, where you pay a monthly fee based on pages printed. This model can be cheaper upfront than the ET-5800, and it produces excellent quality photos. However, its document printing speed and paper capacity are significantly lower, and it lacks an ADF for multi-page scanning. The choice here comes down to printing volume and type. If you print a predictable, relatively low number of pages per month, including photos, the Envy Inspire and an Instant Ink plan can be convenient. If your printing volume is high or unpredictable, the EcoTank system of the ET-5800 offers far greater long-term savings and superior office-centric features.

3. Canon TS705 Printer

The Canon TS705 is a compact and capable single-function printer. Its main selling point is delivering high-quality document and photo prints from a much smaller footprint than the ET-5800. It’s a great option for a user who needs a dedicated printer but already has a separate scanner or doesn’t require copy/fax functions. It uses a five-individual-ink cartridge system, which is more efficient than tri-colour cartridges but still cannot compete with the ET-5800’s EcoTank system on cost-per-page for high volume printing. You should choose the Canon TS705 if space is your primary concern and you only need to print. For anyone needing an all-in-one solution designed for efficiency and low running costs, the Epson is the clear winner.

Our Final Verdict: Is the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 Worth the Investment?

After extensive testing, we can say with confidence that the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer is a superb machine that delivers on its core promises. It effectively solves the biggest pain points of traditional office printing: high running costs and constant maintenance. Its performance is outstanding, with laser-like speeds for monochrome text, robust paper handling that minimizes interruptions, and comprehensive connectivity that fits perfectly into a modern workflow. The user experience, from the foolproof ink refilling to the intuitive touchscreen, is polished and thoughtful.

The only significant barrier is its high initial purchase price. This is not a casual purchase. However, it’s crucial to view it not as an expense, but as an investment. For any small business, home office, or workgroup that prints regularly, the savings on ink will recoup the initial cost over time, leading to a significantly lower total cost of ownership. If you value long-term economy, high performance, and reliability, the ET-5800 is one of the best choices you can make. It’s a true workhorse that will streamline your document workflow and free you from the cartridge cycle for good.

If you’ve decided the Epson EcoTank ET-5800 A4 Ink Tank Printer is the right fit, you can check its current price and purchase it here.