There’s a universal moment of dread familiar to anyone with a home office or a school-aged child: the blinking low-ink light. It always seems to appear at the worst possible time—right before a critical deadline, moments before a flight, or the night before a big school project is due. For years, we’ve been conditioned to accept the cycle: buy an affordable printer, then spend a small fortune on tiny, inefficient ink cartridges that run out faster than a carton of milk. It’s a frustrating and expensive model that feels designed to drain our wallets. I’ve personally thrown out printers that worked perfectly well simply because a full set of new cartridges cost more than a brand-new machine. This cycle of waste and expense is precisely the problem the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer aims to shatter for good.
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 7,500 pages black/6,000 color (3)
What to Consider Before Buying an Inkjet Printer
An inkjet printer is more than just an item on your desk; it’s a key solution for bringing digital documents, creative projects, and cherished memories into the physical world. For a home office, it’s the bridge between an email and a signed contract. For a family, it’s the tool that produces book reports, family photos, and party invitations. The main benefit of modern inkjet printers, especially tank-based models, is their versatility and dramatically reduced running costs. They excel at producing vibrant color graphics and high-quality photos, something laser printers often struggle with at a similar price point. The right printer streamlines your workflow, saves you money in the long run, and eliminates the constant anxiety of running out of ink.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing high-volume printing needs. Think small business owners, homeschooling parents, university students, or creative professionals who print daily. If you find yourself buying ink cartridges every other month and are fed up with the cost, a supertank printer is designed for you. However, it might not be suitable for those who print only a handful of pages a year. The higher upfront cost might not be justifiable, and like any inkjet, the print heads can potentially clog if left unused for very long periods. For extremely infrequent users, a cheaper cartridge-based model or simply using a local print shop might be more economical.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 measures approximately 37.6 cm deep by 50.3 cm wide by 18.8 cm high. While not massive, it’s a substantial unit that requires a dedicated space on a desk or stand. Always measure your intended location to ensure a good fit, leaving room for opening the scanner lid and accessing the paper trays.
- Capacity/Performance: Performance isn’t just about speed. Consider the paper capacity—the ET-3850’s 250-sheet tray is a huge plus for minimizing refills. Also, look at ink yield. This printer boasts up to 7,500 black and 6,000 color pages per bottle set, a metric that completely changes the cost-per-page calculation compared to cartridges. Features like an Auto Document Feeder (ADF) and automatic duplexing (2-sided printing) are essential for office productivity.
- Materials & Durability: Most consumer printers are housed in plastic. The key is the quality of that plastic and the feel of the moving parts. The ET-3850 feels sturdy and well-constructed, especially its paper tray and scanner lid hinges. It avoids the flimsy, cheap feel that some users report plagues budget-friendly competitors, suggesting it’s built for the long haul in a busy home office.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: The promise of a supertank printer is simplicity. How easy is it to fill the tanks? The EcoFit bottle system is designed to be mess-free and error-proof. Long-term care involves occasional print head cleaning cycles (usually automated) and ensuring you use the printer regularly to keep the ink flowing smoothly. The straightforward design of the ET-3850 makes this maintenance far less daunting than with older models.
Choosing the right printer is a significant decision for any home or office. It pays to understand your needs and how a specific model’s features align with them.
While the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank 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:
- Print, Copy, Scan: The PIXMA TS3720 is a true colour printer scanner copier all in one that is compact, versatile and easy-to-use with a 60 sheet rear tray that reduces the need to refill paper as...
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- FROM CANADA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND – The DeskJet 2855e is perfect for homes printing to-do lists, letters, financial documents and recipes. Print speeds up to 5.5 ppm colour, 7.5 ppm black.
First Impressions: A Well-Designed Workhorse
Unboxing the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer, the first thing we noticed was its solid, business-like construction. The clean white finish gives it a modern look that fits well in a home office without being obtrusive. Weighing in at just over 19 pounds, it feels substantial and planted on the desk. Inside the box, you get the printer itself, a power cord, and the stars of the show: four full-size Epson 502 EcoFit ink bottles (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow). This isn’t a set of “starter” cartridges with a meager amount of ink; this is the real deal, promising up to two years of printing right out of the box. The setup guide is clear, walking you through the physical setup and the most anticipated part: filling the ink tanks. This process, which can seem intimidating, was shockingly simple and clean. The bottles are keyed to only fit the correct color tank and have an auto-stop valve, preventing any spills or overfilling. It’s a brilliantly engineered system that immediately validates the “cartridge-free” promise. You can see its full feature set and user reviews to get a better sense of this innovative design.
Key Benefits
- Massive ink supply included, leading to incredibly low long-term running costs.
- Excellent print quality for text and color graphics thanks to PrecisionCore technology.
- Robust feature set for home offices, including a 250-sheet paper tray, ADF, and auto-duplexing.
- Clean, easy, and error-proof ink refilling system with EcoFit bottles.
Potential Drawbacks
- Software installation and wireless setup can be problematic for some users.
- Print speeds are adequate but may feel slow for users accustomed to laser printers, especially for photos.
A Deep Dive into the Epson EcoTank ET-3850’s Performance
A printer’s value is ultimately determined by how well it performs day-to-day. We put the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer through its paces, testing everything from multi-page document printing to high-resolution photo output, scanning, and mobile connectivity. Here’s our detailed breakdown of how it held up.
The EcoTank System: A True Game-Changer in Cost and Convenience
Let’s be clear: the single biggest reason to buy this printer is the EcoTank technology. It fundamentally changes the ownership experience. Our initial skepticism about filling liquid ink tanks was completely erased within minutes. The process is foolproof. Each bottle has a unique nozzle that corresponds only to its color tank, so you can’t accidentally pour cyan into the yellow reservoir. You simply uncap a bottle, invert it over the port, and it fills automatically, stopping when the tank is full without a single drop being spilled. It’s clean, fast, and immensely satisfying to see the large tanks fill up, knowing you won’t have to think about ink for a very, very long time.
This experience is echoed by countless users. One small business owner running an Etsy shop noted that after nine months of daily printing, they still hadn’t needed to buy more ink, a stark contrast to buying expensive cartridges every other month with their old printer. Another user, whose spouse prints voluminous medical reports, shared a photo after seven months of heavy use showing all ink tanks were still over half full. This isn’t just a marketing claim; it’s a real-world benefit that saves hundreds of dollars. The replacement bottles themselves offer incredible value, yielding up to 7,500 black pages or 6,000 color pages. When you do the math, the cost per page plummets to a fraction of a cent, utterly demolishing the economics of cartridge-based printing. This is the feature that truly sets this printer apart from the pack and justifies its higher initial purchase price.
Print Quality and Speed: Precision Meets Practicality
An endless supply of cheap ink is worthless if the print quality is poor. Thankfully, the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer delivers impressively on this front, powered by its PrecisionCore Heat-Free technology. For its primary mission—home office document printing—it excels. The pigment-based black ink produces exceptionally sharp, crisp, laser-quality text that doesn’t smudge, even immediately after printing. We ran off dozens of multi-page reports, and the text was consistently clear and highly readable down to very small font sizes.
Color performance for business graphics, charts, and school projects is also a strong point. Colors are vibrant and accurate, making presentations and flyers look professional. Where the ET-3850 finds its middle ground is in speed and photo printing. With official speeds of 15.5 ppm for black and 8.5 ppm for color, it’s certainly not slow, but it won’t win any races against a dedicated office laser printer. We found these speeds to be perfectly adequate for a home office workflow. Photo printing is where expectations need to be managed. On high-quality glossy photo paper, the results are fantastic—rich colors and great detail, as one user confirmed when printing photos from their phone. However, it takes time; a high-quality 4×6 photo can take several minutes to print. Some users have also reported that colors can appear muted or dull compared to other printers, which may require some tweaking of print settings to get the desired vibrancy. For the average user, the quality is more than sufficient, but professional photographers might want a dedicated photo printer.
All-in-One Functionality and Connectivity: A Mixed Bag
As an all-in-one device, the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer is packed with the features a modern home office needs. The 30-page Auto Document Feeder (ADF) is a lifesaver for scanning or copying multi-page documents, and the automatic 2-sided printing is an essential paper- and money-saving feature. The 250-sheet front paper tray is generous and means less frequent reloading. The high-resolution flatbed scanner produced clear, detailed scans in our tests. Navigating these functions is straightforward using the 2.4-inch color display, though it’s not a touchscreen, which feels a little dated.
Connectivity is where we found the most variance, a sentiment strongly reflected in user feedback. The printer offers a full suite of options: Ethernet for a stable wired connection, Wi-Fi, and mobile printing via the Epson Smart Panel app. For many, the setup is a breeze. We had our Windows PC connected and printing in minutes. One user praised how easy the setup was compared to their old Samsung, where they could never get the scanner to connect. However, others have faced significant frustration. One user reported their installer software repeatedly failed, claiming they weren’t connected to a network, forcing them to use the native Windows “add a printer” function instead. Another user detailed persistent issues printing from their iPhone and iPad, where print jobs would hang or simply never start, requiring constant rebooting of the printer and devices. While our mobile printing experience was mostly stable, these reports indicate that the software and wireless reliability can be inconsistent, which is a significant drawback for an otherwise excellent machine. We recommend checking the latest price and availability and being prepared for potential software troubleshooting.
What Other Users Are Saying
Synthesizing feedback from a wide range of users, a clear picture of the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer emerges. The overwhelming majority of praise centers on the EcoTank system itself. A user who switched from a color laser printer because of the high cost of toner said they have “nothing but praise for Epson with this product.” The sentiment of being liberated from the “gazillion dollars” spent on ink cartridges is a powerful and frequently repeated theme. Many also find the setup process, particularly filling the ink, to be surprisingly easy and clean, with one person calling it “super easy and simple.”
However, the negative feedback is just as consistent, though less common. The most significant pain point is software and wireless connectivity. One frustrated user described trying to print from their mobile devices as a “guessing game,” with jobs failing to register more than half the time. Another couldn’t get the official Epson installer to work at all, despite being on the network. There are also isolated reports of hardware issues, such as units arriving damaged, developing print-head clogs that cleaning cycles can’t fix, or showing error codes that require non-existent customer support. These negative experiences, while not universal, highlight a potential gap in software polish and support that can mar an otherwise stellar hardware experience.
How Does the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Compare to Alternatives?
The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer is a fantastic machine, but it exists in a competitive market. Here’s how it stacks up against three notable alternatives, each catering to a different user need.
1. HP OfficeJet 200 Mobile Printer
- Main functions of this HP color portable printer: easy portable printing wherever you need it, wireless print from your laptop or mobile devices, 2" display and more
- Mobile printing: print from anywhere using your smartphone or tablet with the free HP reprint app, print even without a network using Wireless Direct printing
The HP OfficeJet 200 is not a direct competitor but an alternative for a very specific user: the road warrior. Its primary advantage is portability. It’s compact, lightweight, and features a long-lasting battery, allowing you to print high-quality documents from a hotel room, your car, or a client’s office. It’s the perfect solution for real estate agents, traveling consultants, or anyone who needs to produce hard copies on the go. However, it sacrifices nearly everything the ET-3850 offers. It’s not an all-in-one (print-only), has no ADF or duplexing, and uses traditional, expensive ink cartridges. If your office is wherever you happen to be, the HP is your best bet; for a stationary home office, the Epson is vastly more capable and economical.
2. Brother MFC-J5855DW Wireless A3 Inkjet Printer Refillable Ink
- More uninterrupted printing. Up to 1 year of printing with the INKvestment Tank’s high-capacity in-box ink cartridges (approximately 300 pages/month) and 2-year limited warranty.
- More impact. Our patented MAXIDRIVE print chip redefines printing technology with ultra-fast, durable, precision printing, with print speeds up to 30 ppm black/colour
The Brother MFC-J5855DW targets the power user or small business that needs more than standard letter-size printing. Its standout feature is the ability to print on A3 (11×17 inch) paper, making it ideal for spreadsheets, architectural drafts, or large-scale graphics. It’s also built for speed and volume, with faster print speeds than the Epson. It uses Brother’s INKvestment Tank system, which is a hybrid approach using large cartridges that feed internal tanks, also offering very low running costs. You should choose the Brother if you require A3 printing capabilities and a slightly more business-centric, high-speed workflow. For standard home office tasks, the Epson’s simpler, true tank system and smaller footprint are often more practical.
3. Brother MFC-J4335DW INKvestment-Tank All-in-One Printer Duplex Wireless
- More uninterrupted printing. Up to 1 year of printing with the INKvestment Tank’s high-capacity in-box ink cartridges (approximately 150 pages/month) and 2-year limited warranty.
- More speed. Print speeds up to 20 ppm black/19 ppm colour—perfect for personal, home office use and hybrid work environments.
This Brother model is perhaps the most direct competitor to the Epson ET-3850. It also uses a high-yield ink system (INKvestment Tank) promising up to a year of ink in the box, and it offers a similar all-in-one feature set with printing, scanning, copying, and wireless connectivity. The primary difference lies in the ink system’s design—Brother uses large, clean-handling cartridges that are less hands-on than Epson’s bottles, which some users may prefer. It’s a very capable machine that often comes in at a slightly lower price point. The choice between the ET-3850 and the MFC-J4335DW often comes down to brand preference and specific deals available at the time of purchase, as both offer a fantastic escape from the high cost of traditional ink.
Our Final Verdict: Is the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Worth It?
After extensive testing and analysis, our conclusion is a resounding yes. The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer successfully solves the biggest problem in home printing: the exorbitant long-term cost of ink. The initial investment is higher than a typical cartridge printer, but the savings begin immediately and accumulate rapidly. The peace of mind that comes from having years of ink on hand cannot be overstated. It delivers excellent print quality for documents and graphics, is packed with essential productivity features like an ADF and duplexing, and the refill process is ingenious.
While we acknowledge the software and wireless connectivity issues some users have faced, these problems don’t appear to be universal and are often surmountable. For any home office, small business, or busy family that prints regularly, the value proposition is undeniable. You are not just buying a printer; you are buying your way out of the frustrating and costly ink cartridge ecosystem. If you are ready to stop worrying about your ink levels and start saving money, we wholeheartedly recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer.
Last update on 2025-11-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API