Epson’s EcoTank ET-2980 is now $285 at Amazon, down from $330. The cartridge-free ink tank printer was praised in a four-star review for producing crisp text and keeping ongoing ink costs low. In the UK, the same model is sold as the EcoTank ET-2950 and is currently priced at £229.99, compared with its usual £279.99.
The ET-2980 is designed for households, students and home office users who print regularly. It has refillable ink tanks, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, a 100-sheet paper tray, automatic double-sided printing, borderless photo printing and flatbed scanning. Epson says the ink included in the box can print up to 6,600 black pages or 5,500 color pages.
In the review, the printer was described as reliable across different media, including envelopes and thick cardstock. Its pigment black ink produced crisp, smudge-resistant text, while color output was bright. Photos were found to look somewhat soft and oversaturated toward red, but acceptable for occasional use. The reviewer also noted that it is not a fast printer, though automatic duplexing is a useful feature.
Epson’s EcoFit bottles have keyed nozzles intended to help prevent users from filling a tank with the wrong color. Replacement bottle sets are described as equivalent to about 90 individual ink cartridges, making the low running costs the printer’s main selling point.
The current US price is $44.99 below the amount it usually sells for, although the ET-2980 previously reached $229.99 earlier in the year. The printer may suit people who regularly print documents, schoolwork or photos, but the review recommends considering a cheaper cartridge-based model for occasional printing or a dedicated business printer for more advanced document handling.
Sources: TechRadar.