EcoTank ET-4850 Wireless Color All-in-One Printer

The Printer That Finally Makes Sense Financially

Let me be real with you: printer ink is a scam. You buy a printer for $100 and then spend $50 every time you need new cartridges. It's infuriating. That's exactly why the EcoTank ET-4850 exists, and honestly, it's kind of brilliant for busy families.

Here's the deal. Yes, it costs $470. That stings upfront. But reviewers consistently point out that you're getting two full years of ink included. After that, your cost per page becomes absurdly cheap compared to traditional inkjets. If your family prints homework, school forms, permission slips, and the occasional photo, you'll feel that savings in your wallet pretty quickly.

The printer itself does everything you need. It prints, scans, copies, and even faxes. The auto document feeder is genuinely helpful when you're scanning multiple pages of stuff. Mobile printing works smoothly, so you can send something to print from your phone while you're literally anywhere in your house. That's convenient when you're juggling kids and a million things at once.

Now, the honest parts. This machine is bulky. It's going to dominate your desk or shelf space. If you're working in a tiny apartment or home office, you need to think about whether you actually have room for it. It's not the fastest printer either at 15 pages per minute, but for home use, it's perfectly acceptable. You're not sitting there tapping your foot waiting forever.

Photo quality is average, so if you're into printing professional-looking pictures, this isn't your machine. And reviewers mention occasional paper jams, which is annoying but not a dealbreaker for most people.

But here's why I'm genuinely enthusiastic about recommending this: it solves a real problem that drives parents crazy. You buy it once, you get years of ink, and you stop the cycle of expensive cartridge replacements. That's worth the space it takes up and the slightly slower speed. For families that print regularly, this is actually smart spending.

The Economics Work, but You're Making Compromises

The EcoTank ET-4850 is a straightforward business calculation: pay more upfront, save massively on ink over time. At $470, Epson's betting you'll print enough pages to make the tank system worth it. For the right user, it works. For everyone else, it's a frustrating compromise.

Let's be direct about performance. Fifteen pages per minute is slow. A Brother laser printer at the same price point hits 25-30 ppm. If you're printing 50 pages a week, you'll feel that speed deficit. The EcoTank isn't designed for speed, though, it's designed for volume at low per-page cost. That's fine if you accept the tradeoff. The problem is Epson markets this as a general-purpose all-in-one when it's really a specialist device.

The ink economics are real. Reviews confirm the cost-per-page advantage is substantial compared to cartridge systems, and the included 2-year supply cushions the initial investment. That's genuine value if you're committed to printing. But here's where skepticism kicks in: you're locked into Epson's tank ecosystem. No third-party options, no flexibility. The proprietary design protects margins, not the customer.

Build quality is adequate but not impressive. Paper jams appear in reviews, which suggests the feed mechanism isn't over-engineered. At this price point, mechanical reliability should be bulletproof. The large footprint is another legitimate complaint. If your desk space is limited, this device will dominate it. The auto document feeder helps with batch scanning, but the sheer size of the unit is a real-world problem most users will encounter.

Features are competent without being exceptional. Duplex printing, faxing, scanning, and copying all work. Photo quality is average, which matters if you print anything beyond documents. The scanning and copying work well for text, which is the primary use case anyway.

The wireless connectivity is fine. Nothing to praise, nothing to criticize. It connects, it works, reviews don't flag issues.

Where this device makes sense: you print 50-plus pages weekly, you value cost-per-page above all else, and your desk can accommodate the footprint. Where it fails: you need speed, you print photos, or you're an occasional printer. The ink savings only matter if you actually use them.

Bottom line: the EcoTank ET-4850 is a specialist device masquerading as a general-purpose printer. For high-volume document printing, it delivers excellent ROI. For everyone else, a faster laser printer is a better choice.