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Specs
Type: color inkjet 4-in-1 printer
Functions: Print, copy, scan, fax
Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi
Data storage slots: none
Print speed: 35ppm (mono)
Max paper size: Legal/Letter/A4
Max print quality: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi
Memory: unknown
Apple AirPrint: yes
Consumables included: 5 bottles; 15,100 black pages, 5,500 color
Dimensions/Weight: 375 x 347 x 240 mm (WxDxH)/16lb/7.3kg
I can see why Epson has sold over a 100 million EcoTanks. Being the first to bring the refillable concept to market, Epson hasn’t stopped tweaking the design so that the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series looks like the slickest all-in-one inkjet in the shop.
I’m testing the white ET-4956 variant, but its also available in black and they both come with a feature-set to suit any small business or home-based professional. It can both duplex print and duplex scan as well as offering an improved automatic document feed (ADF) and a faster print speed than its predecessor.
The main attraction is the huge amount of inbox ink (enough to print for three years), but the asking price is rather high, so let’s see if the new model can maintain Epson’s lead in the increasingly competitive refillable 4-in-1 printer category.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series: Design and build
The redesign looks fresh to my eye, especially in this white livery. The folding front panel ensures the touchscreen display is always visible, while the new status light encircling the top of the ink tank cover makes it easy to see if and how your printer is responding from the far side of the office. The smooth plastic feels sturdy enough and the motorized paper output glides out smoothly every time you’re ready to print.
The paper input tray can hold an adequate 250 sheets of paper up to letter or A4-size, but it’s a pity there’s no second input tray as this means you’ll need to unload the main tray each time you want to print on different media.
The 2.4-inch touchscreen is somewhat small, but big enough to operate and quite sensitive. The cable ports are easily accessible at the left side and the fairly large 70ml ink tanks are well integrated on the other side. It’s a practical design overall and the whole thing feels well made.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series: Features & specifications
As the top model in Epson’s three-strong range, the ET-4950 series is a four-in-one multifunction device with print, scan, copy and fax functionality, plus plenty of extras. The ADF on top can hold 30 sheets of paper and copy both sides of each page automatically.
That’s something the previous model couldn’t do. It’s using a PrecisionCore print head with 784 inkjet nozzles to achieve a print resolution of 4,800 x 1,200 DPI. WiFi 5 with AirPrint compatibility is built in and it can print on paper up to 300g/m².
It prints quickly for an inkjet with a claimed top speed of 35ppm (pages per minute) with simplex monochrome pages or 23 in color. That’s slightly confusing as the ISO/IEC 24734 is just 18ppm, but suffice to say, that it printed a little faster than its predecessor and compares well with other inkjets in its class. The quoted 8.5-second FPOT (first page out time) is accurate and also PDQ (pretty darn quick).
The only features missing are Bluetooth, NFC, a USB Host port for printing from or scanning to a USB stick and a multi-purpose tray. The first three items I can live without, but a second paper input tray would have really improved the functionality of this printer. Perhaps Epson will include it with the next update.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series: Setup and operation
The printed quick-start guide is easy to follow. Just remove all the transport tape, load some paper, plug in, turn on and follow the on-display prompts.
I’d recommend downloading the Epson Smart Panel app onto your Android or iPhone first as this makes it easier to add your new printer to your wi-fi network. I’d also recommend printing out the test pages when offered to ensure all your nozzles are aligned and firing correctly.
Filling the ink reservoirs is a quick and clean process as the bottles hold the same volume of ink as the tanks — 70ml for the three coolers; 127ml for black — and each spout is shaped to fit only its corresponding tank so you can’t muddle them up.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series: Performance
The Epson EcoTank ET-4956 I tested put in a strong all-round performance, printing quickly and cleanly with only one paper jam where I loaded a photograph into the automatic document feed for copying. Where the manual says that it can handle paper up to 300g/m² (my photo paper was only 200g/m²) it means via the main tray and evidently not via the ADF.
That incident aside, I was pleased with my test pages, although I couldn’t honestly see any improvement over the outgoing EcoTank ET-4850 test pages. That’s unsurprising given it’s using the same heat-free inkjet technology and the same hybrid pigment and dye-based inks.
Plain pages of text print quietly in simplex mode and the paper is turned swiftly in auto duplex mode. The pigment black is applied precisely enough, but it’s not as dark as, for instance, the Canon MAXIFY GX4020, which uses a smiler hybrid ink system.
Switching to color test documents plays more to the Epson’s strengths as its dye-based C/M/Y inks are particularly bright and color documents look pleasingly vivid. It also does well with photography for the same reason.
The Epson recognizes a range of coated photo paper types and given premium glossy photo paper, my test photos really popped. This printer manages an enhanced resolution of 4,800 x 1,200, which is enough for photo printing, but dedicated photo printers, like the Canon PIXMA G3270, produce sharper images for less money.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series: Consumables
The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 comes with five ink bottles containing a total of 464ml of ink. That’s equivalent to around 65 regular ink cartridges and enough, Epson reckons, to print for around three years before needing to buy refills.
Epson’s bottled ink is cheap compared with cartridge ink and there’s nothing to stop you from buying third party ink, which is even cheaper. Put like that, Epson’s claim that this printer is up to 95% cheaper to run than a cartridge printer seems reasonable.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series: Maintenance
Epson says its heat-free printing tech means you’ll never need to replace the printhead, which is a cost incurred by plenty of other inkjet owners. This printer is also less prone to clogging in the nozzles thanks to some improved engineering.
However, the settings menu includes several anti-clogging cycles that can be run if (or more likely, when) dried up ink stops you printing. Epson includes a one-year, or 100,000-page warranty with this model.
What you may well have to replace is the maintenance box when it eventually fills up with the tiny amounts of excess ink generated by printing and cleaning. A replacement costs around ten dollars and it looks to me like you could save money by emptying and cleaning the existing one.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series: Final verdict
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The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 and its variants proved that Epson is the brand to beat in this refillable office-friendly mid-price category. I found it easy to set up and operate thanks to the responsive touchscreen and good design and it has all the features I consider essential for the home worker or small shared office.
In other words, it duplex prints pretty quickly, connects readily my 5GHz Wi-Wi and turns out crisp and colorful test pages on all kinds of media. I also appreciated the two-sided scan feature and, of course, the generous amount of inbox ink.
Does Epson still make the best ink tank printers? This category only gets more competitive with new players like the significantly more affordable Brother DCP-T780DW entering the fray, while the excellent HP Smart Tank 7001 comes with larger ink tanks and the Canon MAXIFY GX4020 offers superior print quality.
But with more features than those rivals, and such a strong all-round performance, I can highly recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 series.
For more top-performing models, I’ve tested the best home printers and the best all-in-one printers.
