HP Smart Tank 7001 / 7005 ink tank printer review
Specification
type: color ink cartridge printer
Function: Print, scan, copy, mobile fax (send only)
Connectivity: USB, wireless network
Data storage slot: without any
Print speed: 15ppm (mono)
Maximum paper size: Letter paper/A4
Maximum print quality: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi
memory: 128MB
Apple AirPrint: Yes
Consumables include: 5 x 80ml ink bottles (8,000 color pages or 6,000 black pages)
Dimensions/weight: 723 x 435 x 285 mm (WxDxH) / 71.4 lbs / 32.4 kg
The HP Smart Tank 7001 (7005 in the UK and Europe) is a refillable inkjet printer suitable for the home or office. It features a simple desktop design with enough room for 250 Letter sheets in the protruding tray and a Letter-size scanner bed on top. There is built-in self-healing dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and it can automatically duplex, but there is no multi-function input tray and no touch screen.
If that seems like too little for a printer that costs around $260 (£230), remember that this is a super cartridge, so you’ll save money on ink in the long run, and there’s plenty in the box ink. But Smart Tank is a relatively small part of the HP printer range, so let’s see how it compares to the HP printer range best ink cartridge printerfrom MegaTanks to EcoTanks, are currently flooding the market.
HP Smart Tank 7001: Design and Build
The HP Smart Tank 7001 (let’s stick with the US name for now) looks pretty sharp with its clean lines, light basalt finish, and seamlessly integrated cartridges. The only shame is that the paper tray sticks out at the front like this, as it makes the footprint larger than its two closest competitors. Canon PIXMA G3270 and Epson EcoTank ET-2850. But the larger size does hold more paper. It holds 250 sheets of Letter or A4 paper instead of the 100-sheet capacity of similar products, so offices can be served more efficiently. The four ink tanks are about the same size as those from Canon and Epson, holding 70 ml of each color ink and 135 ml of black ink. According to HP US, that’s enough to last you two years of printing. In the UK HP says three years because there’s an extra bottle in the box, so I’d take both claims with a grain of salt. These ink tanks have clear plastic windows that make it easy to check the ink level at a glance, which is important because running out of ink can allow problematic air bubbles to enter the system. The tiny two-line display doesn’t have a backlight, so it’s difficult to see, as are the small black buttons that point up the control panel.
The plastic casing and various plastic covers all feel quite flimsy, especially the scanner cover. The glass scanner platen is also letter-sized, providing a more satisfying way to scan documents than your phone’s camera. There’s a USB cable connection on the back, but there’s no USB host port or Ethernet port on the front. Lift the scanner and you’ll see four ink cartridge caps and two moving printheads. Unlike Epson and Canon printers, these printheads are replaceable, which can be an advantage.
HP Smart Tank 7001: Features and Specs
compared to The best all-in-one printer The feature list might look a little thin at this price point, but remember, this is a super tank, so you’ll benefit from lower running costs and plenty of inbox ink. For example, there’s no touch screen, no USB host port, no ADF (automatic document feed), no NFC, and no multi-function input. It’s a similar story with entry-level ink cartridges from Epson and Canon. It comes with dual-band Wi-Fi and scanner with Apple AirPrint compatibility. It doesn’t have a built-in fax modem, but you can receive and print faxes from your smartphone by using the HP Smart app. If you want to send faxes, you’ll need to buy the $400 HP Smart Tank 7602, which also comes with an ADF.
One thing the HP Smart Tank 7001 does offer over the competition is Bluetooth, which I found to be a real advantage during the initial setup process.
HP Smart Tank 7001: Setup and Operation
The setup process for the HP Smart Tank 7001 is similar to any new inkjet printer, except for two extra steps. You have to pour the ink from the bottle into the ink tank and then connect the two print heads. The easiest way to get started is to download HP Smart, HP’s companion app, and use the app to connect the printer to your local Wi-Fi network. Establishing a Wi-Fi connection with a new printer always feels like it’s in the hands of the gods, but a Bluetooth connection is more reliable. Then ask your smartphone to share your Wi-Fi details so you don’t have to enter your password, which can take forever with the printer’s original non-touchscreen display.
Getting ink into the cartridges isn’t complicated, but it’s also not completely foolproof like Canon and Epson’s systems. I’ve read user reviews where new owners spilled ink or even poured it into the wrong tank, so be careful! I found that pouring three-quarters of each bottle was not enough for the HP’s sensor. Unlike Canon and Epson, you need to fill to the edges to continue with the setup. The only downside to ink tank printers is the potential danger of transporting them when the ink tanks are full.
In operation, the HP Smart Tank 7001 performs well, but there’s no denying that it would be easier using a touchscreen interface. The two-line display is not easy to read. HP probably assumed we would all be using the app on our smartphones and laptops to control our printers, and to be fair, that’s the best way to do it. HP Smart also works well on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Chrome. The only issue I had was a paper jam, or to be precise, the printer wouldn’t turn the page to print the other side when it was automatically duplexing. This happens whenever the paper in the tray is not completely flat.
HP Smart Tank 7001: Performance
The HP Smart Tank 7001 performs some tasks well, but it also performs well at others. In single-sided mode, continuous pages of text appear at a fast and reliable 15 pages per minute, and characters look black and bold with no spillover. At four-point size, everything is still legible, and whenever I try to smudge the print with my thumb while it’s on the page, the pigment ink has set and is smudge-proof. The same is true in draft mode. The print is slightly pale and less clear, but still acceptable. Problems can arise when printing automatically on both sides, as any slight crease in the paper will prevent the printer from turning pages successfully. After printing one side, I push the paper out and pull it back ready to turn, but it can’t seem to align the paper enough to pull it all the way in. You can play tug-of-war with the affected page until it aligns correctly, but most of the time the printer will give up and flash an error message. By collecting user reviews, I discovered that I’m not the only one with this problem.
In simplex mode, the HP can successfully print on a variety of paper materials, from 4-inch x 6-inch glossy photo paper to cards weighing up to 200 g/m2. It’s not actually very thick, and the fact that its competitors can handle 300 g/m2 cards suggests that HP isn’t very good at handling paper. Color prints show the vividness of HP’s inks. Color documents really stand out with their bright reds and blues. When taking photos on photo paper, the colors look a little too bright and don’t feel realistic. So while photos are initially pleasing to the eye for their intense detail and bold colors, they can’t compete with photos printed from a dedicated photo printer.
The scanner worked flawlessly, although its light flickered disturbingly the entire time the scanner lid was open. You can click the copy button on the machine or scan using the HP Smart app, where you can select the number of copies and reduce or enlarge the number of copies. Scanned at 1,200dpi, the reproduction looks almost as sharp as, and only slightly lighter than, the original.
HP Smart Tank 7001: Supplies
HP’s bottled ink is about 80% cheaper than cartridge ink, but it’s essentially the same. In this case, the three colors cyan, magenta, and yellow are dye-based, while black is the pigment. This is common in office inkjet printers, where pigment black is more resistant to smudging and fading and is best for black and white text handouts, while dye is better for color images.
There are five to six ink bottles in the box, depending on where you purchased the printer. One 135 ml bottle of black ink (HP 32XL) can print 6,000 monochrome pages, while three 70 ml bottles of C/M/Y ink can print 8,000 color pages. That’s an order of magnitude more ink than what’s in HP inkjet cartridges.
HP Smart Tank 7001: Maintenance
like any best inkjet printercartridge printers don’t like to sit idle for long periods of time because the liquid ink can dry out on the printhead and clog the nozzles. To clean it, you usually only need to run a printhead cleaning cycle or two, and since bottled ink is relatively cheap, this isn’t an issue with Super Ink. This printer is somewhat unusual in that it has two replaceable printheads, one black and one tri-color. Assuming this doesn’t mean they’re prone to failure, it suggests that simply purchasing a new, reasonably priced printhead can extend the life of your printer.
HP Smart Tank 7001: Final Verdict
Super tank printers often seem overpriced because we’re used to the high cost of cartridges in cartridge-based inkjet printers, but this razor-and-blade business model doesn’t apply here. Comparing the HP Smart Tank 7001/7005 to other super tanks shows that it’s a pretty reasonable value. It has no touchscreen display, no NFC, no ADF, and only one input, but it does have other features. There’s a decent letter-sized scanner and strong dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. The 250-page paper capacity beats the nearest Super Cartridge competitor, and there’s plenty of bottled ink in the box.
It prints monochrome and color documents well and fairly quickly, but it doesn’t print photos so well, and they look a little garish. And it’s not good at handling paper. The 200g/m2 card limit is very light, and issues with turning over imperfect paper when printing duplex was an issue during testing. There’s no doubt that HP’s bottle-ink printer is a better value than comparable cartridge-based HP printers, but it faces stiff competition from other ink-superchargers like Canon and Epson. The Canon equivalent offers better photo quality, while the Epson beats the HP in overall performance. However, with its higher paper capacity and faster printing speeds, the HP Smart Tank 7001/7005 is better suited for office work.
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