When it comes to printers, I’ve had my fair share of frustration. So many of the printers today are inexpensive to purchase yet the replacement cartridges are expensive and don’t last very long despite manufacturer’s claims. I used to swear by HP printers but haven’t had one in awhile since the last one died although we’re eager to test their latest and greatest out later this year. Epson as a brand is known for their printers and they offer a ton of options, catering to any and everyone’s needs — yes, they have that many models to choose from. So, where to start?
If you’re on the road a lot, you’ll appreciate the Epson WF-100, which we reviewed a couple of years ago — we love this printer and use it regularly especially when we travel domestically. The smaller lightweight printers are great for travel but they’re not the best for speed, productivity or efficiency. Given how many projects and events we work on, we really wanted to review a fast printer that was also cost-effective on ink. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to review the Epson WorkForce Pro ET-8700 with an EcoTank, so let’s take a look!!
WorkForce Pro ET-8700 EcoTank
The feature-rich WorkForce Pro ET-8700 EcoTank wireless all-in-one offers ultra fast cartridge-free printing and includes up to two years of ink in the box. Yes, that’s right — you read this correctly — up to two years of printing upon purchase. This allows you to print up to 16,000 pages black and white and around 11,000 pages in color. You can also save up to 80 percent on ink vs. color laser with low-cost replacement ink packs. We haven’t had it long enough to know how long the ink actually lasts but so far so good.
The best feature of this elegant printer is that it offers 24 ISO ppm (black/color) print speeds, plus fast scan speeds. Truth be told, it’s the fastest printer we’ve ever experienced for a home/small business model. In a month alone, I can’t tell you how much time and effort I have saved with this Epson printer gem.
Add to that productivity is their 250 sheet paper capacity which means spending less time loading paper, which we always had to do with our last two printers. There’s also a handy 80-sheet rear tray and an optional 500-sheet tray.
Unlike so many confusing user interface printer screens, its super easy to set up and navigate the various features. The 4.3″ color touchscreen is a beauty and it connects easily and seamlessly via Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct and NFC. The mobile and wireless capabilities are great too. You can easily and quickly print from iPad, iPhone, Android tablets and smartphones. We tested this feature on all mobile devices listed here except for an Android smartphone and it worked without a glitch.
Powered by PrecisionCore, it delivers laser-quality black text and color graphics. Because of this, we’ve been using it to print brochures and flyers in our home office vis a vis having to outsource it. Many printers will tout high quality color printing but they usually fall short, enough so that we’ve had to have many printed externally. What’s the point of having a powerful printer at home or in your office if you need to take the time to get it printed elsewhere when you want it to look good?
Fast & 4-in-1 with Ethernet
We love that you can print, copy, scan, and fax. Frankly, every printer you look at should have this combination or it’s not worth buying. Even if you don’t fax anymore, there may be instances where someone needs to fax you something and you’re out of luck. Having the scanning feature is super handy as well, something we use quite often.
In The Box:
In the box comes the Epson WorkForce Pro ET-8700 EcoTank all-in-one printer, your manual, CD-ROM for product setup although we didn’t need it, a power cord, and DURABrite Ultra pigment ink packs: two R02X black ink packs and three sets of R02L series ink packs (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow).
For planning where you can fit it either at home or your office, the printer is around 16.7 inches long, 17.1 inches deep and 14.1 inches tall. And, it weighs in at around 40.5 pounds. There’s a 2-year limited warranty in the United States and Canada.
So far, we love it — in fact, it’s our favorite printer to-date which is saying a lot. For more information on Epson products, including their printers for consumer and small business, visit their website where you can order as well. You can get the Epson WorkForce Pro ET-8700 EcoTank on Amazon as well for less than $700.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
