EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Review: High-Speed, Cartridge-Free Printing

For years, the fight for Best Printer for Home Office 2026 has been conducted over traditional inkjet models but that has all changed. The new US high-volume player is the Cartridge-Free All-in-One (AIO) (the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 is the current winner of the competition). This machine demonstrates that a printer can deliver world-class features and quality without the debilitating price tag of conventional ink cartridges.

1. The Price Revolution: Farewell to Cartridges

Economics, by far, is also the strongest argument of using the ET-5880. It uses a Supertank system wherein large, external reservoirs are supplemented with cheap, low-cost ink bottles rather than pricey, small cartridges. Inherent to the ET-5880 might be a price hike for an inkjet, but the savings on consumables are huge. The ink that comes with the code can get you thousands of pages printing; the Cost per Page (CPP) drops to a fraction of a cent for black text and about 2 cents per colored page. With 300 to 500 pages printed monthly at a home office, this difference comes to hundreds of dollars saved in just the first year alone, so the high initial investment pays off fast.

2. Exercise Performance: High Velocity Specs

And the ET-5880 isn’t for your pocket for the savings; the ET-5880 is designed for heavy work. It capitalizes on Epson’s PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology, which allows:

• High Speed: A rated print speed of 25 ISO ppm for both black and color documents, ensuring your multi-page reports and color charts print quickly.
• Business Versatility: Professional users need things like PCL/PostScript emulation, so they can work easily with difficult business programs and networks, and you can have essential features like you wouldn't want missing on your PC.
• Efficient Usage: The printer comes with 2 high-capacity paper trays on one hand and a 35-sheet ADF with duplex scanning on the other (an essential tool for copying two-sided documents in one go) - increasing the speed of the office with tremendous effect.

3. A technical delve into printhead and software support

The key component here is the PrecisionCore printhead from Epson. This system does not take advantage of the heat used to flush out the ink, like thermal printhead systems, but applies mechanical pressure to provide lower power requirements, and thus more consistent performance and initial page-out times. Pigment-based DURABrite inks result in strong, momentary text documents without smudging and fade, suitable for archival or mailing. Connectivity is good, including standard Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and mobile printing made on the Epson Connect suite.

4. The Bottom Line: Are Your Upfront Investments Worth It?

For those who print sporadically (under 100 pages a month), they might still get their money’s worth with a cheaper traditional cartridge printer. Yet for every home business or remote employee or member of an active family that has very high printing needs, the verdict is simple: the high upfront cost is a pittance compared to savings over time and even the full suite of features. Both the extensive printing volume and ability to perform on a professional level would serve as a guarantee for the ET-5880 to stand on high-end office workhorse and the constant stress of running out of ink should be a mere inconvenience.   Epson. "EcoTank Pro ET-5880 All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with PCL Support." (Official Specs for Speed, ADF, PCL/PostScript) PCMag. "Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 All-in-One Review - Cost Per Page Analysis." (Review focusing on CPP and running costs) IT Pro. "Epson EcoTank ET-5880 review: Phenomenally low running costs." (Review of running costs and business features) Epson. "EcoTank Pro ET-5880 User's Guide - PCL/PostScript and Connectivity." (Technical guide on PCL/PostScript and wireless) Epson. "Switch to Heat-Free EcoTank Printers - PrecisionCore Technology." (Epson's explanation of Heat-Free Technology)