Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 Review, Pros and Cons

Epson’s EcoTank Pro series has attracted a lot of attention among business owners and companies. The mixture of sleek and compact design with capable AIO functionality makes way to popularity. One of renowned products under this line is the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 that boasts wide format and cartridge-free printing.

Much like the other products under the EcoTank Pro line, this device adopts a side ink tank for easy ink replacement. Overall features are also similar as you can still find two cassettes and auto document feeder, which means it offers high input capacity. The major difference comes from the control panel that looks more complex with more functional buttons.

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 Design

The EcoTank ET-16600 delivers a clean, sleek, and compact design that allows you to enjoy its professional look. The hefty machine measures 20.5 inches by 20.3 inches by 38.4 inches (H x W X D) and weighs 52.92 pounds so you need to prepare a sturdy desk for the support.

Epson’s ET-16600 features an automatic document feeder that can be found on the top of the device. The control panel is adjustable that enables you to check on the display from various positions. It provides functional and numerical buttons to help you set the operation. Additionally, the 4.3-inch color touchscreen display and voice-activated printing improve your experience.

Featuring cartridge-free printing, this machine is equipped with a supersized tank attached to the front-right body. Aside from promising more consumables, this innovative tank promotes easy ink replacement. Most like other printers under the same line, the ET-16600 comes with double front cassettes for higher input capacity.

Functionality

The powerful inkjet printer is reliable for printing, copying, scanning, and faxing projects. Epson consistently uses PrecisionCore 4S heat-free printhead to ensure crisp, sharp, and vibrant print quality. Supported by 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi, it gives more than acceptable output for business documents, photo printing, and marketing purposes.

The copier features 256 gradations with 16.7 million colors to make sure the above-average copy result. Supporting up to 11 inches by 17 inches of copy size, the ET-16600 copier is a great choice for leaflets or brochures. You can enjoy a wide array of features such as color copy, black and white, multipage, duplex, and many more.

Boasting a wide format, the printer comes with a prominent scanner as it supports up to A3 Ledger of scan area. With maximum resolution up to 9600 dpi, this machine helps transfer your physical documents to high-resolution files. A number of features can improve your experiences, such as Scan to Email, Scan to Computer Even Manager, and Scan to Cloud.

Fast Enough, yet Not the Fastest

Epson rates this printer at 25 pages per minute for monochrome and 12 pages per minute for color. This speed is acceptable, though I expect a faster speed from this high-end office printer. The duplex print speed isn’t impressive as well, considering it delivers up to 16 pages per minute for black and 9 pages per minute for color.

This speed is exactly the same as Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5800 which is available at a much lower price. I could say that running this printer at injury time can make you frustrated. However, it remains dependable if you have much time to wait.

Average performance is also shown by the copier that delivers up to 23 pages per minute and 10 pages per minute for black and color consecutively.

Double Cassettes plus Rear Feed

High input capacity is another good thing I found from this printer. The ET-16600 is equipped with double front cassettes that promise more paper volumes. Each cassette can hold up to 250 sheets, which means it supports up to 500 sheets for the front tray. The adjustable rear paper feed can handle up to 50 sheets so you can load custom paper sizes.

Additionally, the machine sports a 50-sheet automatic document feeder for duplex printing, copying, and scanning. The feeder supports a variety of paper sizes ranging from A5 up to A3 Ledger. It also offers borderless printing up to 11 inches by 17 inches.

The printer can handle various paper sizes up to 12.95 inches by 23.62 inches. A wide array of paper types can also be used to print your documents. The machine can be loaded with photo paper, plain paper, matte paper, as well as card stock.

Epson rates the printer’s monthly duty cycle at 66,000 pages per month with 3,300 recommended monthly volume. Compared to other business printers at a lower price, the monthly volumes are exactly the same. It may be sufficient for small businesses but medium to large enterprises may find it as a problem.

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 Print Quality

As I always said, quality is a priority. Engineered under the big name of Epson, the ET-16600 offers top print quality which is more than sufficient for business documents. Thanks to the PrecisionCore 4S printhead that delivers print-shop quality output and vibrant print results.

The machine is dependable to produce amazing details and accurate colors. Small characters can be easily handled as they remain legible. Furthermore, I could find neither misshaped characters nor weird spacing that can be disturbing especially for formal documents. When it came to graphics, I found a good ink distribution without noticeable streaking or banding.

Coming with photo printing capability, the ET-16600 allows you to produce creative projects or marketing documents. It worked well for photos as I saw highly detailed and vibrant outputs. The fact that it supports up to 11 inches by 17 inches borderless printing helps push your creativity to the limit.

Supersized Consumable Tank Means Very Low Print Cost

The ET-16600 uses DURABrite pigment for vibrant and crisp output. Packaged in spill-free EcoFit ink bottles, replacing consumables is no longer challenging. Without opening the printer lid, refill the ink directly from the EcoFit bottles. Replacing ink is no longer messy!

Epson provides EcoTank 542 ink replacement with high volume yet affordable price. The black consumable promises 7,500 yields while the color inks deliver 6,000 yields. Unlike standard ink cartridges, the replacement ink can be purchased separately as desired.

The worst thing about an inkjet printer with a cartridge is the expensive running cost. Thankfully, Epson’s innovative consumable tank has solved the problem. This printer will not drain your purse as it costs only 2 cents per color page. When using standard laser toner cartridges, you will spend around 14 cents, which means 7 times more expensive. Simply multiply for thousands of pages.

The supersized consumable tank saves up to 80 percent of ink replacement. As it does not use cartridges, it supports zero cartridge waste as well as low energy consumption. This printer is an excellent choice for small offices or growing businesses that need to tighten the budget.

Connectivity and Software

Epson’s ET-16600 comes with myriad connectivity options including Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB. As with other modern printers, it also sports Wi-Fi Direct that enables you to build connections to Android or iOS smartphones and tablets. Printing directly from your handheld gives all the convenience that you need.

Mobile printing capabilities such as Mopria and AirPrint are also supported. Additionally, you can enjoy Epson Connect Email Print and Epson iPrint mobile app to improve your printing experience. Every package comes with included software such as Epson Scan 2 and Epson ScanSmart.

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 Pros and Cons

The Epson EcoTank ET-16600 has many things to like such as professional look and dependable output quality. However, I should say that the printer also has several things to dislike. The following list will help you decide whether the ET-16600 will suit your business or not.

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 Pros

• High paper capacity for work efficiency

Designed with double front cassettes, Epson’s ET-16600 boasts higher paper capacity. With the total capacity of 500 sheets, it allows you to multitask without worrying about running out of paper. Aside from the generous capacity of front trays, you can also take benefit from the rear feed, especially for custom paper size.

• Very low running cost

Price is an important aspect to take into consideration other than output quality. Expensive cost per page of a standard cartridge can drain your budget, especially if you have a pile of documents to handle. Thankfully, the ET-16600 features supersized ink that promises a very low running cost. It helps save up to 80 percent when compared to standard laser toner cartridges.

• Top-quality output

You can always count on Epson printers, either for home or business environments. This printer is no exception, thanks to PrecisionCore technology that delivers crisp and vibrant results. It works well for monochrome formal documents or colorful marketing projects.

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 Cons

• Steep price

You may be attracted to this printer until you check on the price. The ET-16600 costs pretty pennies. This price tag makes this device look less attractive, especially for small businesses with a limited budget. But when compared with pennies you can save after the purchase, this printer can be a good bet.

• Low monthly volume

If business correspondences require you to print more than 3,300 pages per month, you might need to find other references. This printer’s monthly volume is relatively low, which may be less suitable for growing business or small business with busy correspondences.

Conclusion

The Epson EcoTank ET-16600 wide-format is a printer you can count on. Behind its robust construction and professional look, the machine can deliver high-quality printing with affordable running costs. Supported by high input capacity, your work productivity and efficiency can be improved.

This printer is worth-choosing, especially if you need a dependable printer to convince your clients. Coming with myriad connectivity and reliable performance, this printer can be a good partner in your office. But its steep price and relatively monthly volume should be taken into consideration.