Are HP Smart Tank Printers Any Good?

On this page (9 sections)

1. Are HP Smart Tank printers any good for home use?
2. What is an HP Smart Tank printer?
3. How much ink comes with HP Smart Tank printers?
4. Is the HP Smart Tank 5103 better than the 5003?
5. Are Smart Tank printers cheaper to run than cartridge printers?
6. Do HP Smart Tank printers print quickly enough?
7. What ink does an HP Smart Tank printer use?
8. What are the main drawbacks of HP Smart Tank printers?
9. So, are HP Smart Tank printers any good?

Yes, HP Smart Tank printers are good for frequent home printing, especially for color pages, school work, forms, and family documents. Their refillable tanks hold more ink than typical cartridges, and selected models include up to 2 or 3 years of HP Ink.

The trade-off is size and setup. You get all-in-one features in the main models here, but you need room for the printer and bottles.

Are HP Smart Tank printers any good for home use?

Yes, HP Smart Tank printers suit homes that print often. The HP Smart Tank 5003 and HP Smart Tank 5103 both print, copy, and scan, support wireless printing, and use cartridge-free refillable tanks.

The 5003 is the better overall pick here because it includes up to 3 years of HP Ink and supports up to 6,000 color or black pages right out of the box. Its black speed is 10 pages per minute, while color reaches 5 pages per minute.

The 5103 includes up to 2 years of ink and reaches 12 black pages per minute with the same 5-page color speed. It adds app and touch control, tablet support, and 100 sheets of HP Everyday Photo Paper 4 x 6.

Both models fit a home office, study area, or household that prints more than a few pages each month. For a broader comparison, see this hp printer for home use.

What is an HP Smart Tank printer?

An HP Smart Tank printer is a cartridge-free inkjet printer with refillable tanks. You add HP ink from bottles instead of replacing a small cartridge for each color.

The HP Smart Tank 5003 uses black, cyan, magenta, and yellow ink. It includes an HP 32XL black bottle, HP 31 cyan, magenta, and yellow bottles, plus black and tri-color printheads.

The HP Smart Tank 5103 also uses HP 32XL black ink and HP 31 color bottles. Its included media lists the printer, a tri-color bottle, printhead, setup materials, and 100 sheets of 4 x 6 photo paper.

This what is a hp smart tank printer guide explains the system in more detail. The main benefit is greater ink capacity for people who print regularly.

How much ink comes with HP Smart Tank printers?

The HP Smart Tank 5003 includes up to 3 years of HP Ink. It also supports up to 6,000 color or black pages right out of the box.

The HP Smart Tank 5103 includes up to 2 years of HP Ink and also supports up to 6,000 color or black pages. These figures describe the supplied ink, not a promise that every household will get the same calendar time or page mix.

Ink use changes with black coverage, color coverage, photos, and other page content. A household printing short text documents will use ink differently from one printing full-color projects.

Why the HP Smart Tank 5003 suits high-volume home printing

The HP Smart Tank 5003 is the clearest choice when longer included-ink coverage matters most. It combines print, copy, and scan functions with wireless and mobile printing, borderless prints, and an easy-access refill system.

It supports up to 99 copies per run and legal media up to 8.5 x 14 inches. Its black speed is 10 pages per minute, and color speed is 5 pages per minute.

The 5003 weighs 11.1 lb and measures 14.23 in deep, 17.11 in wide, and 6.19 in high. Leave room for paper, bottles, and access to the tank area.

Is the HP Smart Tank 5103 better than the 5003?

The HP Smart Tank 5103 is better when app and touch control, tablet support, or faster black printing matter most. The 5003 is better when the longer included-ink period is your priority.

The 5103 prints black pages at 12 pages per minute and color pages at 5 pages per minute. Its compatible devices include laptops, PCs, smartphones, and tablets.

It also includes 100 sheets of HP Everyday Photo Paper 4 x 6, giving it a clearer role in homes that mix documents with small photo prints.

The 5003 includes up to 3 years of HP Ink compared with up to 2 years for the 5103. Both models support up to 6,000 color or black pages and use manual duplex printing.

Who should choose the HP Smart Tank 5103?

Choose the HP Smart Tank 5103 if faster black printing and touch or app control fit your routine. It remains an all-in-one printer with copy and scan functions, wireless connectivity, refillable tanks, and cartridge-free printing.

The printer weighs 11.1 lb and measures 17.11 in deep, 6.19 in wide, and 14.23 in high in the supplied specifications. Its maximum copy run is up to 99 copies, with maximum black-and-white copy resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi or less.

The 5103 fits families using phones, tablets, and computers. Its 2-year ink inclusion is shorter than the 5003's 3-year figure.

Are Smart Tank printers cheaper to run than cartridge printers?

Smart Tank printers are designed for lower-cost, higher-volume printing because they use high-capacity tanks and refill bottles. The benefit is strongest when you print enough pages to use that capacity.

The HP Smart Tank 5003 and 5103 both include ink measured in years and thousands of pages. The buying question becomes how many pages your household prints, rather than how often you replace a cartridge.

Both printers use an easy-access system where you plug the bottle into the tank and let it drain, with no squeezing required in the supplied description.

Refill the correct color in the correct tank and handle bottles on a stable surface. For another ink approach, compare hp instant ink vs smart tank.

Do HP Smart Tank printers print quickly enough?

Yes, they are fast enough for everyday home documents, but they are not high-speed office printers. The 5003 prints up to 10 black pages per minute and 5 color pages per minute.

The 5103 reaches 12 black pages per minute and 5 color pages per minute.

Those speeds suit homework, forms, recipes, shipping pages, and household records. Large color jobs take longer because both models list a 5-page-per-minute color speed.

The 5003 lists an initial page time of 21 seconds. The 5103 lists 14 seconds for an A4 black page and 21 seconds for an A4 color page.

Both models support manual duplex printing, so printing on both sides requires paper handling.

What ink does an HP Smart Tank printer use?

The HP Smart Tank 5003 and 5103 use HP 32XL black ink and HP 31 color ink bottles. Separate colors let you refill only the tank that needs attention.

The HP 32XL is a genuine black ink bottle with a page yield of up to 6,000 pages. Compatible models include HP Smart Tank 551, 651, 7001, 7301, and 7602.

This bottle suits households that print many black text pages. It is an ink refill, not a printer, so it requires a compatible HP Smart Tank model.

How the HP 32XL fits the Smart Tank refill system

The HP 32XL provides a large black-ink supply in a refill bottle. Its stated yield is up to 6,000 pages, matching the black page capacity described for the 5003 and 5103.

Black ink is useful for forms, essays, invoices, schedules, and other text-heavy pages. Store the bottle upright and easy to reach when the tank needs a refill.

What are the main drawbacks of HP Smart Tank printers?

The main trade-offs are a larger refillable format, manual duplex printing, and moderate color speed.

The 5003 and 5103 each weigh 11.1 lb, so they need a stable desk or shelf. Their dimensions also deserve attention before you choose a location.

Neither model lists automatic duplex printing. You can print on both sides, but the process requires manual handling.

Color printing reaches 5 pages per minute on both printers. If you print large color batches, that speed may matter more than the ink capacity.

So, are HP Smart Tank printers any good?

HP Smart Tank printers are good for households that print regularly and want refillable ink with a large included supply. Pick the HP Smart Tank 5003 for the strongest overall value here because it includes up to 3 years of HP Ink and supports up to 6,000 color or black pages.

Choose the HP Smart Tank 5103 when its 12-page-per-minute black speed, app and touch control, tablet support, and included 4 x 6 photo paper fit your home better. Choose the HP 32XL when you already use a compatible Smart Tank printer and need up to 6,000 pages of black ink.

For most people asking are HP Smart Tank printers any good, the answer is yes, provided you print often enough to benefit from refillable tanks and have room for an all-in-one printer.

Frequently asked questions

Are HP Smart Tank printers good for occasional printing?

They can suit occasional printing, but their strongest reason to buy is regular color or document volume. If you print only a few pages a month, a simpler cartridge printer may take up less space and involve less setup.

Can HP Smart Tank printers print photos?

Yes, compatible HP Smart Tank models can print color documents and borderless prints, and the HP Smart Tank 5103 includes 100 sheets of HP Everyday Photo Paper 4 x 6. Photo results still depend on paper, image quality, and printer settings.

How long does HP Smart Tank ink last?

The HP Smart Tank 5003 includes up to 3 years of HP Ink and up to 6,000 color or black pages right out of the box. The HP Smart Tank 5103 includes up to 2 years of ink and also supports up to 6,000 color or black pages right out of the box.