We’re massive fans of the ink tank printers we’ve tested, with cartridge-free printing offering much better value for money compared to standard inkjets. So, if you’re preparing for back-to-school or a home office upgrade, I’ve found a great deal on the HP Smart Tank 6001 tank printer for $200 (was $370) at Amazon.
That’s almost half-price off an all-in-one that can print, scan and copy. Features here include refillable ink tanks, automatic two-sided output, and wireless connectivity. It also comes with up to two years of ink, which is enough for as many as 8,000 color or 6,000 black pages.
In the UK, this printer is known as the HP Smart Tank 6005, currently £179 (was £250) at Currys with three years’ free ink.
Why we recommend it
Rather than repeatedly replacing expensive ink cartridges, you top up the 6001’s built-in tanks using bottled ink, which is a cheaper and more convenient approach. Bottled ink is much cheaper to buy compared to traditional inkjet cartridges, which is one of the reasons why we champion tank printers.
There’s plenty of features from this HP model, too, making it suitable for students, home workers, and small business use.
The flatbed scanner handles documents you need to digitize, and the copier is useful for those time when you need another physical copy.
Automatic duplexing is handy for longer assignments and documents because it can output both sides of the page without you manually turning the paper over. Borderless capabilities offer flexibility for photos and other creative projects.
There’s also HP’s AI-assisted formatting, which can remove unwanted elements when printing web pages and emails.
For more top performers, see our guides to the best home printers and best ink tank printers.
Price context & historical value
The HP Smart Tank 6001 is currently $199.99 at Amazon, down from $369.99. That’s a huge $170 saving, or 46% off. The lowest we’ve previously seen it at Amazon is $195, so this is an excellent price and you likely won’t get a better discount any time soon. For comparison, it’s also priced at $200 (was $414) at Best Buy. And if you want to other options, check out our guide to the best printer deals we’ve spotted this week.
Should you buy it?
✅ Buy the HP Smart Tank 6001 if...
You need to do a lot of printing. Its large supplied ink capacity means you can tackle assignments, revision sheets and projects without worrying about buying ink regularly.
It will also benefit home workers who need physical documents. Automatic duplexing saves some effort with longer jobs, and having scanning and copying built in is also welcome.
❌ Skip the HP Smart Tank 6001 if...
Look elsewhere if you’re not one for waiting. A maximum of 12ppm in black and 7ppm in color means it’s not fast, particularly if you need to power through large jobs.
The Catch: What to know before you buy
The print speeds for color tasks will be fine for typical household jobs, but they could become frustrating if you routinely need large documents output in a hurry.
There’s no automatic document feeder listed here either. If you frequently scan or copy stacks of multi-page documents, having to place each page on the flatbed individually could quickly become tiring. I wouldn’t call either a deal-breaker for general printing at home or in the dorm, but it’s worth knowing.
