I hope everyone is having a nice June, thus far. The heat has definitely started to pump here in the Northeast, and to me, an 80-degree day is hot, regardless of whether the calendar says April or June, so the Air Conditioner technology is getting a full-fledged workout!
That is exactly where I will pick up on...the topic of Technology!
In the day and age of High-Quality Color Printing, one may question why they would need a Monochrome Printer. Well, for example, what if most of your print jobs required just Black and White output? What if you could find a true work-horse that can churn out Black and White printed output at about as fast as you can bat your eyes, and can turn out high-quality scans and copies with sharp images, as well, with a lightning fast fax feature, too? If that's not what you are looking for, keep reading anyway, because you might just realize this was something that can make your life substantially easier!
What am I talking about? The Epson EcoTank ET-M3170 Wireless Monochrome All-in-One Supertank Printer. I have reviewed this unit, and I'd like to share with you what I found in terms of its set up, speed, quality, and features that have impressed me, and will most probably impress you, as well!
SET-UP:
Setting the tone right from the start, this printer was wrapped very well and secure, taped well and secured between to large pieces of foam cushioning to prevent any damage from movement during shipping. It's not a very heavy device, so it is easy to maneuver. Once it was out of the box and unwrapped, etc., I got my first look at a very impressive looking unit, one that looks like it belongs in a high-tech, modern office, which is exactly what you want clients to think if they visit your office (you want them to know that you are on the cutting edge of the latest technology...at least it can't hurt!).
When you fire up the printer, one of the features you notice right away is the vivid, bold-colored touch screen, with razor-sharp fonts, and what I came to find as very well organized (extremely intuitive/very user friendly). But first, the ink.
When you see this bottle of ink, you might panic at first. Don't! It's revolutionary, cutting edge, and will save you a lot of headaches and a lot of money. You have easy access to where you add the ink. It is so easy to twist in the bottle, fill the ink reservoir, and you're done! There is no mess, no spill. It was literally seamless. Once it is filled up, you can visually see the ink level, which should cover you for 6000 pages. Yes, that's a heck of a lot of printing for you without having to add more ink.
After a few minutes of the ink charging up, as directed through the instructions on the printer, you then run through a page alignment test that you just navigate through via clicking through on the menus. Then, after printing up these test pages and selecting the right numbers on the touchscreen to confirm that all is on par with how you want the pages and alignment to look, the next step is the wireless connection.
Setting up the wireless connection was simple, from detecting the Wi-Fi and connecting to it, end to end, it could not be any easier than it was. The Color LCD screen does not have a step out of place in leading you towards complete and perfect configuration of your wireless set-up. The paper capacity of this printer is 250 pages, which should keep you humming along while printing for quite some time. At this point, after loading up the paper tray to almost full capacity, I realized that the time for testing had arrived!
SPEED:
There is no other way to say it; this is one truly fast printer! It zips along at 20 Pages Per Minute (PPM), but at times, it felt as if it was even faster, so I think that is more like an average speed. In one test, I sent 3 consecutive 8-page jobs, and by the time I went to hit send on the next job, the previous job was done! As it's churning along, it has normal operating sounds, which can be almost completely silenced by selecting the Quiet Mode option.
In testing the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), which is incredibly easy to use, I tested the speed of duplex printing (2-sided printing), and I found the speed of that feature quite impressive, as well. Even better, you do not have to feed the paper back for the second side; this is all done automatically for you! Overall, an ultra-fast printer, for standard duty and 2-sided copy, as well. Next, let's take a look at the quality of the printed output, scans, etc.
QUALITY:
When you need to print out sensitive information, critical data, or whatever is important to you enough to render it as printed output, speed is important, but quality, for many, will rank higher between both.
My experience for many years has been on high-end laser printers, and their sharp and crisp printed output, but in reviewing several batches of print jobs I sent through on the ET-M3170, I was very surprised to find that the quality was equal to or even superior to the laser printers I have used for many years, most of which have been on the high-end of the printers offered on the market, in my office and in the offices of various of our clients.
Even just moments after printing, there was no smudging, the characters appeared super sharp on the pages, and the ink on the top of the page and the bottom of the page was uniform, with no alignment issues or differences in shades of the printed black ink. There are an incredible amount of settings that I could have tweaked in order to get my printed output to this point...these options are all included in the LCD Screen menus...but the default output via printing and also copying both exceeded my experienced expectations!
This same pattern goes for the Scanning. Scanning with the unit is very easy to use (very intuitive), and the results were obviously high-resolution scans, with sharp, completely crisp images, that far surpassed that which I have seen from laser-quality Scanners.
Another important feature of this All-in-One Printer is Faxing, which I tested both inbound and outbound. What I found was that after connecting the physical line to send and receive faxes (I tested between a fax machine I have on a different phone number), and found High-Speed faxing results that went out and were received, both of very high quality, with sharp images and text!
Overall, these high-quality results tell me that this Supertank Printer is a high-quality All-in-One Printer that is built for high volume copy, blazing fast speed, and incredibly sharp output! However, there are even more features that I have tested and also found to be incredible components of an overall workhorse!
FEATURES:
The key benefits that most folks are looking for when purchasing a Printer, or really any new technology, are those features that make your life easier, and save you money. I found both of these benefits in testing and reviewing the ET-M3170.
Making your life easier really boils down into both saving time and accomplishing your tasks more efficiently. During the time I spent testing and reviewing the bonus features of the ET-M3170, I noticed a trend towards both of these components of a life with fewer hassles:
* I like the huge storage capacity of 250 sheets, saving me the hassles of constantly re-loading the paper tray in the middle of 100 other things I am doing.
* I like being able to use my voice to send print jobs.
* I love the mobile printing feature, because it allows me to send a print job from anywhere vs. needing to be right near the printer physically connected to it.
* I love seeing the ink level on the printer...it is way cool!
Additionally, the benefits affecting your financial bottom line are also evident with the ET-M3170, such as:
* How efficient the printer is with ink usage, with hardly any movement in the level marker after several large ink-hungry print jobs of pages filled with text, top to bottom.
* How I can see an end to the hundreds of dollars of ink each year by using this 6000-page capacity productivity beast of an ink tank!
* How it makes financial sense to have an All-in-One Printer with a 2-year warranty with your registration, to show you the confidence that Epson has in their product, giving you true peace of mind!
SUMMARY:
In closing, if you did not already get that impression from me, I was extremely pleased with the ET-M3170, due in part to its blazing print speed, sharp quality output, it's All-in-One features including Scanning and Faxing, and all of the other "quality of life" features that this printer offers.
Whether you are looking for a printer for your home, office, or home office, the ET-M3170 exceeds every single level of service and every class of features that you could possibly desire in an All-in-One Printer. Great work, Epson!!
TECHNICAL SPECS:
EPSON ET-M3170
Exclusive EcoFit bottle design — uniquely keyed for easy filling of each color
Ultimate wireless — easily print from iPad, iPhone, Android tablets and smartphones;
includes Wi-Fi Direct plus Ethernet; voice-activated printing
Save energy — lower power consumption vs. laser
Compact, space-saving design — fits into any office environment
Eco Features
Save energy with lower power consumption vs. laser
Save up to 50 percent of your paper supply with automatic, 2-sided printing
ENERGY STAR qualified
RoHS compliant
Recyclable product
Epson America, Inc. is a SmartWay Transport Partner
Better Products for a Better Future
For more information on Epson's environmental programs, go to www.epson.com/environment
What's In The Box:
EcoTank ET-M3170 monochrome printer
Manual
CD-ROM for product setup
Power cord
1 bottle 532 Black (120 mL)
Print:
Printing Technology:
PrecisionCore (TFP1S-mono printhead)
Minimum Ink Droplet Size:
2.8 picoliters
Maximum Print Resolution:
1200 x 2400 dpi
ISO Print Speed:
Black: 20 ISO ppm
2-Sided ISO Print Speed:
Black: 9.0 ISO ppm
Ink:
Ink Type:
EcoTank Ink Bottle
Ink Palette:
Black
Ink Configuration:
1 ink bottle (Black)
Replacement Ink:
532 Black ink bottle (120 mL)
Epson strongly recommends the use of genuine ink to ensure optimal print quality and performance.
Ink Yield Information:
6,000 pages
General:
Operating Systems:
Windows 10
Windows 8, 8.1 (32-bit, 64-bit)
Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)
Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit)
Mac OS X 10.6.8 – macOS 10.13.x10
Server Systems:
Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later, Windows Server 2016
Temperature:
Operating: 50 to 95 F (10 to 35 C)
Storage: -4 to 104 F (-20 to 40 C)
Humidity:
Operating: 20 – 80% RH
Storage: 5 – 85% RH (no condensation)
Sound Level:
Power: 6.9 B(A)
Pressure: 56 dB(A)
Dimensions:
Printing: 14.8" x 13.7" x 13.6"
Storage: 14.8" x 13.7" x 13.6"
Weight:
16.1 lb
Safety Approvals:
UL60950-1-CAN/CSA-22.2 No. 60950, EMC FCC Part 15 subpart B class B, CAN/CSA-CEI/IEC CISPR 22 class B
Country of Origin:
Phillipines
Warranty:
2-year limited warranty in the U.S. and Canada, second year requires product registration
Copy:
Copy Speed:
Flatbed: 17 ipm
ADF: 14 black ipm (simplex), 9.0 ipm (duplex)
Copy Quality:
Copy Resolution: 600 x 600 (input from ADF and flatbed), 1200 x 1200 (print)
Input Resolution, ADF: 300 x 400, 600 x 600
Input Resolution, Flatbed: 300 x 600, 600 x 600
Copy Quantity:
Up to 99 pages from standalone
Maximum Copy Size:
Legal 8.5" x 14" via ADF
Copy Features:
Automatic reduction and enlargement (25 – 400%)
1-to-1 Copy and 1-to-2 Copy (user must flip the scan manually)
256 gradations (1 color)
Specifications Scanner:
Scanner Type:
Color flatbed / ADF
Photoelectric Device:
Color CIS line sensor
Hardware Resolution:
Max.: 1200 x 2400
Maximum Resolution:
9600 dpi interpolated
Color Bit Depth:
48-bit color input / 24-bit color output
Scan Bed Size:
8.5" x 11.7"
Scanner Features:
Scan to Computer Event Manager
Scan to Computer
Scan to Cloud
Not Supported: Scan to Memory Device
Scan Features:
Other:
Compatibility TWAIN, WIA, ICA
TWAIN Reading Resolution 75 – 9600 dpi (1 dpi step)
TWAIN Output Format PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, Multi-TIFF, BMP (Windows), PICT (Mac)
Automatic Document Feeder:
Capacity:
35 sheets Letter
10 Legal (25 lb at 95 g/m2) max.
(Note: Auto 2-sided scan not supported, but the printer will auto 2-side copy
once the user flips the scan page manually)
Speed:
ADF (ISO 24735 Annex D) (ipm)
ADF: 7.0 ipm Black, 7.0 ipm Color
Document Table: 12 ipm Black, 27 ipm Color
Document Sizes:
Max. Legal
Paper Weight:
Plain Paper: 17 – 25 lb, 64 – 95 g/m2
Fax:
Fax Settings:
Transmit Size Letter/A4 (flatbed and ADF)
Receive Size Letter/A4/Legal
Fax Speed:
Up to 33.6 Kbps, transmit ~3 sec/page
Memory:
Up to 180 pages, 2MB receive memory
Speed Dials:
Up to 100 speed dial numbers, up to 99 group dial
PC Fax:
Available
Features:
Contact List: Address Book
Transmit reservation
Broadcast fax (mono)
PC-Fax
Up to 99 group dial
Polling reception
Fax preview
Connectivity:
Standard Connectivity:
Hi-Speed USB
Wireless 802.11 b/g/n
Wired Ethernet (10/100/1000 Mbps)
Wi-Fi Direct
Mobile Printing Solutions:
Epson Connect:
Epson E-mail Print, Epson iPrint App (iOS, Android), Epson Remote Print
Other:
Google Cloud Print 2.0, AirPrint 1.8
Paper Handling:
PC-Free Paper Support:
Plain (Letter, 8.5" x 14", A4)
Photo (4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", Letter, A4)
Paper Sizes:
4" x 6", 5" x 7", A6, Half Letter, Letter, A4, Executive, Legal, User definable (from 2.2" x 3.4" to 8.5" x 47.2")
Maximum Paper Size:
8.5 x 47.2 inch
Paper Types:
Standard:
Multipurpose Plus Paper
Bright White Premium Paper
Premium Presentation Paper - Matte
Front Tray:
Multipurpose Plus Paper
Bright White Premium Paper
Premium Presentation Paper – Matte
Premium Presentation Double-Sided Matte Paper
Envelope Types:
No. 10
Input Paper Capacity:
Cassette 1 – 250 sheets (80 g/m2)
Output Paper Tray Capacity:
100 sheets Letter plain paper (Standard Print Mode)
Rear Feed:
1 sheet
Printer Details:
Display:
2.4" color touchscreen
Printer Language:
Epson ESC/P®-R
Software Included:
EPSON printer drivers
Power:
Rated Voltage:
AC 100 – 240V Universal (Automatic)
Rated Frequency:
50 – 60 Hz
Power Consumption:
Approx. 12 W ISO 24712 (Standalone copy printing)
Approx. 4.3 W (Ready Mode)
Approx. 0.7 W (Sleep Mode)
Approx. 0.2 W (Power Off Mode)
Rated Current:
0.4A – 0.2A
Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes - Rent to Own Homes, since 2002
"Located at the Corner of Technology and Real Estate"
Rent to Own Homes and Real Estate Blog for HomeRun Homes: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com
TAGS: #Epson #Printer #All-in-One #ET-M3170 #Travel #Office #Home #Document #Scan #Fax #Wireless
