Are These Back-to-School Printer Deals Worth It?
Back-to-school printer deals are limited-time discounts on student-friendly all-in-one printers, often featuring cartridge-free ink tanks and wireless functions, aimed at cutting long-term printing costs for homework, notes, and projects while keeping the upfront price low enough for tight budgets. The short verdict: these deals are worth a look if you expect to print a lot and care about avoiding expensive cartridges, but light users should focus more on overall features than on ink savings alone. Ink tank printers in particular use bottled ink that is cheaper per page than traditional cartridges, giving them a clear advantage for heavy student use. Combined with current back-to-school printer sales from major brands, this is one of the better moments to pick up a new printer across several product lines.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8139: Half-Price All-in-One for Home Study
The standout HP OfficeJet Pro deal right now is the 8139, which has been marked down to better than half of its usual price. According to one deal roundup, “the printer has fallen to its best price at $130, which is better than half price for the $280 all-in-one.” That deep discount turns a mid-range home-office machine into a strong option for students who need reliable printing, scanning, copying, and fax in one device. The 8139 prints up to 10 color pages and 20 black-and-white pages per minute, supports dual-band Wi‑Fi, and includes a 225-sheet input tray with automatic duplex printing and an auto document feeder, so it can handle longer assignments without constant paper changes. You also get a one-year trial of an ink delivery service, which helps keep supplies topped up during busy exam seasons.
Epson EcoTank ET-2800: Budget Ink Tank with Long-Lasting Bottled Ink
If you care most about keeping ink costs low, the Epson EcoTank printer line is built for you. The EcoTank ET-2800 is highlighted as an affordable entry point into this ink tank system and is currently discounted from its regular price. Instead of small cartridges, it uses refillable ink bottles; one set is rated for up to 4,500 black-and-white pages or 7,500 color pages, which Epson estimates as roughly two years of ink for an average household. That makes it a strong budget printer deal for students who print a steady mix of documents and photos and want to escape the cartridge cycle. The ET-2800 includes wireless printing, a flatbed scanner, and a copier, covering everyday needs without extra bulk, though it lacks automatic duplex printing and an automatic document feeder, so you must handle double-sided pages and multi-page scans manually.
Canon Megatank and Budget Inkjet Options for Students
Back-to-school printer sales are not limited to HP and Epson; Canon is also offering budget printer deals across several lines, including ink tank and cartridge-based models. Megatank devices like the Pixma G6020 are described as bulk-ink all-in-one printers that cost very little to use over time, making them suitable for home offices and student setups that need economical output. Canon’s current discounts also extend to more traditional cartridge models aimed at students on a tight budget, such as the Pixma TS6520 and the entry-level TR4720, which still provide scanning, copying, and automatic two-sided printing on some versions. While these do not use an ink tank system, they are promoted as cheap printer deals with strong print quality and modern wireless conveniences, including support for mobile printing apps and voice control, which can fit well in dorm rooms and shared student housing.
Buy if / Skip if
- Buy the HP OfficeJet Pro 8139 if you want an all-in-one with fast print speeds, duplex printing, and a major discount.
- Skip the HP OfficeJet Pro 8139 if you rarely print and will not benefit much from its home-office features.
- Buy the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 if you print a steady mix of documents and photos and want to avoid frequent cartridge purchases.
- Skip the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 if you need automatic two-sided printing or an automatic document feeder for multi-page scans.
- Buy the Canon Megatank G6020 if you want a bulk-ink all-in-one that costs very little to use over time.
- Skip the Canon Pixma TR4720 and TS6520 if you care more about long-term ink savings than low upfront cost, since they rely on cartridges.
