Epson EcoTank ET-3950

This is not a printer for the faint‑hearted. Had I known how much work it would take to get it running, I would never have chosen it. If you’re considering an EcoTank, I strongly recommend looking at this alternative instead: Epson EcoTank ET‑8500 https://www.binglee.com.au/products/epson-ecotank-photo-multifunctional-printer-et8500?ref=Se8qhf

Why the ET‑8500 is the better choice:

The biggest reason is simple: it has a large, usable screen. The screen on the Epson printer I bought not only had a tiny screen, but it also put me through the delicate, difficult and time-consuming method of using the hard buttons to navigate, delete and enter each and every character, for example, the long and complicated password set by my Internet service provider. Ideally, Epson would make the printer connectable to keyboard, wirelessly, so that entering characters can be a quick and easy.

The ET‑3950’s tiny display was half the battle. Entering a long, complex Wi‑Fi password using a microscopic on‑screen keyboard is a nightmare. One wrong tap and you start over. I made mistakes twice — and that was just the password.

Even after finally entering the correct password, the printer claimed “excellent connection”… yet it still wasn’t actually connected to Wi‑Fi.

The setup ordeal:

What followed was hours of research, digging through menus, and reading contradictory instructions — all while trying to meet a deadline.

The real culprit turned out to be the driver, and Epson’s driver download page is a mess. To make things worse, many online instructions no longer match Apple’s current macOS interface, so nothing looks the way the guides say it should.

In the end, I did get it working — but it took two full days, and having to use the library's printing service (hugely expensive for colour) to meet at least part of a negotiated deadline. This is exactly the kind of expense I was trying to avoid in buying a new printer.

My advice:

If you absolutely must buy an Epson EcoTank, choose one with a large interface screen. It will save you hours of frustration.

And be prepared: you’ll need at least a basic understanding of networking. I’m lucky I remembered my IT networking knowledge from 25 years ago — and even then, I struggled.

The one bright part of the set up process is the ease of filling the tanks with ink -- the alternative I've suggested, the Epson EcoTank ET‑8500 appears to have the same mechanism. Please remember: do NOT squeeze the bottle. Following the instructions, which includes merely tipping each ink bottle upside down to slot it into the grooves at the entrance of each ink tank enables a clean, spill free task.

The only other warning I offer is please be careful not to pour the incorrect coloured ink into an ink tank. (This probably goes for both the models I’ve mentioned above.) This is a necessary warning because the sequence (from left to right) of the different ink tank colours is illustrated differently on the outside of the printer from the correct order which you see when you open the ink-reloading unit.

Good luck, everyone. You’ll need it.