HP Smart Tank 585 vs Epson EcoTank L3250 (and When a Laser Is Better)
If you want affordable colour printing at home in Pakistan, your shortlist is almost certainly the HP Smart Tank 585 and the Epson EcoTank L3250. They are direct rivals — refillable ink tanks, flatbed scanner, Wi-Fi, around the same price — and both are good printers. The differences are small; the usage question at the end matters more than the brand.
Side by side (manufacturer-rated figures, approximate)
| [HP Smart Tank 585](/printers/hp-smart-tank-585-all-in-one-official-warranty) | Epson EcoTank L3250 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ink tank all-in-one (print/scan/copy) | Ink tank all-in-one (print/scan/copy) |
| Rated speed (ISO) | ~12 ppm black / ~5 ppm colour | ~10 ipm black / ~5 ipm colour |
| Ink | GT53 black / GT52 colour bottles | 003 bottles (black + 3 colours) |
| In-box ink yield (rated) | Up to ~6,000 black / colour pages | Up to ~4,500 black / ~7,500 colour pages |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth setup, USB | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB |
| Phone printing | HP Smart app, AirPrint | Epson Smart Panel, AirPrint |
| Scanner | Flatbed | Flatbed |
| Paper tray | 100 sheets | 100 sheets |
| Warranty in Pakistan | Official HP warranty (our unit) | Depends on seller / distributor |
| Approx. price | PKR 44,500 | Typically similar — varies by seller |
What's actually different
- Cost per page: both are very low — a black page costs a fraction of a rupee in ink on either. Bottle prices move with the dollar; genuine HP and Epson bottles are both easy to find in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
- Setup and app: HP Smart is the friendlier app for first-time users, and Bluetooth-assisted setup makes the first Wi-Fi connection easier. Epson Smart Panel is fine once connected.
- Print heads: both use fixed (non-replaceable) heads. Both clog if left idle for weeks; the cure is the same — print a colour page every 1–2 weeks and keep it out of dust and heat.
- Warranty: this is the practical tiebreaker. Our Smart Tank 585 is brand-new with official HP warranty in Pakistan; with a grey-import L3250, warranty depends entirely on the seller.
The question that matters more than HP vs Epson
Do you actually need colour? Ink tanks are brilliant for homes with school projects, photos and charts. But if 90% of what you print is black text — assignments, forms, bills — an ink tank that sits idle for three weeks will clog, and you'll be running head cleans instead of printing. A mono laser like the HP Laser MFP 136w (with scanner and Wi-Fi, similar price) or the HP LaserJet 108w never dries out and costs nothing to leave unused. Our laser vs ink tank guide goes through the trade-offs.
Buy an ink tank if you'll print in colour at least every couple of weeks. Buy a mono laser if the printer will mostly sit and then print black text in bursts.
Our recommendation
Between the two ink tanks, performance is close enough that warranty and app should decide — which is why we stock the HP Smart Tank 585 with official warranty rather than a grey-import EcoTank. If you need colour for a home or small shop, it's a confident buy with Cash on Delivery in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. If you don't need colour, spend the same money on a laser and thank yourself later. More options in best printers for home use.
Printers mentioned in this guide
View all →Live prices and stock — every unit tested, warrantied, Cash on Delivery in Rawalpindi & Islamabad.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, HP Smart Tank 585 or Epson EcoTank L3250?
They're very close: both are ink tank all-in-ones with Wi-Fi, a flatbed scanner and ultra-low ink cost per page. The HP has a friendlier app and Bluetooth-assisted setup and, from us, official HP warranty in Pakistan; the Epson's rated colour yield is slightly higher. Buy on warranty and price.
What is the ink cost per page on the HP Smart Tank 585?
Very low — HP rates the in-box ink at up to around 6,000 pages, and replacement GT53/GT52 bottles bring a black page to a fraction of a rupee. Bottle prices in Pakistan vary with the dollar rate.
Do ink tank printers dry out if not used?
Yes, both HP Smart Tank and Epson EcoTank heads can clog after weeks of inactivity. Print a colour page every one to two weeks. If you print rarely, a mono laser is the safer choice.
Is the HP Smart Tank 585 good for a small shop?
For a shop that prints colour regularly — photos, forms, posters — yes. For an office printing black documents all day, a mono laser is faster and cheaper to run.
Tested, warrantied, Cash on Delivery in Rawalpindi & Islamabad.