TLDR Review: HP Smart Tank Plus 551 Printer
Verdict
If you're looking for a versatile, cost-effective all-in-one printer primarily for document printing with long-lasting ink, the HP Smart-Tank Plus 551 is a solid choice, especially if you appreciate ease of use for scanning and mobile printing. However, if you're planning on heavy photo or art printing, or need consistently flawless wireless connectivity without hassle, this might not be your best bet. Consider other options if you want less maintenance and better photo print quality. Overall, it’s a great budget-friendly workhorse designed for home and small business use, but be prepared for some quirks in setup and upkeep.
- Top pro:
- Reliable and handles daily use well, making it great for homeschooling and home office needs
- Top con:
- Setup can be confusing, particularly for Android users, as instructions are more iOS-centric
Pros
- •Reliable and handles daily use well, making it great for homeschooling and home office needs
- •HP Smart App simplifies printing and scanning from multiple devices with seamless integration, especially with Apple products
- •Scanner delivers high-resolution scans, with smooth direct scanning to devices and excellent integration with Google Drive and Google Photos
- •Very quiet operation during printing
- •Consistent and good print quality for both color and black-and-white documents, suitable for professional use
- •Large, mess-free ink tanks that last up to two years with normal usage, offering significant cost savings
- •Fast printing speeds, even with multiple-page documents
- •Easy and fast setup aided by Bluetooth connectivity, allowing flexible placement and quick device pairing
- •Sleek, solid build design, with good durability and expected longevity
- •Trusted brand with transparent data policies
Cons
- •Setup can be confusing, particularly for Android users, as instructions are more iOS-centric
- •Wireless printing software can be buggy and unreliable, causing occasional frustration
- •Printer frequently struggles to connect to Wi-Fi, creating connectivity headaches
- •Paper jams occur occasionally, with some users experiencing recurrent jams over time
- •Borderless printing is supported only on photo paper, not regular paper, which limits photo printing options
- •Print quality and color accuracy degrade notably after several pages during photo or art printing
- •Requires frequent printhead checks, alignments, and maintenance; printhead cleaning is less effective compared to competitors
- •Printhead failure reported by some users after about 200 pages, necessitating replacement and adding to upkeep costs
- •Some users report overall poor build and reliability issues, leading to a disappointing experience compared to other brands
- •Print output varies noticeably between photo and regular paper types, sometimes affecting consistency
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How we researched this
About this review: it summarizes the professional reviews and customer ratings ShopSavvy collected for this product, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data.
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