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HP Smart Tank 7301 [6001, 7001] Printer Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Review updated May 29, 2024 at 09:51 am
HP Smart Tank 7301 [6001, 7001] Picture
8.1
Family
8.3
Small/Home Office
8.7
Student
8.1
Black & White
7.5
Photo
5.8
Color Quality
8.0
Document Quality
6.6
Scanner
7.0
Speed

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is a supertank all-in-one inkjet printer. It features a refillable ink tank, giving it a much higher page yield and lower operating costs than conventional inkjet printers that use replaceable cartridges. It has a flatbed scanner with an automatic document feeder to process multiple single-sided sheets, though it doesn't support duplex scanning. Its connectivity options include Ethernet, USB, and Wi-Fi, and it supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service.

There are multiple variants of this printer with slightly different features; see further details in the Differences Between Variants section.

Our Verdict

8.1 Family

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is great for family use. Its supertank design keeps the cost of ownership low, even if everyone at home prints frequently. Printed documents and photos appear sharp and clear, even if color accuracy and color gamut are far from class-leading. Unfortunately, its scanner produces jagged, crooked copies, and its lid isn't adjustable to better accommodate thicker books and magazines.

Pros
  • Enormous page yield in monochrome and in color.
  • Low operating costs.
  • Excellent color document printing quality.
  • Good build quality.
  • Broad suite of connectivity options.
Cons
  • Narrow color gamut.
  • Mediocre color accuracy.
  • Middling scan quality.
  • Long warm-up time.
8.3 Small/Home Office

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is a great choice for small offices. Its enormous page yield ensures you can go for months without refilling its tank, even if you regularly print long multi-page documents, keeping operating costs low. The quality of printed documents is also very sharp, with well-rendered details and sharp text. Unfortunately, not only does its scanner not support automatic double-sided scanning, but the actual scan quality is mediocre.

Pros
  • Enormous page yield in monochrome and in color.
  • Low operating costs.
  • Great black-and-white document printing quality.
  • Good build quality.
  • Broad suite of connectivity options.
Cons
  • Middling scan quality.
  • Long warm-up time.
8.7 Student

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is an excellent choice for students. It offers a broad suite of connectivity options, allowing you to easily print from your laptop or phone. While start-up costs are high, its supertank design gives it an enormous page yield. Combined with the low cost of ink refills, the actual cost of ownership is very low. In terms of performance, it does take a little while to warm up, so it isn't the best choice if you need to print many sheets in a hurry. The scan quality is also mediocre.

Pros
  • Enormous page yield in monochrome and in color.
  • Low operating costs.
  • Excellent color document printing quality.
  • Good build quality.
  • Broad suite of connectivity options.
Cons
  • Middling scan quality.
  • Long warm-up time.
8.1 Black & White

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is great for black-and-white printing. Printed documents are crisp and highly legible, and the printer's supertank design gives it an enormous page yield, so you'll seldom need to worry about buying ink refills even if you print long documents multiple times per week. While the printer does have a flatbed scanner with an ADF, the actual scan quality is mediocre, with jagged-looking text and poorly rendered details.

Pros
  • Enormous page yield in monochrome and in color.
  • Low operating costs.
  • Great black-and-white document printing quality.
  • Good build quality.
Cons
  • Long warm-up time.
7.5 Photo

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is good for printing photos, with a few important caveats. Photos are crisp and detailed, but it has a pretty narrow color gamut, so hues that appear quite different in the original document tend to blur together in the actual print. Color accuracy is also middling, though not to an unnatural, unpleasant-looking degree. When printing on 4x6 photo paper sheets, the printer makes a noticeable clacking and grinding noise.

Pros
  • Enormous page yield in monochrome and in color.
  • Good build quality.
  • Fine details in images are well-resolved.
Cons
  • Narrow color gamut.
  • Mediocre color accuracy.
  • Struggles with printing on 4x6 photo paper sheets.
5.8 Color Quality

Pros
  • Good build quality.
Cons
8.0 Document Quality

Pros
  • Good build quality.
Cons
6.6 Scanner

Pros
  • Good build quality.
Cons
7.0 Speed

Pros
  • Good build quality.
Cons
10 Recurring Costs

Pros
  • Good build quality.
Cons
  • 8.1 Family
  • 8.3 Small/Home Office
  • 8.7 Student
  • 8.1 Black & White
  • 7.5 Photo

Performance Usages

  • 5.8 Color Quality
  • 8.0 Document Quality
  • 6.6 Scanner
  • 7.0 Speed
  • 10 Recurring Costs
  1. Updated May 29, 2024: We've updated the review for clarity.
  2. Updated Apr 18, 2024: Added mention of the HP Smart Tank 7602 as an alternative with a better display in the Display Screen section.
  3. Updated Apr 15, 2024: We've corrected mistakes in the Dimensions section; the 'Height In Use' is 9.8" (24.8 cm) instead of 13.3" (33.9 cm).
  4. Updated Apr 11, 2024: We've retested the printer and corrected two mistakes in the Scanner Features and Cost-Per-Printsections. This printer doesn't have fax functionality and isn't eligible for HP's ink subscription service.
  5. Updated Oct 18, 2023: Added mention of the Epson EcoTank ET-2840 Special Edition as an alternative with better scan quality in the Scan Quality section.
  6. Updated Sep 27, 2023: Added mention of the Canon PIXMA G4270 as an alternative with a wider color gamut in the Color Gamut section.
  7. Updated Jun 14, 2023: Review published.
  8. Updated Jun 08, 2023: Early access published.
  9. Updated Jun 02, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
  10. Updated May 31, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  11. Updated May 17, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

There are a few variants of this printer, which differ slightly in terms of design, page capacity, print speed, and scanning features. We tested the 7301 model; you can see its label here.

Model Number Connectivity ADF Max Print Speed (Black/Color)
HP Smart Tank 6001 Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth (setup only) No 12 ppm / 7 ppm
HP Smart Tank 7001 Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth (setup only) No 15 ppm / 9 ppm
HP Smart Tank 7301 Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth (setup only), Ethernet Yes 15 ppm / 9 ppm

Compared To Other Printers

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is an inkjet printer with a supertank. It has an enormous page yield, even when compared to its peers, and offers good overall printing quality, but the mediocre scan quality and limited color gamut in printing photos limit its utility as a true all-in-one device.

For more options, see our recommendations for the best printers, the best inkjet printers, and the best printers with cheap ink.

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

While the HP Smart Tank 7301 [6001, 7001] and Epson EcoTank ET-2850 are supertank printers with refillable tanks, the HP is more versatile and better suited for most users. The HP is more feature-rich with an ADF and Ethernet connectivity; it performs better overall with much faster print speeds, almost twice the color print yield, and produces nicer color and black documents. By contrast, the scan quality is better on the Epson, but you have to scan one page at a time since it only has a flatbed.

Epson EcoTank ET-2800/ET-2803

The HP Smart Tank 7301 [6001, 7001] is better for most uses than the Epson EcoTank ET-2800/2803. While both printers are all-in-one supertank models, the HP is more feature-rich, with an ADF-equipped scanner and ethernet connectivity. It also prints faster at 12 black and six color pages per minute, and color documents are more saturated and detailed than the Epson. However, if you print a lot of photos, then the Epson is the better choice for you. Colors look vibrant thanks to the use of dye-based inks, and although there is some graining in the print quality, it is fine for casual or at-home photo printing.

Epson EcoTank ET-3850

The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 and HP Smart Tank 7301 each have their strengths. The HP feels better built, is easier to maintain, has a greater color ink yield, and takes less time to warm up. However, the Epson has a wider color gamut and a greater black ink yield. Its scanner also has a height-adjustable hinge to accommodate thicker documents and outputs sharper copies.

HP Smart Tank 7602

The HP Smart Tank 7602 and HP Smart Tank 7301 are similar products. While the housing and specs are almost identical, there are some differences in performance and features. The 7602 features fax capabilities, a much better display, and improved scan quality. By contrast, the 7301 is better at printing photos and documents with a lot of black ink, as the 7602 saturates pages with black ink, causing them to curl.

HP Smart Tank 5101

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is much better than the HP Smart Tank 5101. The 7301 has more features, like an automatic document feeder, fax functionality, and Ethernet. It also produces higher-quality documents, prints faster, and supports automatic duplex printing. While both printers are supertank models and use the same ink, the 7301 yields significantly more prints. Additionally, its printheads don't seem to clog as easily as the 5101's.

Epson EcoTank ET-4850

The Epson EcoTank ET-4850 is more versatile than the HP Smart Tank 7301. The Epson is a little more user-friendly in terms of maintenance and has a touch-sensitive screen that displays a wider array of information at a glance. It also produces much sharper scans than the HP, has a wider color gamut, and prints slightly sharper monochrome documents. However, the HP takes much less time to warm up, offers superior color accuracy, and feels better built.

Brother MFC-J4335DW

The Brother MFC-J4335DW and HP Smart Tank 7301 are all-in-one inkjet printers with their respective strengths. While the Brother uses a traditional ink cartridge system, the HP is a supertank model with refillable ink reservoirs. As such, it offers vastly higher page yields than the Brother and a lower cost-per-print; this makes the HP the better choice for those with very high print loads. By contrast, if you have workloads that need to process a lot of scans, then you should consider the Brother. Its ADF-equipped scanner can scan up to 20 pages per minute and produces exceptional-quality scans. It also produces sharper-looking black and color documents.

Epson EcoTank ET-2840 Special Edition

The Epson EcoTank ET-2840 Special Edition and the HP Smart Tank 7301 are both great all-in-one supertank inkjet printers. The Epson's scanner performs better, as it can capture much finer details, and it also produces better-looking photos due to its wider color range and superior color accuracy. However, the HP has a much higher page yield and an automatic document feeder. The HP produces higher-quality color documents, but the Epson is slightly better for black-and-white documents. Although the HP doesn't print as quickly as the Epson, it supports automatic duplex printing and has a larger 250-sheet input tray, whereas the Epson only supports manual duplex printing and has a smaller 100-sheet tray.

Canon PIXMA G4270

The Canon PIXMA G4270 and the HP Smart Tank 7301 are very similar all-in-one supertank printers. The Canon produces higher-quality documents and pictures and has an automatic document feeder to scan long documents. On the other hand, the HP has an Ethernet port, prints faster, and yields significantly more color prints.

Epson EcoTank ET-4800/ET-4810

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is better than the Epson EcoTank ET-4800/ET-4810. The HP feels better built, is easier to maintain, has a greater overall page yield, and scans and prints documents faster. Meanwhile, the Epson does better to resolve fine details in photos and has a wider color gamut, though color accuracy is pretty poor.

HP Smart Tank Plus 551

The HP Smart Tank 7301 substantially improves over the older HP Smart Tank Plus 551. The 7301 feels much better built, has a greater page yield, is equipped with an ADF for its scanner, has a wider array of connectivity options, and outputs documents much faster.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
8.0
Design
Build Quality
Type All in One

This printer feels impressively well-built. It's made mostly from high-grade plastic and resembles newer HP printers like the HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw. The extension for the paper output tray is spring-loaded, so it automatically unfolds. It isn't all smooth sailing, however: the printer makes disconcerting clacking and clicking noises when pulling in photo paper, as seen here. Its scanner lid also doesn't have adjustable hinges to accommodate thicker documents or books.

Design
Dimensions
Height 9.8" (25.0 cm)
Width 16.8" (42.7 cm)
Depth 14.2" (36.0 cm)
Height When In Use
9.8" (24.8 cm)
Width When In Use
17.9" (45.5 cm)
Depth When In Use
17.5" (44.5 cm)
Weight
18.8 lbs (8.5 kg)
7.5
Design
Expected Maintenance
Ink Related Maintenance
Expected
Drum Unit
No Drum Unit

The HP Smart Tank 7301 doesn't require much maintenance. You don't need to refill the ink tanks often, thanks to its high page yield; however, like any inkjet printer, the printheads can clog if you don't print for a long time. You can run printhead cleaning and printhead alignment routines through the HP Smart app. The printheads are technically user-replaceable, as you'll need to install them after buying the printer; the printheads are inside the sealed packages seen in this image.

As for paper jams, you can access the sheet rollers through a small opening at the back of the printer seen here or by lifting the scanner. Access to the sheet rollers for the automatic document feeder is decent, as seen here. The input tray holds 250 sheets of paper, so you likely won't need to refill it regularly unless you print a lot.

3.0
Design
Display Screen
Display Screen Yes
Display Screen Size
2.8" (7.0 cm)
Touchscreen No

This printer doesn't have much of a display. It has a simple LCD showing basic information regarding its current status and ink levels. Viewing angles are sub-par, as it's hard to see what's being displayed unless you're looking at the interface from right above. If you want a printer with a much better display, consider the HP Smart Tank 7602.

10
Design
Cartridge
Technology Inkjet
SuperTank
Yes
Photo Cartridge
No
Color Yes
Number Of Color Cartridges
3
Black Cartridge Model
HP 32XL Black
Tested Black Page Yield
282 prints
Estimated Black Page Yield
5,358 prints
Color Cartridge Model
HP 31 C/M/Y
Tested Color Page Yield
423 prints
Estimated Color Page Yield
9,000 prints
Third Party Cartridge
No Cartridges
Ink Type
Dye And Pigment
High Yield Cartridge
No Cartridge

The HP Smart Tank 7301 has a remarkably high page yield. As a supertank printer, it has a high-capacity ink reservoir that you can refill with replacement ink bottles. Black ink is available in HP32 or HP32XL format, which respectively provides an advertised page yield of 4,000 and 6,000 pages, while cyan, yellow, and magenta ink comes in HP31-format bottles, which the manufacturer advertises to provide sufficient ink for 8,000 prints. The actual estimated page yield is fairly close to these advertised figures, though it's important to note that the printer needs at least some level of black ink to execute any print job.

7.2
Design
Scanner Features
Scanner
ADF + Flatbed
ADF Capacity
35 pages
Scan Speed
4 PPM
Duplex Scanning
No
Max Flatbed Scan Size
8.5" x 11"
Max ADF Scan Size
8.5" x 14"
Flatbed Hinge Adjustability
0.00" (0 mm)
Fax
No
Copy
Yes
OCR Included
Software

This printer can scan and save documents as text-searchable PDFs through the HP Smart app. It works fairly well and has little trouble with identifying plain text. However, it has trouble recognizing special characters and accents.

The HP Smart Tank 7001 and HP Smart Tank 6001 variants lack an automatic document feeder.

6.0
Design
Scan Quality
Max Scan Resolution
1,200 DPI
Max Scan Color Depth
24Bit

The scan quality is mediocre. Scanned text has a slightly jagged, uneven appearance. Fine details appear very faint and are quite hard to see. If you want a similar all-in-one with better scan quality, check out the Epson EcoTank ET-2840 Special Edition.

Design
In The Box

  • 1x Black printhead
  • 1x Color printhead
  • Power cable
  • User documentation
  • HP Smart Tank ink bottles
    • 1x HP31 Cyan
    • 1x HP31 Magenta
    • 1x HP31 Yellow
    • 1x HP32XL Black

Design
Battery
Advertised Battery Life
N/A
Tested Charging Time
N/A
Document
8.0
Document
Black & White Documents
Color Ink Needed For Black & White
Yes

The quality of black-and-white documents is impressive. Text is sharp and legible, fine details are reproduced accurately, and the gradient between lighter and darker shades of gray is noticeable. Print lines are noticeable when printing in standard quality. They aren't nearly as noticeable when printing in the high-quality setting, which forces the printer to overlap print segments.

8.5
Document
Color Documents

The quality of printed color documents is excellent. Text appears clear, and fine details and lines are easy to see. Print lines aren't as noticeable as they are on black-and-white documents.

10
Document
Cost-Per-Print
Black Cartridge Price
17.99 US$
Color Cartridge Price
47.97 US$
Black-Only Printing Cost
0.003 US$/print
Color Printing Cost
0.005 US$/print
Photo Printing Cost
0.014 US$/print
Ink Subscription
No

The cost-per-print is remarkably low because a full tank yields a large number of prints, and replacement ink is cheap. The printer itself is on the pricier end of the spectrum, though it's frequently on sale on HP's website.

7.0
Document
Printing Speed
Black Only Text Document
12 PPM
Color Document
6 PPM
Photo Printing Time
49.0 s
Single Page Out Time (Black Only)
17.0 s
Duplex Printing
Automatic
Input Tray Capacity
250 pages

The overall printing speed is okay. It prints black-and-white documents quickly and gets close to the advertised 15 pages per minute. It's slower with color documents, although most inkjet printers are. It's just slow compared to laser printers.

Document
Document Printing Sizes
Letter (8.5" x 11") Yes
Legal (8.5" x 14") Yes
Tabloid (11" x 17") No
A6 (105mm x 148mm) Yes
A5 (148mm x 210mm) Yes
A4 (210mm x 297mm) Yes
Max Paper Weight
250 g/m²

You can extend the input tray to accommodate 8.5" x 14" (216 mm x 356 mm) sheets. An adjustable guide is inside the tray for printing photo paper and other narrow page formats.

Photo
5.5
Photo
Color Gamut

This printer's color gamut is somewhat narrow. Different shades of colors, especially high-saturation hues, blend together, most noticeably with reds and greens, resulting in an overall loss of detail. It also has trouble reproducing darker hues, which look much lighter than they should, and transitions between colors are very grainy. If you want a similar printer with a wider color gamut, check out the Canon PIXMA G4270.

6.0
Photo
Color Accuracy
Average Color dE
8.18

The printer's color accuracy is mediocre. Most shades look different than their source. On the upside, despite the fairly high level of deviation with skin tones, they look fairly natural in the real world, just not to the extent that they'd pass muster for professional use.

8.5
Photo
Small Details
Max Print Resolution (DPI)
4800 x 1200

This printer is excellent at reproducing small details. Fine elements look clear; it mainly loses detail in distant objects due to halftones (dot effect).

9.5
Photo
Photo Printing Sizes
Glossy Paper (4" x 6") Yes
Glossy Paper (5" x 7") Yes
Glossy Paper (8" x 10") Yes
Glossy Paper (8.5" x 11") Yes
Glossy Paper (13" x 19") No
Borderless Printing
Yes

The HP Smart Tank 7301 supports various glossy paper sizes up to 8.5x11. However, some issues arise when printing on 4x6 sheets, with parts of borderless prints being cut off. Printing on 4x6 glossy photo paper also causes the printer to produce an audible clacking and grinding noise. Unfortunately, it's unclear whether this is an isolated incident or one that could repeat in the future. Let us know in the discussions if you have an HP Smart Tank 7301 and encounter the same phenomenon.

Mobile App And Connectivity
8.0
Mobile App And Connectivity
Connectivity
Ethernet
Yes
USB Input To Computer
Yes
Wireless
Yes
Bluetooth
No
Wi-Fi via Router
Yes
Wi-Fi Direct
Yes
External Storage Support
No
Apple AirPrint
Yes
Mopria Print Service
Yes

This printer has Bluetooth, but it's only for device setup. You can't print documents from devices connected over Bluetooth.

The 6001 and 7001 model variants don't have an Ethernet port.

10
Mobile App And Connectivity
Mobile App
Mobile App Yes
App Name HP Smart
iOS Yes
Android Yes
Photo (JPEG, PNG)
Android and iOS
PDF
Android and iOS
Microsoft Office Files
iOS Only
Text Files (TXT)
iOS Only
Webpages (HTML)
iOS Only

You can print, scan, and copy using the HP Smart app from your mobile device. You can also check estimated ink levels or put in a purchase order for more ink and paper.

Mobile App And Connectivity
OS Compatibility
Windows Fully
macOS Fully
Chrome OS Fully

Regardless of your device's OS, you'll need to install the HP Smart app to access all of the printer's features, as the printer's physical interface offers only limited overall functionality. A generic Windows printer driver is sufficient to use the printer, though you can use the HP Smart app to guide you through downloading and installing the specific driver for your device.