Running Both Printers Side by Side
I've had the Epson L4260 on my desk for about three years and picked up the HP Smart Tank 720 last year when the Epson's printhead started acting up after a long idle period. Comparing them isn't as simple as looking at the spec sheets. The real differences show up in maintenance costs, print quality consistency, and how each handles certain paper types and ink formulations. Let me walk through what actually happens when you run these through their paces. Both are tank-style printers designed for high volume at low cost per page. That's the main selling point. But the implementation differs enough that one might fit your workflow better depending on what you print and how often. The Epson uses individual ink bottles that clip onto the side. You fill them directly into the cartridge slots. The HP has those big external reservoirs you pour into. I find the HP system slightly less messy because the bottles have wider openings, but the Epson's clip mechanism feels more secure once engaged. Neither is particularly prone to spills if you pay attention.
Print quality is where things get interesting. The Epson generally produces sharper text at standard document settings. I run a lot of forms and contracts through mine and the character edges stay clean even at draft mode. The HP catches up when you switch to its photo paper setting, but then you're sacrificing speed. For pure text documents at 1200x1200 resolution, the Epson pulls ahead by a noticeable margin. Color photos come out more vibrant on the HP, though. Their pigment black versus dye-based color separation on the Epson means different use cases favor different machines. Here's something nobody mentions in the reviews: the HP Smart Tank 720 handles thicker media without feeding issues. I tried printing on 110lb cardstock for business cards and the HP took it through without a single jam. The Epson stalled twice on the same paper. It's not that the Epson can't handle cardstock. It just struggles more with anything over 80lb unless you adjust the paper guide perfectly and feed one sheet at a time. The HP's roller assembly seems designed for heavier stock from the factory. Wireless setup on both is straightforward but the Epson needs you to connect to its temporary WiFi network first, which some people find annoying. The HP connects directly to your existing network through the smart app. I've had friends troubleshoot the Epson connection issue and it usually resolves within five minutes once you know the trick. Download the Epson Smart Panel app from your phone's app store first, then start the printer setup while the app is running in the background. That sequence matters more than the manual suggests.
Maintenance costs tell the real story. The Epson L4260 replacement printheads run about eighty dollars each and typically last two to three years with regular use. The HP Smart Tank 720 uses fixed printheads that you can't replace separately. When they fail, which usually happens around year three or four, you're looking at a different kind of problem. I've read repair forums where people successfully cleaned clogged HP printheads with warm distilled water and syringes, but that's a temporary fix at best. The Epson's replaceable printhead design means longevity on the main body is higher even if you budget for occasional nozzle replacements. Both printers include what the manufacturers call automatic ink charging systems. These are just sensors that tell you when the ink is low and occasionally perform maintenance cycles. The Epson does this more aggressively, sometimes running a cleaning cycle without warning. If you print infrequently, you'll notice the ink levels dropping slightly between jobs due to these self-maintenance routines. The HP is quieter about it. You'll still get periodic cleaning prompts, but less frequently than the Epson. Here's the honest assessment. If you print mostly text documents and need reliability over three plus years, the Epson L4260 makes more sense financially despite the potential printhead replacement cost. The per-page cost stays lower because the ink bottles are cheaper than the HP's large cartridges in the long run. If you print photographs or glossy materials regularly and want something that handles various paper weights without fuss, the HP Smart Tank 720 delivers a smoother experience overall. The photo quality gap is real and noticeable once you compare side by side prints.
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Neither printer is perfect. The Epson's scanner bed is smaller than I'd like for legal documents. The HP's app occasionally loses connection to the printer on networks with multiple devices. Both have firmware update processes that take longer than they should. These aren't dealbreakers but they add up over time if you depend on these features daily.
