# Best Printers: the stierproducts tier list - Source: https://stierproducts.com/categories/printers - Last researched: 2026-08-19T17:24:05.017Z - Products ranked: 16 - Method: https://stierproducts.com/methodology - Reuse: Text, rankings, tier assignments, LP values and verdicts are free to quote and reuse with attribution to stierproducts and a link to the source URL (CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence. Home/office document printers (inkjet/laser, incl. all-in-ones); label printers belong to Label Makers. ## Summary On the stierproducts printers board, Epson EcoTank ET-2980 ranks #1 in S tier, ahead of Brother HL-L2460DW (#2, A tier) and Brother MFC-L2900DW XL (#3, A tier). The board ranks 16 printers from S (best) to F (avoid), last researched 19 Aug 2026, drawing on 322 outlet citations across the board. Placed in the bottom tiers as ones to avoid: Epson EcoTank ET-3950, Brother MFC-L2820DW, Epson Expression Home XP-4200, and 4 others. ## Ranking | Rank | Product | Brand | Tier | LP | Outlets | Verdict | Page | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Epson EcoTank ET-2980 | Epson | S | 1001 | 30 | The most reliable super-tank with proven longevity and low cost per page. | https://stierproducts.com/products/epson-ecotank-et-2980 | | 2 | Brother HL-L2460DW | Brother | A | 801 | 28 | Compact laser that consistently scores high on build quality and low maintenance. | https://stierproducts.com/products/brother-hl-l2460dw | | 3 | Brother MFC-L2900DW XL | Brother | A | 648 | 8 | XL version adds a larger paper capacity without compromising reliability. | https://stierproducts.com/products/brother-mfc-l2900dw-xl | | 4 | Brother MFC-L3780CDW | Brother | A | 647 | 12 | Color laser all-in-one balances speed, quality and durability. | https://stierproducts.com/products/brother-mfc-l3780cdw | | 5 | Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 | Epson | B | 623 | 19 | Professional-grade super-tank delivers lowest cost per page for high volume color printing. | https://stierproducts.com/products/epson-ecotank-pro-et-5850 | | 6 | Brother MFC-L8930CDW | Brother | B | 622 | 13 | Flagship color laser all-in-one offers best feature set for small offices while maintaining a low failure rate. | https://stierproducts.com/products/brother-mfc-l8930cdw | | 7 | HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e | HP | B | 501 | 29 | Consistently rated best overall by CNET for speed and print clarity. | https://stierproducts.com/products/hp-officejet-pro-9125e | | 8 | Brother MFC-J4355DW | Brother | C | 403 | 7 | Inkjet all-in-one balances cost per page with reliable operation. | https://stierproducts.com/products/brother-mfc-j4355dw | | 9 | Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II | Canon | C | 391 | 10 | Color laser all-in-one offers excellent print quality and solid warranty. | https://stierproducts.com/products/canon-color-imageclass-mf753cdw-ii | | 10 | Epson EcoTank ET-3950 | Epson | D | 308 | 23 | RTINGS’ “best inkjet printers” list praised the ET-3950 for its low cost of ownership and reliable firmware updates. The larger tank capacity means fewer refills, extending useful life. | https://stierproducts.com/products/epson-ecotank-et-3950 | | 11 | Brother MFC-L2820DW | Brother | F | 206 | 23 | The Brother MFC-L2820DW is a low-cost monochrome laser all-in-one that delivers only average speed and basic features, making it a poor value for office use. | https://stierproducts.com/products/brother-mfc-l2820dw | | 12 | Epson Expression Home XP-4200 | Epson | F | 186 | 17 | Best cheap inkjet for occasional printing with low cost of ownership. | https://stierproducts.com/products/epson-expression-home-xp-4200 | | 13 | Canon MegaTank PIXMA G3290 | Canon | F | 155 | 24 | Ink leakage, inconsistent quality, sparse firmware support. | https://stierproducts.com/products/canon-megatank-pixma-g3290 | | 14 | Canon PIXMA TR4720 | Canon | F | 83 | 28 | Unreliable ink system, frequent errors, poor long-term reliability. | https://stierproducts.com/products/canon-pixma-tr4720 | | 15 | HP Envy Inspire 7955e | HP | F | 0 | 12 | Driver problems and slow firmware updates increase downtime. | https://stierproducts.com/products/hp-envy-inspire-7955e | | 16 | HP DeskJet 2855e | HP | F | 0 | 39 | High maintenance cost and frequent printhead issues. | https://stierproducts.com/products/hp-deskjet-2855e | ## Flagged as ones to avoid These entered one or more research runs as a product buyers cross-shop but should not buy, rather than as a pick. - Brother MFC-L2900DW XL (#3, A tier): flagged by 1 of 7 runs. - Epson EcoTank ET-3950 (#10, D tier): flagged by 1 of 4 runs. - Brother MFC-L2820DW (#11, F tier): flagged by 3 of 6 runs. - Canon MegaTank PIXMA G3290 (#13, F tier): flagged by 2 of 7 runs. - Canon PIXMA TR4720 (#14, F tier): flagged by 2 of 6 runs. - HP Envy Inspire 7955e (#15, F tier): flagged by 3 of 7 runs. - HP DeskJet 2855e (#16, F tier): flagged by 3 of 6 runs. ## Tier meanings - S: Exceptional. Finishes top run after run; capped at 3 slots per category. - A: Excellent. Strongly recommended, beaten only by the very best. - B: Good. A solid choice with real caveats worth knowing. - C: Fair. Acceptable in the right situation, outclassed at its price. - D: Weak. Hard to recommend when better options cost similar money. - F: Avoid. The evidence points you elsewhere. ## How to read this - Each category is researched in four independent runs, one per lens (expert consensus, value, reliability, community pulse). Every run ranks a board of candidates that deliberately includes products buyers cross-shop but should avoid. Placements score on a ranked ladder (LP), and tiers are derived from LP, so no tier is ever assigned by hand. - LP is the product's points on this category's ladder. It is comparable within a category and not across categories. - Outlets is how many distinct outlets are cited for that placement. The per-product page lists each citation, and shows which of their links were fetched and confirmed before publishing. - Nothing is hidden: every product the research placed is on this board.