Canon MAXIFY MB2720 Cost to Run: Lowest Color Ink Cost Among Inkjets
The Canon MAXIFY MB2720 is an inkjet printer that prints, copies, scans and faxes, with a touchscreen, duplexing and Wi-Fi. It sells for $216, running $4.17 in black and $13.16 in color per 100 pages — the black figure keyed to Canon's CN-PGI1200XL-BK cartridge, $50 for 1,200 pages.
The Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 sits next above the MB2720 in cost to run, at $330 up front against $216. Rates run close: $4.17 against $4.40 in black and $13.16 against $13.54 in color per 100 pages. It keeps print, copy and scan but drops fax, and lacks Ethernet where the Canon has it; its 9.5 ppm speed trails the Canon's 24 ppm.
Within Canon's own line, the PIXMA TR8620a sells for the same price but runs to $7.75 in black and $21.50 in color per 100 pages, well above the MB2720's rates, while matching its fax, duplexing, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and touchscreen; its 15 ppm speed trails the MB2720's 24 ppm. The MB2720 ranks 6th of 31 inkjet printers on black cost per page.
Two steps down, the PIXMA TR4720 and TS3722 land on the same running cost — $8.88 in black and $23.21 in color per 100 pages — despite selling for $108 and $60, both well under the MB2720's price yet nowhere near its ink cost. The TS3722 also drops duplexing and fax, which the TR4720 keeps.
The PIXMA G3270 tank printer runs to $0.38 in black and $0.97 in color per 100 pages, far below the MB2720's rates, and costs $249 up front. It trades fax, duplexing, Ethernet and the touchscreen for print, copy and scan behind Wi-Fi; its 11 ppm speed trails the Canon's. The MB2720's color rate is nonetheless the lowest among the 31 inkjet printers InkTax tracks. Its black rate ranks 54th of 97 across every type InkTax tracks, just past the midpoint.