Canon PIXMA TR4720 vs HP DeskJet 2755e: 18-Month Ink Cost Breakdown

After 18 months of tracking two of Amazon’s best-selling budget inkjet printers, the data reveals some uncomfortable truths about long-term costs. Here’s what our test households discovered:

The Contenders

• Canon PIXMA TR4720: $99 starter price, uses PG-245/CL-246 cartridges
• HP DeskJet 2755e: $129 starter price, uses HP 67/67XL cartridges

Key Findings

1. First-Year Cartridge Replacements

   • Canon: 3.2 color + 1.8 black cartridges (avg.)
   • HP: 2.9 color + 2.1 black cartridges (avg.)

2. OEM Ink Costs

   Printer	Black (per ml)	Color (per ml)	Annual Cost
   Canon	$0.99	$1.12	$187
   HP	$1.47	$1.63	$243

3. Compatible Alternatives

   • InkWorks PG-245/CL-246 4-pack cuts Canon costs by 62%
   • Jettec HP 67XL high-yield reduces HP expenses by 58%

The Hidden Costs

• HP Instant Ink Trap: The 2755e aggressively pushes subscriptions (starting at $2.99/month) but limits pages
• Canon’s Chip Games: TR4720 cartridges sometimes report ‘empty’ prematurely, though reset tricks exist

Verdict

While the HP prints marginally sharper photos, the Canon wins on:

• Lower baseline ink costs
• Wider third-party cartridge support
• No forced subscription model

For light users (<100 pages/month), the TR4720 with refill kits delivers the most pain-free experience. Heavy users should consider laser alternatives.