What Ink Does the HP Smart Tank 6001 Use?

by William Elward Last Updated: October 9, 2026

Quick answer: The HP Smart Tank 6001 uses HP 32XL black ink (135 ml bottle, 1VV24AN) and HP 31 cyan, magenta and yellow ink (70 ml bottles, 1VU26AN, 1VU27AN, 1VU28AN). There are no cartridges: you pour the bottles into four tanks on the front. HP rates a 32XL bottle at about 6,200 pages and each HP 31 color bottle at about 9,100 pages in this printer.

Castle Ink does not sell HP 31/32XL bottles, so the links below go to Amazon.

CastleScore · October 2026

83/100 — Highly Recommended

HP Smart Tank 6001

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	80	4.11★ average across 2,223 ratings at Best Buy (4.0), HP (4.2) and P.C. Richard (4.6)
Expert reviews (18%)	—	No published numeric expert score we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	99	About 0.35¢ per page blended (black + color) with Original HP 32XL and HP 31 bottles at retail (6,200 black / 9,100 color pages; we don't sell HP 31/32).
Reliability (13%)	80	Most-reported problems: Wi-Fi setup and drop-outs; confusing setup; slow wake from sleep
Features (12%)	58	Print, copy, scan, auto two-sided printing, dual-band Wi-Fi. No document feeder, no fax, no Ethernet, no touchscreen.
Value (5%)	85	Running cost and owner satisfaction against a street price of about $200

Limited data: No expert site has published a numeric score for the Smart Tank 6001, so the expert weight is spread across the other five pillars.

Still sold new. Best Buy listed it at $199.99 on October 9, 2026.

CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 9, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

What Ink Does the HP Smart Tank 6001 Take?

Bottle	HP part no.	Size / ink	Approx. yield in the 6001	Where to buy
HP 32XL Black	1VV24AN	135 ml pigment	~6,200 pages	Amazon
HP 31 Cyan	1VU26AN	70 ml dye	~9,100 pages	Amazon
HP 31 Magenta	1VU27AN	70 ml	~9,100 pages	Amazon
HP 31 Yellow	1VU28AN	70 ml	~9,100 pages	Amazon

HP publishes different yields for the same bottle depending on the printer family. The figures above are HP's current numbers for the Smart Tank 6000/7000/7300/7600 series; older HP spec sheets list about 6,000 black and 8,000 color. Amazon links are tagged (as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases).

What Does It Cost to Run?

Very little. At October 2026 retail ($23.92 for 32XL at Walmart; about $27.69 per HP 31 bottle at 4inkjets) black works out to roughly 0.4¢ a page and each color bottle to about 0.3¢. That is a fraction of what a cartridge printer costs to feed, and it is why tank printers win on running cost. Our ink tank vs cartridge comparison shows the break-even point.

Do the Bottles Have Chips?

No. It is a refill system, so there is no cartridge chip for firmware to block. HP's supplies warranty excludes damage caused by non-HP or refilled ink, and the printheads are customer-replaceable parts covered for a set time or page count.

How Do I Refill the HP Smart Tank 6001?

Check the level window on the front tanks and wait until a color nears the minimum line.
Open the ink tank lid on the front, then open the cap on the tank you are filling.
Remove the cap from the matching bottle, keeping the bottle upright.
Stand the bottle on the tank nozzle and let it drain without squeezing until the tank reaches the max line or the bottle is empty.
Close the tank cap firmly, shut the ink tank lid, and recap any leftover ink. Store it upright.

Which Other Printers Use HP 31 and 32XL?

The same bottles fit the HP Smart Tank 6002, 6003, 7001, 7301, 7602, 5101, Smart Tank Plus 551 and 651, and Smart Tank 755 and 757.

What Smart Tank 6001 owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, manufacturer support communities and owner reviews, answered in our words.

Does it have a document feeder or fax?

No. The 6001 scans and copies from the flatbed only and has no fax. The Smart Tank 7301 is the version with a 35-sheet document feeder and Ethernet; it uses the same ink.

It won't connect to Wi-Fi. How do I reset it?

An HP support agent on the HP Community recommends holding the Wi-Fi and Cancel buttons together for about 5 seconds until the power light blinks, then setting it up again in the HP Smart app. It works on both 2.4 and 5 GHz networks.

Can I replace the printheads myself?

Yes. Two printheads (black and tri-color) are installed at setup, and HP publishes a video on replacing them for the Smart Tank 6000/7000/7300/7600 series.

Why is it slow to start printing from my phone?

Slow wake from sleep is a common owner complaint in HP Store reviews. Lengthening the sleep timer in the HP Smart app shortens the wait at the cost of a little standby power.

How much ink comes in the box?

Best Buy's listing advertises up to two years of ink in the box. Check the box for the exact bottle count, since listings vary.

Smart Tank 6001 quirks worth knowing

It is the stripped-down sibling of the Smart Tank 7301: no document feeder or Ethernet, a 150-sheet tray instead of 250, and 12/7 ppm instead of 15/9 ppm.
The two-line display is not a touchscreen, so most settings live in the HP Smart app.
HP 32XL black is the only black bottle; HP 31 is color only.
In the U.S. it is sold mainly through Best Buy.

Frequently Asked Questions