 | Low: $120-$300 |
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 | Medium: $300-$1,000 |
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 | High: $1,000-$3,000 |
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| Multifunction laser printers, also called all-in-one or 4-in-1 printers, print in monochrome and color, and also copy, scan and fax documents. Some have an integrated fax modem, which works like a regular fax machine. Many systems offer networking capabilities (so the device can be accessed by multiple computers) and flatbed scanning, as well as the ability to make double-sided (duplex) prints. For single function laser printers, see How Much Does a Laser Printer Cost. | | |
| Typical costs: | - An entry-level black and white multifunction laser printer costs $120 to $300 and will print, scan, fax and copy in monochrome. These printers are suitable for home or home office use, printing, scanning and faxing small jobs only. The Brother MFC-8220 costs about $260 and offers a maximum monthly duty cycle (the rated capacity to work continuously under normal conditions) of 20,000 pages, prints at speeds of up to 21 ppm (pages per minute) and faxes at a speed of about 2 seconds per page.
- A mid-level black-and-white multifunction laser printer costs $300 to $800, with a higher monthly maximum print cycle, faster output and network capability. The Lexmark X364dn costs $445, is network-ready and offers printing to 35 ppm, with duplex/double sided printing at 17 ppm. It's maximum monthly duty cycle is 80,000 pages, with color scanning as well as black-and-white copying and faxing.
- A premium black-and-white multifunction laser printer for small offices with multiple users and high volume workloads runs $800 to $2,000 for a heavy-duty device with sufficient capacity to accommodate small workgroups. The HP LaserJet M3035xs MFPcosts about $1,750. It prints and copies up to 35 ppm, scans in color and features twin 500-sheet input trays along with a 100-number fax speed dial.
- An entry-level color multifunction laser printer is suitable for moderate home use and costs $200 to $500. Expect a compact machine that will print, copy, scan and fax in color. The Samsung CLX-3175FN prints at 16 ppm in black and white, 4 ppm in color, scans to USB, copies, sends and receives color faxes, and costs about $290.
- A mid-level color multifunction laser printer offers faster output for a small business or home office. Expect to pay $500 to $1,000. The Canon Color imageCLASS MF8450C costs $875, prints in color and black and white, makes copies at 17 ppm, scans to e-mail or USB, and its fax feature can store up to 1,000 pages.
- A premium color multifunction laser printer costs $1,000 to $3,000 or more and is designed to support high volume workloads for multiple users in a small office. Expect a networked machine with high capacity paper trays and fast print and copy speeds. The HP Color LaserJet CM3530 MFP costs about $2,200. It copies and prints in color or black and white at 31 ppm and offers a maximum monthly duty cycle of 75,000 pages, a flatbed color scanner and automatic double-sided printing.
What should be included: | - Starter toner cartridges.
- Software including printer drivers and scanning program.
- Most multifunction laser printers also include a USB cable, telephone handset and phone cord.
Additional costs: | - Replacement toner cartridges cost $20 to $250 or more, depending on brand, yield and color. Users will get approximately 2,500 pages from a regular black cartridge, 2000 sheets from color toner and 5,000 to 10,000 or more from a black high-capacity toner cartridge. Buying a black toner cartridge with 2,500-page yield, for example, may cost $70 while a cartridge with a 5,000-page yield for the same printer may cost $120, and a cartridge with a yield of 10,000 pages may cost $200 or more. Generic brand or refurbished replacement toner cartridges can be found at a discount.
- A replacement drum unit costs $30 to $450 or more, depending on yield.
- Duplex units are available for some models for two-sided/duplex printing; prices start at about $50. Additional paper trays to improve paper capacity start at about $35.
- USB printer cable to connect to computer costs about $10.
- Vendors that offer a wide variety of laser printer supplies include 123Inkjets and Amazon.
Discounts: | - Sales and specials are common at electronics discount stores. One-generation-old models may be sold at a substantial discount compared to the latest models.
- Some manufacturers such as HP offer refurbished multifunction laser printers at a discount.
Shopping for a multifunction laser printer: | - Check the price of replacement toner cartridges for a specific multifunction laser printer before buying. The best value printer to buy may not be the best value to maintain.
- PC World offers a buying guide for multifunction laser printers while Cnet provides reviews on different multifunction laser printer models.
- Compare online prices from sites such as Amazon or < www.jr.com/category/computers/printers/multifunction-printers/n/4294570482>JR.com with those from national retails chains such as Best Buy.
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Article updated August 2010 |
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