Comparative Test: Color Lasers up to 700 Euros: Druckerchannel Bottom Line
Bottom line: Brother HL-4040CN
According to Brother this color laser is the first manufactured by Brother itself. It has no duplexer. The illuminated fold-away display changes colors depending on printer status.
Handling is easy, configuration average, speed of print likewise. Color prints show a definite color cast. Due to it´s high consumption of electric current in standby-mode Brother gets bad marks: 16 watts is not really up-to-date.
Cost of color print (42,3 Cent per A4-page) is lower than HP´s, Oki´s, and Samsung´s result. Nevertheless it is still high by comparison. Reasonable costs of print are in the 20-Cent-region, but they go up to 60 Cents as well.
- Price (MSRP, rounded): 400 Euros
- Benefits: Fold-away display, easy handling
- The bad: Consumption of electricity, running costs
Bottom line: HP Color Laserjet CP2025n
This color laser printer is quite new on the market. The dn-model comes with a duplexer. Handling is exemplary easy. The display is undersized and and not lit.
Speed of print is ok, quality of print excellent.
In cost of text-printing HP´s model is the tailender: 3,3 Cents. Same with color printing: 56 Cents are too expensive. If HP would offer high yield toner cartridges, cost of print certainly would be less.
- Price (MSRP, rounded): 450 Euros
- Benefits: Best print quality in this test
- The bad: High cost of print
Bottom line: Kyocera FS-C5100DN
The FS-C5100DN is the smallest of three new models. It has an organic drum unit, which is supposed to have an endurance of 100.000 pages. All models have a duplex-unit. Handling is somewhat complicated. Upgrading is easy.
In most of our print speed tests the Kyocera is best. Quality of printing is ok.
Cost of print (text and color) is the lowest by far in this test.
- Price (MSRP, rounded): 700 Euros
- Benefits: Lowest cost of print in this test
- The bad: Handling somewhat complicated
Bottom line: Oki C3600n
The Oki C3600n has no duplexer, and it is not available as an option. Features are not very impressive.
It´s handling via buttons is rather complex, the tiny display is not lit, and almost unreadable.
The power-consumption of 12 watts in standby-mode is high. Pro: You can print banners up to 1,2 meters in length.
Cost of text print is high: 2,9 Cents per page. And printing in color will really cost you money: Almost 60 Cent per page. Oki´s C3600n is in the last position in this part of the test.
- Price (MSRP, rounded): 415 Euros
- Benefits: Prints banners up to 1,2 meters in length.
- The bad: High cost of print, tricky handling
Bottom line: Samsung CLP-610ND
Samsung´s CLP-610ND features an automatic duplex unit. It prints comfortably quiet. Inside it flings around toner. There is a mini-pump enclosed to clean the imaging drums. We first thought this to be a practical joke. But Samsung is serious about this pump: It is supposed to blow off toner off the imaging drums.
If the paper is damp or the room temperature is cool, vapor emerges out of the printer.
Costs of print per page (2,6 Cents text, 54 Cents per A4 color print) are too high.
- Price (MSRP, rounded): 522 Euros
- Benefits: Very quiet printer
- The bad: High cost of print
