Inexperienced office workers probably still have fresh memories of how they ran through rooms and corridors tacking between a scanner, a photocopier and a printer. Fussing around with folders and papers around them is not so bad, but when they ask for a “meal” and they need to change three cartridges at once, this is a real headache, resulting not only in running around the service centers, but also in significant financial expenses.
But modern technologies do not stand still, and multifunction devices (MFPs) are already being sold on the office equipment market, where several devices are combined in one case at once. Moreover, the prices of the latter can not be called biting. Office MFPs - a cheap and reliable alternative to expensive solo devices.
Of course, if we are talking about an office where several thousand documents are copied every day, we can’t do without specific equipment, but we will consider the needs of medium and small companies, of which the majority.
So, we present to your attention a list of the best MFPs for the office, which includes the most popular and most sensible models of different price segments.
Manufacturers
There are many companies producing such equipment, but dozens of brands produce really high-quality models with good returns. Many people are familiar with other office equipment — Hewlett Packard, Ricoh, Canon, Brother, Xerox, Samsung, Panasonic, and Kyocera.
The venerable Canon and Kyocera boast a chic assortment of the best laser MFPs for the office. The products of these brands are enviable worldwide. It differs not only in its quality component, but also in affordable prices.
The Japanese brand Brother recently appeared on the domestic market, although it has existed for more than 100 years. The company produces some of the best MFPs for the office, but is only partially represented in the budget sector, which is critical for the domestic market. Yes, the brand’s products are good, reliable, beautiful and truly multifunctional, but not every office can afford it.
As for Xerox and Ricoh, this is a purely professional level and they are not exchanged for trifles. In the assortment of brands there are only “workhorses” that can plow so that everyone else just gasps. Such professionalism also costs a lot of money, and it pays off only in large offices or printing publications.
MFPs for the office of Samsung, HP and Panasonic brands are consistently sold in the domestic market, thanks to a competent pricing policy of brands and reliable assembly of models. In the budget and mid-price segment, everyone can choose for themselves the best option from these manufacturers. Here we have a solid middle peasant, which is not so expensive, and it copes with the work.
Next, we consider specific models of devices from different manufacturers. The MFP rating for an office looks like this:
- Ricoh MP C2011SP.
- Brother MFC-9330CDW.
- Kyocera ECOSYS M6026cdn.
- Brother MFC-L2740DWR.
- Kyocera FS-6525MFP.
- Panasonic KX-MB2130RU.
We will analyze the participants in more detail.
Panasonic KX-MB2130RU
This black and white laser MFP for the office will look really good on the desk of an accountant or secretary in an average office. In one case we have a scanner with automatic feed, a relatively fast printer, fax and landline telephone capabilities.
The device received a now fashionable non-volatile memory and effectively uses it when working with any documentation. The MFP for the office can work as a fax, and in the absence of paper will receive up to 80 visual messages.
If you need to urgently scan some documents, but the blank sheets have run out of luck, then again help out the memory, where you can send up to 150 pages with any visual information.
Model Features
If the office has a large network, then you can restrict access to other users by setting a local password directly from the device’s interface. The advantages can also include a quite acceptable price tag and attractive appearance of this MFP for the office.
Advantages of the model:
- independent cartridge;
- telephone and fax availability;
- printing according to the password set earlier;
- attractive design in a classic style;
- relatively low cost.
Disadvantages:
- no support for wireless Wi-Fi protocols;
- On sale there are revisions without a cartridge in the kit (for the same price).
Estimated cost - about 15,000 rubles.
Kyocera FS-6525MFP
There are not many really high-quality A3 devices on the market of laser MFPs for office. This model is just one of them. The price tag for the device is impressive, but it beats off its cost in full, especially when it comes to an average or large office. That is, where he does not have to stand idle.
The efficiency of a black and white MFP for the office is impressive: 12 sheets per minute in A3 format or twice as much as A4. Here you can add a very modest warm-up time (only 8 seconds), as well as a capacious paper tray for 1600 units.
Distinctive features of the device
Among other things, there is still work on FTP protocols and scanning, followed by sending to e-mail. It is also worth noting the intuitive configuration of the device and convenient control, which will deal with a user of any level.
Pluses of model:
- excellent cartridge yield of 15,000 copies;
- the presence of double-sided coupled with quick scanning;
- quick warm up.
- low noise level;
- intuitive controls;
- good saving in sleep mode - only 0.9 W;
- unpretentious and inexpensive to maintain.
Minuses:
- no support for wireless Wi-Fi protocols;
- large dimensions, especially for small office rooms.
Estimated price - about 70,000 rubles.
Brother MFC-L2740DWR
This black and white model can be called typical for medium-sized firms. The multifunctional device has all the necessary interfaces for working with any office peripherals, and also supports wireless Wi-Fi protocols, which for many today is an indisputable advantage.
The MFC-L series from Brother is truly a reliable MFP for the office, and the models are not afraid of intense and continuous operation. The machine can scan on two sides in one pass of the sheet, which greatly saves time. There is also duplex printing and automatic sheet feeding functionality.
Device features
Almost all models of this brand have “wired” cartridges, that is, consumables cost decent money. But this series received unchipped consumables, which reduces the cost of maintenance by several times. For a domestic consumer who is trying to save on everything, this is a significant plus.
Advantages of the model:
- two-sided batch scanning;
- a large number of interfaces for connecting peripherals;
- low cost of maintenance due to universal unchipped cartridges;
- small dimensions;
- work on wireless Wi-Fi protocols;
- nice appearance.
Disadvantages:
- noisy apparatus;
- hot case, especially during intensive work;
- You can not work with flash drives and memory cards directly.
Estimated cost - about 22,000 rubles.
Kyocera ECOSYS M6026cdn
This high-performance laser MFP for the office works with color printing and is able to meet the needs of the medium and large group of employees of any legal or financial department. That is, where they print in very large volumes.
The machine processes double-sided sheets without user intervention, and 50 originals are immediately placed in the automatic tray. On the device’s panel there are a lot of buttons, controls, plus an address block, so the entry threshold for this office MFP can be called average. Beginners can’t figure it out without instructions. But after a couple of days of use, everything becomes extremely clear and simple.
MFP Features
It should also be noted that there is a functionality for sending processed documents “one-touch” to e-mail or via a local network. The device does not have wireless protocols, alas, but it is possible to work directly with documents on external media, such as a flash drive or memory cards.
Pluses of model:
- quick scan of originals;
- send the result with one touch to e-mail or via a local network;
- volume tray for auto feed;
- very long cartridge life;
- does not require much space due to compactness.
- Attractive price for available features.
Minuses:
- sometimes there are small problems when working on platforms other than Windows;
- No support for Wi-Fi wireless protocols.
Estimated price - about 40 000 rubles.
Brother MFC-9330CDW
This is one of the most advanced color office printing models in the mid-price MFP segment. The device is simply amazing with its high speed compared to other color counterparts. It is also worth noting the presence of duplex printing, which further increases speed performance.
The model is equipped with a built-in fax and can directly work with documentation on external media, such as flash drives and memory cards. There are also no problems with wireless printing: support for Wi-Fi and bluetooth protocols allows you to send the original from anywhere no more than 100 meters away (taking into account the walls from the HVL). Moreover, the source can be any gadget - a smartphone, tablet or other office peripherals.
Features of the device
Separately, it is worth noting the excellent synergy of the device with cloud services, which greatly expands the regular functionality of the device. For the money, this is an excellent working and unpretentious option.
Advantages of the model:
- high speed of processing documents;
- synergy with popular cloud services;
- support for wireless protocols, bluetooth and Wi-Fi;
- printing documents directly from external media;
- it is possible to refill cartridges;
- perfect balance of price and quality;
- attractive appearance.
Disadvantages:
Estimated cost - about 32,000 rubles.
Ricoh MP C2011SP
This is a real monster, where the concept of "multifunctionality" takes on additional meaning. He not only prints and scans everything that you slip in color without any problems, but also puts the functions of the printing center on his shoulders.
The model fully supports all known formats of external media, can print borderless and on high-density paper, up to 300 g / m², which allows it to be used as a tool for the manufacture of promotional products.
The device has not the highest speed and for the most part is designed for everyday uninterrupted operation. It will withstand any load and calmly serve the entire staff of office workers, and it can perform some functions of the MFP at the same time, which adds to it even more versatility.
In a word, this is the standard of what such devices should be. Yes, the cost of equipment exceeds one hundred thousand rubles, but this monster will pay off investments very quickly, especially when it comes to a large office.
Pluses of model:
- universality of the device;
- performance of tasks of any complexity;
- a huge number of additional options and "chips" (detailed manual for 700 pages);
- extremely long working resource;
- the lowest (of color laser MFPs) printing costs;
- many shelves, compartments and additional compartments for the accompanying office utensils.
Minuses:
- long warm-up time of the main elements;
- relatively low print speed;
- the cost of equipment is too high for a domestic consumer.
Estimated price - about 110 000 rubles.
Summarizing
Choosing a technique of such a plan, it is necessary first of all to answer the most important questions: do you need color printing, what are the future volumes, is one scanner or copier enough, is speed important and for what purpose do you need an MFP in general?
Special attention should be paid to the place for equipment. If you have a modest office, where there is nowhere to turn around, then you should not buy a floor model. It is much more practical in this case to take a small desktop device, which will modestly stand on somewhere on the office bedside table or even on the windowsill.
Be sure to consider the cost of consumables. Here the simple and usually applicable formula applies to the whole copying technique - the more expensive the technique itself, the cheaper the cost of refueling. For medium-sized offices, it is better to stop at the golden mean - 30 thousand. Well, for very small organizations with small requests, you can look at budget models.
It will also be useful to pay attention to the presence of some additional interfaces and wireless protocols. They greatly facilitate office life and save a lot of time and nerves.