Quantcast

Top 10 Monochrome Laser Printers

This month's chart presents an all-new lineup of printers, and the striking feature they share is sharply lower pricing.

Melissa Perenson

Compare ProductsCheck boxes to
HL-5140 Laser Printer PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

1. Brother HL-5140 Laser Printer

Rated 21 pages per minute, 2400-by-600-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 250 pages input, 150 output, 15.0 by 15.1 by 9.9 inches; 23 pounds, Street price when ranked: $199 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: The compact, smartly designed HL-5140 offers an impressive combination of fine performance and abundant features at an attractive price. Output quality was top-notch, with sharp text and line art.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
ML-2250 Laser Printer PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

2. Samsung ML-2250 Laser Printer

Rated 22 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 300 pages input, 150 output, 14.1 by 17.8 by 10.9 inches; 22 pounds, Street price when ranked: $225 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: Unit produced high-quality text, but banding marred its graphics. Model has a single toner and print drum cartridge, which could save high-volume users money in the long run.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
B4350 Mono LED Printer, 23ppm, 1200x600, 16MB, PCL6, PS3 Option PCW Rating: 72.9PCW Rating: 72.9PCW Rating: 72.9

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

3. Oki Printing Solutions B4350 Mono LED Printer, 23ppm, 1200x600, 16MB, PCL6, PS3 Option

Rated 23 pages per minute, 1200-by-600-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 250 pages input, 150 output, 14.0 by 15.6 by 8.5 inches; 22 pounds, Street price when ranked: $349 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: This streamlined model was the fastest small-office laser on both our text and our graphics tests. Its relatively steep price prevents it from rising higher on the chart, however.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
Laser 1700 PCW Rating: 71.0PCW Rating: 71.0PCW Rating: 71.0

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

4. Dell Laser 1700

Rated 25 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 251 pages input, 150 output, 15.5 by 13.9 by 9.8 inches; 27 pounds, Street price when ranked: $199 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: Model was slow to print--especially when generating the first page. Its graphics output was the best we've seen, though, and an optional 550-sheet second paper tray is a bargain at only $100.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
PagePro 1350W Laser Printer PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

5. Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W Laser Printer

Rated 21 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 150 pages input, 100 output, 15.2 by 11.5 by 11.1 inches; 17 pounds, Street price when ranked: $180 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: This Windows-only model economizes by relying on your PC's processor for image processing. Its text output impressed, but its graphics output was too dark and exhibited banding.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
OKI B6300N DIGITAL MONO PRINTERPRNT PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

6. Oki Data OKI B6300N DIGITAL MONO PRINTERPRNT

Rated 35 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 700 pages input, 500 output, 18.3 by 15.9 by 16.6 inches; 45 pounds, Street price when ranked: $925 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: The fastest printer on the chart for graphics and the second-fastest for text, the Oki B6300n produced precise text output, but banding and moiré interference patterns tarnished its grayscale graphics.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
HL-6050DN Laser Printer PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

7. Brother HL-6050DN Laser Printer

Rated 25 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 600 pages input, 250 output, 15.7 by 16.7 by 12.2 inches; 46 pounds, Street price when ranked: $650 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: The HL-6050DN's print speeds were comparatively sluggish, but its sharp, dark text looked great. No PostScript printing, but this model is otherwise a good deal for a laser printer with duplexing.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
PHASER 4500 LASER 35PPM 1200X1200DPI 64MB ENET USB 110V PCW Rating: 78.0PCW Rating: 78.0PCW Rating: 78.0

Last Rated: June 24, 2005

8. Xerox PHASER 4500 LASER 35PPM 1200X1200DPI 64MB ENET USB 110V

Rated 36 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 700 pages input, 500 output, 16.6 by 18.3 by 17.3 inches; 45 pounds, Street price when ranked: $1200 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: This unit was a breeze to install on our network, and its relatively zippy print speeds for both text and graphics should satisfy most workgroups. Print quality was mediocre, however, lacking the detail we expected.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
ML-2551N Laser Printer PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

9. Samsung ML-2551N Laser Printer

Rated 25 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 600 pages input, 350 output, 15.2 by 17.6 by 12.8 inches; 31 pounds, Street price when ranked: $600 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: Nicely priced for a dual-sided printer, this model yielded consistently good print quality on text and graphics. Its speeds, however, are the slowest here, and installation on our network was a pain.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices
LaserJet 4250n PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 26, 2004

10. HP LaserJet 4250n

Rated 45 pages per minute, 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution, Legal-size paper, maximum, 600 pages input, 250 output, 16.5 by 17.8 by 14.8 inches; 45 pounds, Street price when ranked: $1249 (8/27/04)

Bottom Line: The versatile 4250n provides fast performance and lots of upgrade options. But we saw dithering dot patterns on graphics output, as well as some blotchiness, ghosting, and bleeding on text.

Full ReviewTest ReportCheck latest prices
Check Latest Prices

The overall rating for monochrome laser printers is based on price (25 percent), print quality (25 percent), features (15 percent), ease of use (15 percent), speed (10 percent), and service and support (10 percent). Data based on tests designed and conducted by the PC World Test Center. All rights reserved.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No

Today's Special Offers