Buying the best budget all in one laser printer
All-in-ones (AIOs) or also called multi-function printers (MFPs) bring consumers other functions besides printing. With most AIOs you can also print, scan, and copy. Some even still offer the ability to fax documents as well. There are so many different all-in-ones now it may not be as easy task finding a model with the right set of features for you. Therefore if you don’t want to spend the money or are on a tight budget finding the right all-in-one laser printer can be tricky. So when looking for the best budget all in one laser printer here are some things to consider.
Cost
Cost is usually everyone’s first thing to consider. Therefore set a budget and find the best printer within that budget. The initial cost of the all-in-one laser printer is not the only thing for you to consider though. Be sure to check the cost of ownership over the life of the printer. The cost of ownership is the price it costs to print a page. What factors into this cost is the cost of replacement toner and whatever other parts need consistent changing.
Color vs Monochrome
Do you need color documents? That is the big question since printing in color is a lot more expensive then printing in black and white. Besides that not only is printing in color more expensive, it is also slower at printing as well.
Laser Printer Functions and Features
When it comes to functions printing, scanning, and copying come standard with an all-in-one printer. If you need to be able to send and receive faxes look for an AIO that has both standalone fax and a PC fax function that allows you to fax from your PC.
Most all in one printers come equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF). The ADF enables you to easily scan, copy, fax, email multi-page documents. Some ADFs also come with the capabilities of automatic duplexing which is scanning both sides of a document automatically. Many people find this useful especially if you deal with a lot of two-sided documents.
Printer Size
All-in-one laser printers are usually bigger than just a regular single function printer. Depending on the space you have available be sure to check the printers height, width, length, and weight. Some all-in-one printers can be quite massive.
Connection Options
Almost all printers no matter the type come equipped with a USB port that allows you to connect the printer to a computer. What you need to decide is do you need a wireless printer or one that will only use an Ethernet connection. If you are the only one that will use the printer and you have space I would suggest to just connect it with the USB cable. For those who need to share the printer with others and have existing Ethernet ports I would suggest looking for a printer with an Ethernet port since it’s usually faster and more reliable. If you need to share the printer and don’t have existing or nearby Ethernet ports I would suggest looking for a wireless printer. Besides that wireless will also give you more options on where you can place the printer as well.
Print and Scan Output Quality
Nobody wants blurred documents or photos. Therefore since we are discussing budget printers try to look for something with a decent print output and good scan quality. Most scanners these days will scan most documents and photos at a decent quality so in our opinion look for a laser printer with the best print output quality.
If you are considering all-in-one laser printer for office or business take into consideration the duty cycle of the printer. The duty cycle is the max amount of pages the manufacturer recommends are printed each month. Don’t forget to add in copies and faxes to the number of pages printed. Besides that also take into consideration the paper capacity as well because no one wants to be always refilling the paper tray.
Inexpensive All-in-One Laser printers that we recommend after through research
We have combed through 100’s of reviews and looked at specifications and prices of all the current all-in-one laser printers on the market today. Therefore we have picked our top 3 budget or entry level laser printers in both the monochrome and color versions. Read our reviews on the research we did because who wants to do the research themselves.
Budget Monochrome All-In-One laser printers
So you have decided that you don’t need to print color. Therefore read the reviews and check out the specifications of the what we feel are the best budget monochrome all in one printers on the market today.
HP LaserJet Pro M130fw
The HP Laserjet Pro M130fw is an inexpensive monochrome all in one laser printer that is small and compact. Given the small size and features of this printer it should therefore perform well for personal or small office use.
Design and Features
Printer:
- Print, scan, copy, and fax options
- W x D x H 16.66 x 11.34 x 11 in and 16.76 lbs
- HP rates print speed at up to 23 pages per minute with first pages ready in as fast as 7.3 seconds
- with first pages ready in as fast as 7.3 seconds
- Comes equipped with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi network connections
- Simple 2.7 inch color touch LCD screen comprising of Back, Home, and Help buttons
- 150- sheet tray
- Automatic document feeder (ADF) which holds 35 sheets. Most importantly is not auto duplex so you have to manually flip document to scan both sides.
- Monthly Duty cycle of 10,000 pages with a recommended print volume of 150 to 1,500 pages
Scanner:
- Type: flatbed ADF with a CIS sensor.
- Resolution: Up to 300 x 300 dpi (color and mono, ADF); Up to 600 x 600 dpi (color, flatbed); Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi (mono, flatbed).
- Copy resolution: Black (text and graphics) 600 x 400 dpi.
Print output and quality
The HP Laserjet Pro M130fw has adequate printing abilities. The text quality on this printer is very good therefore near typesetter quality. Because of this text output should meet almost all personal and business needs that don’t require color.
Photo and graphic quality is a different story. The quality although passable for most, leaves a lot to be desired. Some customers have pointed out that there is noticeable banding on photos and graphics when printing. While print quality could be better, the output wasn’t unsightly. Therefore most customers will find the output acceptable for internal or personal use but not for people you may want to impress.
Impression
The HP Laserjet Pro M130fw is a petite budget all-in-one monochrome laser printer that was designed for home office and small office environments. Therefore due its small size it makes an ideal printer for small spaces such as a dorm room or home office.
As with most inexpensive laser printers running costs are a bit high compared to higher end models. While the running costs are a bit high with this printer they are comparable to other budget AIO laser printers.
Besides that the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M130fw is a viable solution if you have a small space and can accept that you will have excellent text quality and mediocre graphics and photos prints.
PROS:
- Cost
- Petite size
- Good text print quality
- High capacity ADF
CONS:
- Mediocre graphics and photo print quality
- No automatic duplexing
Check Current Price and Customer Reviews
Brother MFC-L2710DW
The Brother MFC-L2710DW is an entry-level all-in-one laser printer that was designed for personal, home office, and small business use. Although bigger and heavier than the previously reviewed HP Laserjet Pro M130fw it’s still small in size compared to the competition.
Design and Features
Printer:
- Print, scan, copy, and fax options
- W x D x H 15.7 x 16.1 x 12.5 in and 26 lbs
- Brother rates print speed at up to 32 pages per minute
- Comes equipped with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi network connections
- Simple 2-line LCD screen
- 250- sheet tray
- Automatic document feeder (ADF) which holds 50 sheets. Most importantly this unit does come equipped with auto duplexing
- Monthly Duty cycle of up to 15,000 pages with a recommended print volume of up to 2000 pages
Scanner:
- Type: flatbed ADF
- Resolution: Optical Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
- Copy resolution: Up to 600 x 600 dpi.
Print output and quality
The Brothers MFC-L2710DW print output and quality is average for a low-end monochrome all in one laser printer. Text output from this printer is more than adequate because letters came out crisp and well-shaped therefore should meet most personal and small business needs.
Simple graphics printed decently while more complicated graphics and photos are a different story. The more complicated the image the more banding and shading issues became apparent. Therefore as with most budget AIO laser printers text quality is good and photo and graphic printing leaves a little bit to be desired.
Impression
The Brother MFC-L2710DW is a reasonably fast, budget monochrome all-in-one laser printer. It would be a solid choice for low-volume print and copy environments. This machine has auto duplexing, a big paper tray, and a very low cost. Although running costs are a bit high this is normal for budget AIO laser printers.
PROS:
- Low purchase price
- Relatively speedy for low-end printer
- Good text print quality
- Automatic Duplexing
- Big paper tray size
CONS:
- Lacks support for USB thumb drives
- No ADF auto duplexing
- Average graphic and photo print quality
Check Current Price and Customer Reviews
Canon imageCLASS MF244dw
The Canon imageCLASS MF244dw is a budget monochrome 3-in-one laser printer. While comparable in size to the previously reviewed Brother MFC-L2710DW it comes in a tad larger. Besides that it is also missing the fax feature the other two monochrome laser printers have.
Design and Features
Printer:
- Print, scan, copy options
- W x D x H 14.7 x 15.4 x 14.2 in and 26.7 lbs
- Canon rates print speed at up to 28 pages per minute with first print time of 6 seconds or less
- Comes equipped with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi network connections
- Simple tiltable 5-line LCD panel
- 250- sheet tray
- Automatic document feeder (ADF) which holds 35 sheets. Most importantly is not auto duplex so you have to manually flip document to scan both sides.
- Monthly Duty cycle of 15,000 pages with a recommended print volume of 750 to 3000 pages
Scanner:
- Type: flatbed ADF
- Resolution: Platen glass: up to 600 x 600 dpi, Feeder: up to 300 x 300 dpi, Software: up to 9,600 x 9,600 dpi
- Copy resolution: Black (text and graphics) 600 x 600 dpi.
Print output and quality
The Canon imageCLASS MF244dw print quality is the same story as the previous two monochrome laser printer reviews. Therefore the text quality is good to excellent when printing text and adequate when printing graphics and photos. This printer can meet the printing needs internally for a small business as long as it is not to impress someone.
Impression
If you need all-in-one monochrome laser printer and don’t fax then keep this machine on your short list. It has auto duplexing, decent print speeds, and most of the features all budget AIOs usually carry. Negatives are the same as most entry level all–in-one printers such as high price per page costs.
PROS:
- Low purchase price
- Relatively speedy for low-end printer
- Good text print quality
- Automatic Duplexer
- Big paper tray size
CONS:
- Lacks support for USB thumb drives
- Somewhat High price per page costs
- Average graphic and photo print quality
Check Current Price and Customer Reviews
Budget Color All-In-One laser printers
So you have decided that you do need to print with color and want to spend the extra money. Therefore read our reviews and check out the specifications of the what we feel are the best entry level color all in one printers on the market today.
Canon Color imageCLASS MF634Cdw
The Canon Color MF634Cdw is a bit smaller than most of the competition when it comes to size. Besides that the unit would probably fit best on its own personal table or surface.
Most importantly with its features and output quality this color laser printer would be more than suitable for personal, home office, small business use. Continue reading for all the details.
Design and Features:
Printer:
- Print, scan, copy, fax options
- W x D x H 18.1 x 17.8 x 15.7 in and 48.8 lbs
- Canon rates print speed at up to 19 pages per minute in black and color with first print time of 12 seconds or less
- Comes equipped with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi network connections
- Simple 5-inch Color Touch LCD Panel
- 150- sheet tray
- Automatic document feeder (ADF) which holds 50 sheets. Most importantly ADF is auto duplex so you have to manually flip document to scan both sides.
- Monthly Duty cycle of 30,000 pages with a recommended print volume of 200 to 2500 pages
Scanner:
- Type: flatbed ADF with CIS sensor
- Resolution: Platen glass: up to 600 x 600 dpi, Software: up to 9,600 x 9,600 dpi
- Copy resolution: Black (text and graphics) 600 x 600 dpi.
Print Output and Quality
The Canon MF634Cdw print output quality is excellent for its class of entry level color AIO laser printers. The text print quality was excellent and therefore near typesetter quality. Even small fonts when magnified looked pretty good so definitely this would be adequate for personal and small business use.
Usually where most budget color all-in-ones fall short is printing photos and graphics. Colors printed accurate and bright, with the detail more than acceptable. The photos and graphics showed little graininess or quality issues. Therefore print output quality was very good for printer class but still falls a little short compared to a inkjet printer.
Impression
The Canon imageClass MF634Cdw is a decently compact all-in-one printer that prints well and fast enough considering the price. It has a strong feature set as well with auto duplexing and color touch screen control panel. Like all entry level AIOs the price per page is high if you print a lot. Therefore in our opinion this printer would make a solid addition to any home office or small business.
PROS:
- Above average print output quality
- Good print speed
- USB thumb drive support
- Auto duplexing ADF
CONS:
- Smallish 100-page output tray.
- High price per page costs
- Little heavy for its capacity
Check Current Price and Customer Reviews
Brother HL-L3290CDW
The Brother HL-L3290CDW is a solid well-built AIO laser printer. It does run a little bigger than other models we researched therefore will probably need its own table or desk. This model does lack an Ethernet port if that is an important factor to you, but does a solid job of printing.
Design and Features:
Printer:
- Print, scan, copy options
- W x D x H 19 x 16.1 x 16.1 in and 47.8 lbs
- Brother rates print speed at up to 23 pages per minute in black and color
- Comes equipped with USB, Wi-Fi network connections
- Simple 7″ Color TouchScreen
- 250 sheet tray
- Automatic document feeder (ADF). Most importantly ADF is auto duplex so you have to manually flip document to scan both sides.
- Monthly Duty cycle of 30,000 pages with a recommended print volume of up to 1500 pages
Scanner:
- Type: flatbed ADF
- Resolution: Offers an up a 19200 x 19200 dpi (interpolated) resolution and a variety of “scan-to” features
- Copy resolution: Black (text and graphics) 600 x 600 dpi.
Print Output and Quality
The Brother HL-L3290CDW offers decent print output. While not as good as the Canon MF634Cdw reviewed above as far as print quality goes this machine should therefore fulfill most personal and small business needs. Text quality was good, with clean crisp print output.
Color photos and graphics like most AIOs in this price range were just mediocre. Color laser printers have come a long way over the years but if you want photo quality then using an inkjet printer is still a must. Besides that this laser printer should be able to meet the printing needs of personal, home office, and small business needs.
Impression
Overall the Brother HL-L3290CDW is a quality machine. If you can get over not having an Ethernet port then there is little downside to this color all-in-one laser printer when compared to the competition. It has the ability to scan at a high resolution, has decently fast print speeds, and has an auto duplexer. Besides that while this color laser printer shares the same issues as all the other printers in its class it should do a solid job functioning in a home office or small business.
PROS:
- Relatively fast print speeds
- High scan resolution rate
- Auto duplexing ADF
CONS:
- Average print output quality
- No Ethernet port
- High price per page costs
Check Current Price and Customer Reviews
HP Laserjet Pro M281fdw
The HP Laserjet Pro M281fdw is the smallest and lightest all-in-one color laser that we reviewed. Besides that this machine also has the lowest price per page among color lasers we reviewed but is still not that great.
Design and Features:
Printer:
- Print, scan, copy, fax options
- W x D x H 5 x 16.6 x 13.2 in and 41 lbs
- HP rates print speed at up to 22 pages per minute in black and color with first page out in as fast as 10.7 seconds.
- Comes equipped with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi network connections
- 7-inch color touchscreen
- 250 sheet tray
- 50 sheet Automatic document feeder (ADF). Most importantly ADF is auto duplex so you have to manually flip document to scan both sides.
- Monthly Duty cycle of 40,000 pages with a recommended print volume of up to 2500 pages
Scanner:
- Type: flatbed ADF with CIS sensor
- Resolution: Offers an up a 1200 x 1200 dpi
- Copy resolution: Black (text and graphics) 600 x 600 dpi.
Print Output and Quality
The HP Laserjet Pro M426fdw offers pretty typical print output from a budget color all-in-one laser printer. HP is known for their print quality and the text print quality did not let us down. The color print output did leave us unimpressed because colors were not as vibrant and some dark images had slight banding. This is pretty typical though for all-in-ones in this price range. Therefore the print output should be able to meet personal or small business needs unless one requires high quality photo prints.
Impression
The HP Laserjet Pro M426fdw is a small compact all-in-one color laser printer that has good features, good print speeds, and decent print output quality. If you are looking for nothing but print output the Canon Color imageCLASS MF634Cdw is probably best in class but this machine is solid all around with a few more features. The HP M426fdw is smaller, faster, and has a bigger paper tray then the Canon therefore you will have to determine what matters the most to you.
PROS:
- Compact
- Print speed
- Supports USB thumb drive
- Strong mobile connectivity
CONS:
- Little higher purchase price
- Graphics and photo quality could be better
Check Current Price and Customer Reviews
Some more things to consider
Deciding to buy a budget all-in-one laser printer based on its purchase price can be a slippery slope. With most of these entry-level all-in-one laser printers the more you print the more it costs you. You can always try to buy 3rd party toner to save on costs but unless you already have a reliable manufacturer it could therefore cause you issues with quality.
If you plan on printing or copying over 500 pages a month you may want to consider looking at a higher-end all-in-one laser printer. Besides that if you are required to print out high quality photos you may want to consider an inkjet printer which are still superior when printing photos and graphics. One tip that may help improve your photo quality on a laser printer is to use photo paper for laser printers. Regular photo paper is designed for inkjet use so laser printers have a harder time printing on them.