Printers in this department split into laser, ink tank and standard cartridge inkjet, and the right one depends on how many pages a month you print and whether that printing sits idle for weeks at a time. Cost per page, duplex, feeder capacity and cartridge policy matter far more than the purchase price on the box.
How many pages a month will this printer actually see?
Duty cycle and cost per page should be read together. The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 4101fdw is rated up to 80,000 pages a month at about 2.1 cents a page on its 148X cartridge, built for workgroups printing a few thousand pages monthly. At the other end, the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 tops out at 3,000 pages a month, fine for home or small office use but not a workgroup machine.
Does cost per page matter more than the printer's price?
Over a year, running cost usually outweighs what the printer cost to buy. The HP Smart Tank 5101 prints mono for about 0.5 cents a page and color for about 1.5 cents on HP 32XL and HP 31 bottles. The HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw matches that territory for mono laser at about 1 cent a page on reload kits, though its drum is a separate consumable rated about 50,000 pages.
Will the printer sit idle, or print every day?
Ink tank and inkjet machines depend on regular use. The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 and the HP Smart Tank 5101 both state the head or printhead clogs or dries if left unused for long periods or weeks. Laser machines such as the Brother HL-L2460DW do not have that problem, since toner does not dry out between print runs.
Does the cartridge policy lock you in?
HP's Dynamic Security and HP+ enrolment block third-party cartridges on several models, including the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw, the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 4101fdw and the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e. Brother's mono laser range has no such firmware lock, so compatible cartridges work on machines like the Brother MFC-L2820DW.
Do you need scanning, a feeder, or two-sided scanning?
The Brother HL-L2460DW prints only, with no scan or copy function at all. Its stablemate, the Brother MFC-L2820DW, adds a 50-sheet feeder but scans one side only. For two-sided scanning, the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 4101fdw and the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw both carry a 50-sheet reversing ADF. For bulk digitising beyond what any MFP feeder can handle, the HP ScanJet Pro 3000 s4 is rated up to 4,000 sheets a day.
Is color worth the extra running cost?
Color laser carries a real premium: the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw needs four cartridges, and a full high-yield toner set costs over half the printer price. For occasional color, an ink tank machine costs far less to own, since the ET-2850 and ET-4850 both print color at about 2.2 cents a page.
Comparison of core specifications
| Printer | Type | Print speed | Cost per page | Duty cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2460DW | Mono laser | Up to 36 ppm | About 3 cents (TN760) | Up to 20,000 pages/month |
| HP LaserJet Pro MFP 4101fdw | Mono laser MFP | Up to 42 ppm | About 2.1 cents (148X) | Up to 80,000 pages/month |
| HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw | Refillable mono laser | Up to 24 ppm | About 1 cent | Up to 25,000 pages/month |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | Ink tank MFP | Up to 10 ppm ISO mono | 0.8 cents mono, 2.2 cents color | Up to 3,000 pages/month |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw | Color laser MFP | Up to 35 ppm mono and color | Not stated per page | Up to 75,000 pages/month |
Who should avoid which machine?
Avoid the Brother HL-L2460DW if you need any scanning or copying, since it cannot do either. Avoid the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 if you need a document feeder, since it has none. Avoid the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw if your color printing is occasional, since an ink tank machine costs far less to own. Avoid the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 4101fdw if you planned on compatible cartridges, which its Dynamic Security firmware refuses. Avoid the Brother QL-1110NWB label printer if labels need to survive sunlight or abrasion, since its direct thermal output fades in heat and light. See the full printing and imaging ranking for every model compared side by side.