Ten... ADF-based inkjet all-in-one printers
Feed me, feed me now
Product Round-up Inkjet all-in-one printers have two different focuses: photos and documents. Those aimed at document handling often forsake things like card readers and twin paper trays, in favour of fax and Automatic Document Feeders (ADFs). With an ADF you can scan or copy multi-page documents unattended, giving you extra time to drink hot beverages or consult twitter.
On test are ten ADF-equipped all-in-ones, ideal for handling home office correspondence or for helping with school or higher education projects. They range from just over £50 to £200, but most can be had at discount prices, with a bit of searching.
Brother MFC-J430W
This is a neat and simple all-in-one with all the basics in place, including fax facilities. The 20-sheet ADF feeds upside down, passing paper upwards from the top of the scanner lid, but it works fine. The simple control panel has a full-colour LCD and number pad for fax dialling and there’s a single 100-sheet paper tray at the front. It can print at up to 7.7ppm, which is good for class and the four ink cartridges – which plug in easily from the front – give reasonable page costs of 2.6p for ISO black and 7.6p for ISO colour. Print is a bit fuzzy, due to ink spread.
Reg Rating 65%
Price £108
More info Brother
Brother DCP-J925DW
Much higher up Brother’s all-in-one range, this machine includes a double-width touch-screen, 15-sheet ADF, duplex print and facility to directly print CDs and DVDs, though there’s no fax. The 100-sheet paper tray is topped off with a 20-sheet photo tray, though it has to be engaged manually. Photo card slots and a PictBridge socket are provided. Brother claims a top speed of 12ppm and I saw 9.2ppm, which is good for an inkjet. The machine, like many other Brothers, is let down by its fuzzy plain paper print quality, and running costs are only fair at 3.0p and 8.9p for ISO black and colour.
Reg Rating 65%
Price £174
More info Brother
Next page: Canon Pixma MX420
COMMENTS
So... can these devices print the entire surface of a sheet of paper (i.e. without non-printing margins)? The (photoshopped) imagery for most of them appears to imply that they can.
summery?
For something like this, remember, it's spread over 5 pages.
Would it be so much to have a little data table at the end, where we can see the facts again, but in a format that allows comparison?
Also, the cost average, is that average for this batch of 10, for all printers, or just printers of this rough class-range?
Would have liked a "does it scan without ink cartridges" option
As I had a HP which was PURELY purchased just for ADF and sure enough, one cartridge went "dry", the printer failed to do anything demanding I purchase another cartridge (rinse and repeat).
@Audrey S. Thackeray. Re: Disappointing review
I think that with a 10 product round-up it is fairly clear that unless the author were to write a humungous review (after spending a couple of months trialling all of them) it was always going to be 3 - 4 paragraphs or so per product. Surely the use of such "portmanteau" reviews is to enable the reader to pick out one or two products for consideration followed by a bit of googling to see if there are any more extensive reviews of the individual product available out there?
Disappointing review
I can't imagine using this review in any purchasing decision, there's just not enough info - it would be good as a minimum to include the dimensions of the device and some samples of the printing / scanning. Also would want to know if the print cost figures have been calculated from actual use or (as I suspect) quoted from manufacturer's specs.
I quite like this quick round-up style for reviews of toys and gadgets but it needs more depth for things like this.
