Club Printer

The Panasonic KX-FLB851E is a laser-based multi-function machine, offering mono printing, copying and faxing and colour scanning. Panasonic claims it’s particularly easy to use and also points to its three output bins, which help separate out its key office functions.

This is a substantial machine, looking more like a traditional office photocopier than a multifunction device. The well-designed control panel lies along its long side and its 250-sheet paper tray also opens from the side, so you stack paper into it landscape fashion, rather than portrait. An optional second tray can be fitted underneath, to increase the machine’s overall capacity to 750 sheets.

Under test we produced 10ppm when printing from a PC, through the machine’s single USB 2 connection. While not as fast as claimed, this speed is still fine for the kind of small workgroup into which the device is likely to be put.

Print costs, at around 2.8p per page, are on the high side for a laser device, but in the end actual costs will depend on the price you can find for the toner and drum consumables. (more…)

Manufacturers come at multifunction machines from one of two directions: with expertise in printers and in fax machines. Panasonic could have done either, but the name and style of the Panasonic KX-FLP851 suggests faxing was foremost in its mind.

This is a substantial device, looking more like an office photocopier than the laser printer on which it’s based. From its auto-document feeder on top, to the three paper out bins at its right-hand end, it says business. (more…)