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.

TrustedReviews made a review of this printer and here are some of their impressions:
One particular strength of the machine is its control panel. Despite dealing with all four multi-functions, it manages to remain fairly simple and obvious to use. The main panel includes a two-line by 16-character LCD display, though with no backlight, under which is a set of four dual-function buttons and a small four-way wheel for navigating its menu system.

The KX-FLP851 is very easy to use; to copy you place an original in the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) or on the flatbed and press Copy. For printing, you use the machine exactly like a desktop laser printer and for faxing you can send from the flatbed or ADF. If the machine receives two instructions at once, for example being sent a print job at the same time as a copy job is started from the control panel, the KX-FLP851 intelligently queues whichever arrives last.

The conclusion is that this is a robust multi-function machine which would suit a small office or workgroup of half a dozen people. It won’t need servicing that frequently, so running costs should stay low, though the asking price for the original machine is comparatively high. Devices with the same feature set are available for considerably less than half the asking price, so you have to decide if the Panasonic name and reputation for reliability is worth the extra money.

Read full review on trustedreviews.