There are many types of digital color printers available, but finding one that suits your business size (where it’s a small business or a large business) can be difficult. Large businesses may have people to do research on printers for them, so this review is aimed more at small businesses.
Two great printer options for small businesses are the Brother HL-3170CDW Digital Color Printer and the HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color Printer M251nm. They are smaller in size and are both capable of printing in black, grayscale or color. The price for either is relatively the same, with a difference of approximately $20. Let’s take a little time and compare these two printers!
Connectivity
With today’s workforce and digital tools available it is important that printers match the flow of your business. Both of these printers are comparable in their connectivity. They both hold the ability to print wirelessly through Wi-Fi or a USB port. The HP also is capable of printing through a Ethernet port.
In addition to the connectivity options, these printers are able to sync up with various applications to allow printing remotely. Some of these applications are: Apple AirPoint, Google Cloud Path and Wi-Fi direct printing. The Brother model also has the added ability to print through Cortado Workplace and the Brother iPrint&Scan. The HP model is Mopria-certified and can print through HP ePrint.
Specifications
Brother HL-3170CDW
- 23 ppm (page per minute) for both color and black.
- 250 sheet capacity in the tray
- Automatic duplexing
HP LaserJet Pro 200 M251nw
- 14 ppm (page per minute) for both color and black
- 150 sheet capacity in the tray
- Manual duplexing only
Consumables
The consumables vary on both printers, causing the Brother to be more expensive in the long run. The consumables for the Brother are: four toner cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow), drum set, and toner waste cartridge. When the printer is purchased new, the purchase price includes one of each of the listed items.
The HP consumables are fewer, which gives a price advantage over the Brother. The HP still has the same four consumables toners (black, cyan, magenta and yellow) but does not feature a drum set or have the need for a waste toner cartridge. Also, as a way to be Earth-friendly, HP offers a recycling program called HP Planet Partners. They send a return label with each purchased toner. Using that label customers can return their used toner cartridges to be recycled by HP.
Highlighted Features
Along with the “must-have” features, small businesses also like to know the fun little bonuses they see when purchasing a printer. The Brother HL-3170cdw printer features the ability to track color printing and restrict color use for up to 25 people. It also has a Deep Sleep mode that turns on when the printer is not being used. This aids in overall energy efficiency of the printer.
The HP LaserJet 200 Pro Color Printer M251NW is easy to install through HP Smart Install. There is no longer a need to fumble through a cd to install drivers onto the computers. This makes set up simple and gets your business print-ready in minutes.