The 9 cheapest MFPs

*Editor’s review of the best MFPs. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective, not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to purchase. Please consult with an expert before purchasing.

It is hard for modern man to do without MFPs. Printer and scanner may be needed in the office. They are also useful for parents of a child who started going to school. And these are just the first examples that come to mind! In short, it is time to start choosing MFPs. For this you only need to read our selection of the best MFPs among those with an affordable price tag. To compile it, we were guided by customer reviews and reviews of specialized publications dealing with computer hardware testing.

Rating of the cheapest MFPs

HP Smart Tank 500

Rating: 4.9

Many Expertology readers must have heard that inkjet printers require very frequent cartridge changes or labor-intensive refills with a syringe. This problem is solved by installing a continuous ink supply system. But not every printer has room for it, and the installation itself is a non-trivial and complicated task. In this regard, we can be happy that MFPs with built-in CISS have started to appear. For example, this is exactly what the HP Smart Tank 500 is.

It should be noted that the large ink supply does not say that this model is designed for office use. Alas, but the manufacturer says that the MFP should be installed only at home. This is evidenced by the technical passport, which states that the device is recommended to use for printing no more than 1000 pages per month. And this despite the presence in the kit four bottles of ink, which should suffice for printing 5000-6000 pages. By the way, the remaining ink in special containers is visible in special windows.

This model consists of a printer, scanner and copier. At most it is able to work with sheets of A4. Four-color printing allows the use of photo paper. But do not count on the perfect result – you can feel that the pictures lack saturation. And what else would you expect from an MFP that sells for 12 thousand rubles?. rubles? We would only note that we have no complaints about the print resolution, which is 4800×1200 dpi. As for print speed, the HP Smart Tank 500 is a bit surprising. In some modes, it outputs 16 prints per minute. Or even more so if you print in black and white. The process of filling the tanks with ink is quite simple. This is confirmed by the detailed review of HP Smart Tank 500 from one of the visitors of Otzovik site.

Built-in scanner on this MFP works at a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi. This is quite enough even for digitizing photos, not to mention the simplest paper documents. For fast copying you can press the copy button – no need to turn on the computer. For printing, however, it is still needed, because this model does not have built-in Wi-Fi, which would allow you to send commands from your smartphone directly over the air.

Advantages

• Not too big in size and weight;
• A continuous ink supply system is built in;
• The starting consumables last for a long time;
• High resolution color printing;
• Not bad printing speed;
• Built-in good scanner.

Disadvantages

• Not designed for overly active use;
• Output tray is designed for only 30 sheets;
• No RJ-45 connector and no Wi-Fi.

Xerox WorkCentre 3025BI

Rating: 4.8

Like many other Xerox MFPs, this one has a white body. The manufacturer recommends putting his device in a small office. He claims this model can even print 15,000 pages. pages per month – owners just need to remember to change consumables in time.

The device uses an easy to use control panel. It consists of a few buttons and a small display. It’s nice that the MFP functionality can be used in different ways. In particular, you can send a print command directly from your smartphone. There is a built-in Wi-Fi module for this purpose. It also lets you connect the device to your router. Not forgotten here and the USB-connector – it is necessary for those who are going to manage the MFP using a normal computer.

Usually offices print exclusively in black and white. For this reason, the Xerox WorkCentre 3025BI eliminated the color printing function. It has a positive impact on speed – per minute this model is ready to give out 20 prints. The only exception is the first minute, when it takes about 9 seconds to prepare and warm up. Also the black and white laser printer is easy to use. It does not require a lot of consumables that cost a significant amount of money to purchase. His single cartridge is enough to print 1,500 pages. There is also a high-capacity cartridge that can please you with twice longer life.

Printing here is at a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi. It’s high enough that you can’t complain about it at all. Including customers. For example, Artyom wrote on Yandex.The Marketplace has the following: “Compact, multifunctional, excellent print and scan quality. Both from a computer and a smartphone”. However, the buyer added that the official Android app does not support this model. Have to look for a way out in the form of a third-party program.

If we talk about scanning, this is not the strongest feature of this MFP. It is implemented here at a resolution of 600×600 dpi. So the Xerox WorkCentre 3025BI is not the best choice for those who are going to use the MFP for digitizing photos.

At last we would like to mention that formally this model has a paper feed tray with a capacity of 151 sheets. But some copies come without it – they suggest manually placing sheets under the top cover. As for the paper output tray, it is designed for 100 sheets, which is an excellent result.

Advantages

• There is a Wi-Fi module;
• The print resolution is quite high;
• Excellent print speed;
• A roomy output tray;
• Decent cartridge life;
• Modest size and weight.

Disadvantages

• Can be supplied without a paper feed tray;
• Not a very high scanner resolution;
• Only black and white printing is available;
• Not the most convenient control panel.

HP Laser MFP 132a

Rating: 4.7

You can find this device in many offices. Its durability shows well in such conditions. Even the manufacturer himself says that his creation without much difficulty cope with an unusually high load, when every month we have to print up to 10 thousand copies of the documents. pages. But it is impossible not to note that office workers will have to learn how to change the cartridge. The thing is that its resource lasts for 1000 pages. There is, however, an extra-capacity cartridge that needs to be replaced exactly half as often. But it will cost a lot more. In a word, in this aspect, MFP will lose to a printer with a built-in CISS in any case.

As you might have guessed, the HP Laser MFP 132a is only capable of printing in black and white. But it copes with its task as quickly as possible. In a minute there will be 20 prints! Or a little less if you decide to use the highest resolution (1200×1200 dpi). Only the first minute is an exception to the rule. The fact that the device takes 18 seconds to warm up and prepare to print.

As you have already understood, the device works only with A4 or smaller sheets. That goes for the printer as well as the scanner. The latter works in 16-bit color depth, which is enough for the vast majority of our readers. The resolution will not suit everybody – it is 600×600 dpi. However, it can be significantly improved by the software method. But don’t get your hopes up for a perfect scanning result. Not to mention the fact that the process takes a lot of time. If you scan black-and-white documents in black-and-white, the speed starts to amaze. Too bad there’s no auto-feeding of originals. That’s a nice extra that almost no other low-cost MFP has, though.

As for the copy function, it offers the user several important settings. In particular, scaling from 25% to 400% is available here.

Since the device turned out to be quite small, it could not get particularly roomy paper trays. It is really far from a record here. But we admit that the reported figures are surprising. 150-sheet capacity paper tray. This is great news for those who are going to put a MFP in the office. The output tray isn’t the smallest either – it won’t be full until after 100 sheets have been printed.

The HP Laser MFP 132a is a pretty good laser printer. It should do the trick for the many people who don’t want color printing. The only complaint here is the lack of built-in Wi-Fi. MFP did not have RJ-45 port, which would have allowed to connect it to the router and thus make it a part of the local network. Alas, it is necessary to connect MFP to the PC by USB-cable. This makes it very difficult to give the command to print from a smartphone.

You can find a lot of positive reviews of the HP Laser MFP 132a on the web. For example, Irina wrote on Yandex.Marketplace” the following: “The performance of the MFP is as described. No surprises so far, especially since I use almost the same one at work. Irina bought the device more than a year ago.

Advantages

• The high printing speed;
• Large trays for paper;
• Ready to print in large volumes;
• Not very noisy; High print resolution;
• Not very noisy.

Disadvantages

• There is no Wi-Fi module;
• Expensive consumables;
• Only black and white printing is available;
• Not a very high resolution scanner;
• The starter cartridge lasts for 300-400 pages.

antum M6507W

Rating: 4.6

The Pantum brand hardly says anything to our average reader. Meanwhile, it produces a variety of printing equipment under it, usually sold at a low price. And most often there are no special claims to it. For example, Pantum M6507W can please with high-quality laser printing. You just need to be prepared for the fact that the process here is only in black and white.

To begin with, it is a rare case when a cheap MFP has a built-in Wi-Fi. This means that it can be a part of a local network by simply connecting it to a router. So you can send printing commands not only from your computer but also from your smartphone. We should only warn you that not every application is able to recognize this model. So you’re going to have to go through several options.

The manufacturer claims that his creation can be used even in a small office. This is hinted at by the size of the MFP, which is quite large. Also the very capacious paper trays testify to it. For example, the paper tray has a capacity of 151 sheets. That should definitely be enough for a full day’s work in an average office.

The maximum this model is ready to print 20 thousand. pages per month. With such a ruthless mode of operation, you only need to change the consumables in time. The cartridge used here lasts for 1600 pages. Not a record value, but it is not enough to call it insufficient.

The M6507W works exclusively with A4 or even smaller sheets. The maximum built-in printer is capable of printing at a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi. If you lower this parameter, you can achieve an output of 22 prints per minute. It takes only 8 seconds to warm up, which can also be considered a marvelous result. Nothing bad can be said about the noise level – in this respect this model shows itself much better than its inkjet counterparts.

If we talk about the scanner, the resolution of its sensor is 1200×1200 dpi. You can’t call it slow. If you decide to use the copy mode, the scaling function will be available. In short, in this respect Pantum M6507W is almost no different from the competition. Note that you can use the copier without involving other devices – the appropriate buttons and the segment display.

Advantages

• Large capacity paper trays;
• Not very high price;
• Decent print resolution;
• A good scanner is built in;
• Good print speed;
• There is a Wi-Fi module;
• The printer and scanner are quite quiet.

Disadvantages

• Consumables can not be found in every store;
• A very tiny display is used;
• Only black and white printing is available;
• Some of the paper may be curled when printed;
• The starter cartridge runs out quickly.

HP OfficeJet Pro 8013

Rating: 4.5

Many modern MFPs have at their disposal a full-fledged LCD display. For example, the HP OfficeJet Pro 8013 has it. The screen that is installed here is a touch screen, which makes it even easier to operate the device. This means that you can create a copy of a document without turning on your computer. And this model has a Wi-Fi module that allows you to receive a print command from a smartphone or computer in the neighborhood. No wonder that the choice in favor of this MFP is made even by owners of office space.

Typically, inkjet printers are not prepared to withstand overly heavy usage rates. But not HP OfficeJet Pro 8013. This model is capable of printing up to 20,000 pages. A few pages per month. In short, it all comes down to consumables. The fact that if you print very often, you will have to change them almost every day. Standard cartridges only last 315 pages. Luckily, you can find XL versions in stores that last up to 825 pages. But even this value can not be called a record.

As you have already guessed, the built-in HP OfficeJet Pro 8013 printer is able to print not only in black and white. This is indicated by the fact that inside there are four cartridges. And if you activate the draft full-color printing, then every minute 18 pages will appear on the light. If you are interested in high quality, when the resolution of 4800×1200 dpi is used, the speed of the output of prints will be noticeably lower. However, this is the specifics of any inkjet printer. In the case of black and white printing, you can count on 28 pages./min. Unattainable result for many competitors!

This MFP consists of a printer, scanner and copier. Perhaps it is the scanner that surprises the most. The thing is that it has an auto-original feeder! Yes, it only holds 35 sheets. But at least the fact of its presence is pleasing!

In the office, the HP OfficeJet Pro 8013 can be approached only to get printed documents. You have to refill the paper feeder very rarely. It holds 225 sheets! Such figures are usually bragged only by much more expensive office MFPs, which are also much larger. The vendor made amends for the paper tray, which has a capacity of only 60 sheets.

Finally we have to mention that the American company by tradition has packed its MFPs with starter cartridges. They end, as they say, barely started. And it is better not to think about refilling them – the device may start swearing, not accepting accessories as original.

Advantages

• The scanner is supplemented by the auto-feeding of originals;
• Huge capacity of the paper feed tray;
• Built-in Wi-Fi module;
• Not very high cost;
• Color printing is available;
• High print resolution;
• Not a bad print speed;
• There is automatic duplex printing.

The downside

• The high cost of use;
• Modest capacity of the paper tray;
• The front cover is flimsy;
• Long preparation time for printing;
• Not a very high scanner resolution.

antum M6507

Rating: 4.4

It is a relatively small MFP, combining the printer, scanner and copier. As the manufacturer declares, it can be used both at home and in the office. In the second case you will be pleased with the fact that the device is ready to withstand even the most serious loads. This is evidenced by the datasheet, which specifies the ability to print up to 20k. Pages per month. But prepare yourself for regular cartridge changes, because even the biggest one is enough only for 2000 pages. Which, however, is not a bad thing, especially if you compare the Pantum M6507 to its inkjet counterparts.

The device is geared to A4 or smaller sheets of paper. In spite of the fact that the device is not created by a famous producer, it has a very good printer built in. The maximum it can print at a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi. This parameter is enough even for images, not to mention text. And if you reduce it, you’ll print much faster, up to 22 pages per minute./min. Good news is that it only takes 8 seconds to warm up. Consequently, the printer starts printing almost immediately.

The trays on this device are of medium capacity. Usually the bottleneck of such MFPs is the paper output tray, but here it is designed for a reasonable 100 sheets.

If we talk about the scanner, it is also very difficult to pick on it. Its sensor boasts a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi. The only complaint is the lack of auto-feeding of originals. But you’ve already realized that this is a rare guest in any inexpensive MFP. As for the copy function, it can be activated with the touch of a button. Glad to have the option of scaling up the copy at this point.

The only disappointment for a Pantum M6507 owner will be the fact that this MFP has no built-in Wi-Fi module. You will have to use a computer, the connection to which is made through a USB cable. And the wire does not need to buy separately, as Andrew writes about it, who left in the online store Citi

nk this review: “Good MFP. Connected to my notebook quickly, even though I had to download the drivers from the official site (the disk drive broke). The package includes a disk with the installation file, a cable adapter to the PC. I was also surprised that the warranty period was extended to two years.

The advantages

• Comes with everything you need;
• Extended warranty period;
• Low noise level;
• Good print resolution;
• High speed printing;
• Relatively good scanning.

Disadvantages

• Only black and white printing is available;
• There is no built-in Wi-Fi module;
• Increased power consumption;
• Often twists the paper;
• The software has few adjustments.

HP DeskJet Plus Ink Advantage 6075

Rating: 4.3

This MFP is present on the shelves of stores not for the first year. The device stands out from the competition due to its white painted body. Also please the modest size of this model, so HP DeskJet Plus Ink Advantage 6075 finds a place even near the computer of a schoolboy.

The manufacturer claims that this is not a MFP that can be subjected to serious stress. It is recommended to print not more than 1000 pages per month. So this model is not the best choice for a fairly large office. However, this is clear from the appearance of the device.

Despite the very low cost, the device is ready to please with the built-in Wi-Fi module. It allows you to make the MFP part of the home network. As a result, you get the opportunity to send documents to print directly from your smartphone. As for the wired connection, it uses a USB cable.

The built-in printer here works with inkjet technology. At the same time the user can print in color. Ink to the print head comes from two cartridges (one is a tri-color). So you can print and photos, but they can not be called perfect. By the way, the paper feed tray holds only 100 sheets. If we talk about the paper tray, it is even less capacious. It turns out that this is not the best specimen for printing multipage documents. This is hinted at by the insufficiently long life of the cartridges.

Like the other devices discussed in this article, the HP DeskJet Plus Ink Advantage 6075 is complemented by a scanner. It belongs to the traditional tablet type. Support for 24-bit color looks quite unexpected. There are no complaints and to the resolution, which is 1200×1200 dpi. In short, you can definitely use this MFP for converting paper photos into digital form. But the process will take time – the scanner can not be called a high-speed.

Advantages

• Built-in Wi-Fi module;
• Excellent scanner;
• Low cost;
• Automatic duplex printing is implemented;
• Modest size and weight;
• Low power consumption.

Disadvantages

• Not ready for high loads;
• Not very high printing speed;
• Expensive consumables;
• The paper trays were not particularly roomy;
• The memory capacity does not exceed 128 MB.

Canon PIXMA MG3640S

Rating: 4.2

This MFP shows that it is possible to produce such a device even for very little money. All you have to do is save on the little things that some people won’t even pay attention to. In particular, the manufacturer rejected the LCD display. Instead of it, only buttons are used here. And since there aren’t enough of them, you have to rely on the computer as well. The good thing is that you can connect to it not only with a traditional USB-cable, but also with Wi-Fi. It also has wireless networking support so you can send documents to print from your smartphone or tablet.

This model uses an inkjet type of printing. You should not expect a particularly high speed from the device. Even in draft prints, only 5 pages come out every minute. And if you activate the resolution 4800×1200 dpi, then the printer will be even slower. And if you need to print a black and white document, you can count on a speed of 10ppm./min.

It should be noted that there is an automatic two-sided printing. This feature makes printing multipage documents much easier. However, this does not mean that the Canon PIXMA MG3640S is suitable even for office use. The technical passport of this MFP says that this model is not ready to withstand any high loads. And let us not forget that the standard cartridges only last for 180 pages. Of course, there are their XL-versions, but their resource is far from a record.

The scanner present here will completely pay for your investment. The thing is that it is almost as good as the stand-alone devices that are sold at the price of this MFP. It, too, is capable of 48-bit color depth, and its resolution is 1200×2400 dpi. The only regret is the lack of automatic feeding of originals.

Not surprisingly, the relatively small MFP got not particularly roomy paper trays. However, at home it is quite possible to put up with it.

Finally, we should note that the starter cartridges are almost no different from the standard ones. Says Anastasia Vyrkova, who left on “Yandex.I received the following review on “Market”: “Great printer, the cartridge in the set was enough for 200 double-sided color pages + 10 A4 photos. If you had a laser printer before it, it will seem very slow to print, accept it.”.

Advantages

• High scanning resolution;
• High print resolution;
• The scanner supports 48-bit color depth;
• There is a built-in Wi-Fi module;
• Low power consumption;
• Modest size and weight.

Disadvantages

• Not a very high printing speed;
• You run out of cartridges rather quickly;
• Not the best photo quality;
• A minimum number of controls on the MFP itself;
• Trays for paper can not be called capacious.

Canon PIXMA MG2540S

Rating: 4.1

It is the simplest of devices, combining a printer, scanner and copier. At the same time, the first one works with ink-jet technology, which is currently the most inexpensive in its implementation. For printing, the ink is used in four colors, as in the vast majority of other cheap MFPs. Several buttons on the top panel are used to activate various functions. But as here there is no LCD-display, it is easier to use a computer, connection to which is carried out by means of the USB-cable. But if you’re relying on a Wi-Fi connection that allows you to send print commands from any smartphone, you’ll be disappointed.

The printer uses the usual thermal inkjet printing. This technology has a number of drawbacks. In particular, you will not be silent at all. And you can not count on any high speed. If you print in color, you can only get 4 pages even if you lower the resolution./minute. And only with black and white printing can you get twice the speed. By the way, the maximum available resolution – 4800×600 dpi. A decent parameter, suitable even for printing photos.

Since it is a small device, its trays can not hold a huge number of sheets of paper. Also disappointing are the two cartridges that are used here. They, too, are modestly sized. Because of it, the ink runs out after 180 pages. Further we recommend to buy XL-versions of cartridges – they will suffice for twice as many printed documents. Which, however, can’t be considered a serious result.

If we talk about the scanner, it has the least number of complaints. Its resolution is 600×1200 dpi, which is a relatively good parameter. Even more will please you with support of 48-bit color depth. As for the feeding system of originals, there is none – you have to rely only on your hands. Scanning quality can be assessed by reading a small review of Canon PIXMA MG2540S on Ozovik. Its author also noted the ease of replacing the cartridges. Indeed, not every MFP can boast of this.

Advantages

• Available color printing;
• Modest size and weight;
• Not bad scanning quality;
• Very low cost;
• Low power consumption.

Disadvantages

• No Wi-Fi module;
• Slow scanning speed;
• The paper trays only hold 60 sheets;
• Low scanning speed;
• Consumables do not last long.

Conclusion

Now you know what MFPs you should pay attention to if you have only a relatively small amount of money available. Despite their low cost, these devices can please us with their good scanning quality, decent printing speed and many other parameters.

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