The good: This compact mono laser multifunction printer boasts a cheap price, a compact design, dead-simple installation and quick print speeds. The bad: To hit its low price, the printer leaves off a few features, including auto-duplexing, Wi-Fi and a full-size paper tray. The cost: $135 to $250: The bottom line: The LaserJet Pro M1212nf is the company's cheapest monochrome multifunction laser printer. For the money, it earns our recommendation for its Smart Install feature and excellent value.
Brother HL-2270DW: Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good) The good: Lives up to Brother's reputation for reliable, easy-to-use, wireless monochrome laser printers. The bad: The printer struggles to provide visually acceptable graphic documents.
The cost: $115 to $159: The bottom line: With improvements to its speed, the HL-2270DW is better than its predecessor and provides small businesses with an efficient device for high-volume black-and-white prints.
Dell 1350cnw Color Laser Printer
Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good): The good: Economical LED engine; wireless connectivity; easy installation; prints high-quality color documents; supports manual duplexing. The bad: Slow print speeds.
The cost: $203 to $235: The bottom line: If you print a high volume of monochrome and color documents, the 1350cnw color laser printer delivers strong results with a variety of wired and wireless networking options. As long as you're patient with its sluggish output and small LED screen, we recommend the 1350cnw for use in a small business or home office.
Epson WorkForce 520: Cnet rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (very good) The good: Excellent output quality; fast; office-friendly features include auto document feeder, Wi-Fi and Ethernet networking. The bad: Lacks PictBridge/memory card reader; mediocre photo print quality.
The cost: $83 to $130 The bottom line: The WorkForce 520 isn't ideal for photo printing or graphics-heavy documents, but this all-in-one device delivers office-capable features like an auto document feeder and multiple connection options. For light office work, the WorkForce 520 is a solid choice.