Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We are a small security consulting company and use a lot of technology in our office. While we have higher end HP products in daily use in our office (DesignJet plotter, large format color laser and inkjets), my go-to for this type of low-end, multi-function or standalone printer has most frequently been Brother. They are easy to set-up, configure, and use, cost of consumables is reasonable, and they have been reliable workhorses. When the opportunity to test the HP LaserJet Pro Multifunction M428fdw Wireless Laser Printer through the Vines program came up, I thought “Why not?” I figured I would replace the Brother HL-54700dw on my credenza with the HP and see how I liked it. I already have an older standalone Canon DR2580C scanner which meets my needs, and I expected to test the HP unit out and use it somewhere else after testing, returning to my normal workflow. This baby isn’t going anywhere! First, the setup. Keep in mind this is made for an office environment; I was able to set it up without using the manual, but I wouldn’t give it to the technically challenged. You plug it in, follow a few prompts on the front panel LCD screen, go to HP’s site (123.hp.com) as directed, and download the software. It installs everything, with very little prompting, and the attention to detail is exceptional. A minor quibble is that I had to go through the fax setup as well, even though I (and most people, I suspect) won’t be using that feature. A skip button would have been handy, and it did let me exit without testing so you don’t actually have to hook it to a phone line. Still, needlessly entering fax information was a waste of time. There are a lot of nice touches in terms of construction. The 2.5” color touchscreen is surprisingly useful, and a pivoting bracket allows you to tilt it to avoid glare. It is just sensitive enough to be functional; no false triggers, double actions, or frustrations. There’s a front panel power button that is easily accessible (my Dell and Brother printers all have them on the back or side). Trays open easily and intuitively, and the graphical icons are easy to understand. It comes with a standard (estimated 3,000 page) HP-58A toner cartridge installed, not a starter cartridge, and removing it and replacing it were dead simple. There’s an optional 10,000-page (estimated) HP-58X cartridge available, and there’s no question about it; HP cartridges are pricey. The 10,000-page cartridge is about $225 on amazon, while a Brother 8,000-page cartridge runs less than $100. This is only partially offset by the fact that HP toner cartridges include the drum, where others require a separate (usually about 30,000 page) unit. Still, know about consumables costs going in, and if this is a concern than plan accordingly. I do not believe this printer currently allows the use of non-HP cartridges, but I don’t personally go with off-brand supplies anyway. In terms of performance, I’m a fan. Printing is extremely fast (rated 40 PPM) and the quality is great; better in “Standard” mode for fine shading than in the higher quality mode. I printed from a PC, USB stick (it printed Word and PDF documents without a hitch) and even wirelessly from my phone, a Samsung Galaxy S9+. The duty cycle is rated at 50,000 pages per month which seems high to me; the paper trays (one manual and one 250 page) seem a little on the flimsy side for that kind of use, but I didn’t try to break them. I did not experience any jams or paper handling issues, and the way the duplexer works is inexplicable to me but fascinating to watch. Scanning was easy as well, once I tinkered with the setup software. It will scan to a network folder or a folder on my PC, and scans to PDF and other formats. Scans were sharp and clear, can be implemented from the front panel, and were very fast. I like that you can set up preferences in the software but override them from the front panel as needed. I was unable to get the unit to scan to email, a feature it provides, but I suspect this was an ISP or firewall setting and didn’t feel like chasing it down. Copies were also excellent, nearly indistinguishable from the original, and the ability to copy both sides of a 2-sided document in one pass was handy. All in all, this printer is a keeper. It does everything you could want and then some, is attractive, quiet, and fast. I have ordered the optional 550 sheet lower paper tray (I’m paying for that), and I plan on keeping it in my office. Just know what you’re getting in to in terms of consumables costs and don’t manhandle the paper trays and it’s an excellent choice for a small office or higher-end home office. Highly recommended. EDIT 2019-08-05: A question came up as to whether or not genuine HP toner had to be used. While I will stick with HP supplies, I researched this out of curiosity. Using the web interface, under settings/supplies/supply settings, there's a setting for "Cartridge Policy" which states "The printer can be configured to use only new, genuine HP supplies. Genuine HP supplies that have been used previously—or non-HP supplies—must be replaced to continue printing." You can set that to "Off" or "Authorized HP". Presumably "Off" would allow you to use non-HP supplies. FYI, it is off by default.