Issue #0429/2 - Low cost copying and printing for the small office? No problem, the Kyocera FS-1018MFP does most of what you need and the cost you need.
Kyocera introduced the FS-1018MFP earlier this month into Europe, a smart new mono desktop multifunction device running at 18ppm, which it says is the first entry-level MFP to benefit from its unique ECOSYS long-life drum technology.
At 0.68 pence, the nominal CPP for the new FS-1018MFP is not as low as other 18ppm Kyocera machines, for instance the FS-1900 printer with a nominal CPP of 0.40 pence – the toner is the same as that used in the 20ppm FS-1020D printer. The reason for the relatively high CPP is that the toner cartridge yields a relatively low (for Kyocera) 7,200 pages against the 15,000 pages of the TK-50H toner used in the FS-1900.
| Purchase | Comments | Nominal CPP |
3-year CPP-2,500 pages per month |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kycocera FS-1018MFP | £449 | Network Standard | 0.68 pence | 1.21 pence |
| Brother DCP-8040 | £429 | Network Optional | 1.31 pence | 1.71 pence |
| Brother MFC-8440 | £549 | Network Optional, Fax | 1.31 pence | 1.84 pence |
| Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 3380 | £497 | Network Optional, Fax | 1.22 pence | 1.78 pence |
| Xerox WorkCentre PE-16 | £338 | Network Optional, Fax | 1.95 pence | 2.27 pence |
Note: 3-year CPP is calculated at a usage rate of 2,500 pages per month using maximum capacity toners and takes into account any standard, or starter, toner cartridges shipped with the printer.
However, it must be remembered that the CPP of 0.68 pence is still very low when compared with other desktop printers and MFPs with similar-sized toner cartridges – for instance (looking at printers) the Brother HL6050 @ 1.03 pence per page; the Brother HL-5130 @ 1.31 pence; the Konica Minolta PagePro 1250 @1.6 pence; and the Xerox Phaser 3400 @ 1.51 pence. For MFP comparisons, see accompanying table. And, in the future there is always the possibility that Kyocera may introduce a new high capacity cartridge for this machine in the way that the company did with the TK-50H cartridge for the FS-1900, at 15,000 pages, replacing the TK-50 with its yield of 10,000 pages.
With a purchase price of £449, the FS-1018MFP costs more to buy than both the Brother DCP-8040 and Xerox WorkCentre PE-16 and the PE-16 even has fax capability included that the FS-1018MFP does not have. However, Kyocera’s FS-1018MFP is the only machine to offer networking straight out of the box – it is also equipped with USB 2.0 high speed interface.
Targeted at the entry-level, this is not a heavy duty machine. With a rated drum life of 100,000 pages (with no maintenance kit available), a maximum duty cycle of just 10,000 pages per month and a recommended duty cycle of 2,500 pages per month, the life expectancy of the machine at the recommended duty cycle would be 40 months. To get five years-worth of usage from the machine, it would be necessary to print not more than 1,650 pages each month.
That said, the FS-1018MFP is an ideal machine for the cost-conscious small office with relatively limited print/copy requirements. For users trying to make it last for five years, there is still the capability to print 80 pages per day, which is more than enough for many work environments. At the recommended cycle of 2,500 pages per month, 40 months is more than three years usage and allows printing of 120 pages per day.
Over three years, including the purchase price, a user would spend a total of £1,086 on 90,000 pages if printing at the recommended duty cycle of 2,500 pages per month at 5% coverage on each page. This works out at 1.21 pence per page, less than the toner only cost on many workgroup laser printers.
Certainly, as a highly configured, network-ready, 18ppm multifunction peripheral, with a purchase price of £449, the FS-1018MFP represents reasonable value for money against the competitors but its main attraction is that it offers excellent long term value over the period of utilisation.
There are two disappointing factors about the FS-1018MFP:
- firstly, it does not have a duplex printing capability, even optional – but none of the other MFPs listed here have duplex as standard either. Brother’s two machines are available as duplex models, if required
- secondly, the ADF is an optional extra whereas it is a standard feature on all the other models considered here.
In addition, whereas fax is standard on several of these models, a fax capability is not available on the FS-1018MFP at this point in time. But, a fax capability is expected in the near future. Also expected is a scan-to-PC capability, not available at present. The device currently allows scanning only to Email (in colour) in PDF, TIFF or JPEG formats. However, even in its current state, a work-around should be possible to scan to PC by scanning to Email and then saving the file out of the Email message, from where it should be possible even to OCR the file.
Flexibility is available in the form of PostScript 3 emulation (KPDL3) as well as PCL6/PCL5e. However, I would have preferred to see an ADF offered as standard rather than the inclusion of PostScript emulation. Most small offices do not require PostScript whereas an ADF, and duplex capability, are very useful features for all offices, both helping to reduce the Total Cost of Printing by reducing time spent at the machine and paper consumption.
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