Epson EPL-6200

Epson's EPL-6200 mono laser printer costs £128 and falls almost exactly in the middle of the price range of this month's models. This average price, unfortunately, indicates what you're getting if you part with your cash for it: a very middle-of-the-road printer.

The paper tray that pokes out of the front of the machine renders the EPL-6200 bulky and awkward on the desk, and it's disappointing in terms of capacity: it can hold only 126 sheets.

Speed is disappointing, too: it's slow to print the first page, especially from sleep mode in which it takes 23 seconds, and it never really recovers. It's the second-slowest with plain text and Excel tests, and rock-bottom with our DTP documents.

Our photo montage was the only genuinely fast result at 20 seconds, but this may seem like a rush job when you see the quality. The EPL-6200 gained the lowest scores for photographic output.

Feature-wise, the EPL-6200 isn't the weakest of the group, but it certainly reflects its low price. Ethernet costs extra, and there's no duplex printing or LCD screen, either. Toner cartridges are relatively expensive at £61, and running costs are high; only the Lexmark and Oki are dearer to run.

Compared to the competition, the EPL-6200 just doesn't have enough going for it. The speed and quality are nothing special in this company, and the running costs negate the advantage it gets from its low purchase price if you print more than sporadically. If you don't print much it may offer some value, but there are better printers available.

Author: Darien Graham-Smith