Kyocera FS-4300DN review

To look at Kyocera’s new FS-4300DN you wouldn’t think it possible, but this compact desktop mono laser has a quoted top speed of 60ppm. It also offers low print costs of 0.4p per page, has duplexing as standard, and input capacity can be expanded up to 2,600 sheets.

It breezed through our speed tests: a 30-page Word document completed in 30 seconds at 600dpi for 60ppm. The driver’s “Fine” 1,200dpi setting didn’t faze it either, with speed remaining constant, while duplexing the same test returned 44ppm. The time to first page was below ten seconds.

Output quality isn’t so clever, and while text was crisp and clear, it struggled with graphics and mono photos. The main problem is excessive banding, evident in our test photos, reports and brochures.

On a more positive note, Kyocera won’t be beaten for running costs. It achieves this with a combination of low-cost, high-capacity toner cartridges and a ceramic print drum that lasts 500,000 pages. Kyocera’s printer driver offers plenty of features, too, and the print server’s web interface lets you view consumable status, page counts and job queues.

Access to the printer can be secured with user authentication, and there’s also PIN protection for individual print jobs. You can print from USB sticks using the port at the front, although an eight-page PDF document took 2mins 20secs to print using this mode.

There are plenty of extras, with support for four additional 500-sheet lower trays or a 2,000-sheet bulk paper feeder. You can install a 32GB SSD for storing encrypted print jobs, and add Kyocera’s Data Security Kit so they can be released with a swipe card.

The FS-4300DN weighs only 14.6kg, but it’s a fast and cheap text-printing workhorse; only the poor graphics print quality prevents us from recommending this printer.

Author: Dave Mitchell