Dell B5460dn Toner Cartridges

Dell B5460dn Printer Review

The Dell B5460dn laser printer can reach impressive speeds of up to 63 pages per minute, and is not overly bulky in design. Unfortunately, buyers will pay for it in upfront costs and in the high replacement cost of Dell B5460dn printer toner. For pure speed in a busy office, however, it might be a good choice.

Sometimes referred to only as the B5460, the "dn" in the B5460dn model name denotes its automatic duplexing and networking support, two of its most important features. The duplex function can help reduce paper usage by printing on both sides of the page, and the included ethernet port and management tools make it easy to share and monitor. The device can also be connected directly via USB, with parallel and wireless support available as optional upgrades.

Reviewers were mainly positive about the unit's fast speeds, but noted that its output quality was not particularly impressive. Text was considered average, but photos and graphics did not meet the level of much of its competition. With a maximum resolution of 1200 dpi, this is somewhat surprising, but it should still be a good choice for everyday office prints.

The standard input paper capacity includes a 550-sheet standard tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray. Numerous optional upgrades are available, including a 2,100-sheet tray, with a maximum input capacity of 4,400 pages available with all upgrades installed.

Although Dell touts a low cost per page, replacement toners are actually fairly expensive. With a standard Dell B5460dn toner cartridge available with a capacity of 25,000 pages and a high-capacity version at 45,000 pages, the larger version will be more economical. At the very least, the large capacities of Dell B5460dn toner cartridges will mean less frequent replacements will be needed.

The most impressive aspect of the B5460dn is undoubtedly its fast print speeds. Extras like duplexing and excellent network management add to its value, but it may be tough for small offices to justify its upfront price, or its expensive Dell B5460dn toner supplies.