Sharp FO-4500 Printer Review
The Sharp FO-4500 is a pretty basic laser fax machine, without a lot of bells and whistles, and its faxing speeds are pretty slow. Although it is marketed as a multifunction device, its printing and scanning functions will be quite limited. The one saving grace might be its high-capacity Sharp FO-4500 printer toner supplies, which are quite affordable to replace.
The limited faxing speed of the FO-4500 results in a transmission time of around 6 seconds per page. While that might not seem too limited, Super G3 models are able to transmit in around 2 or 3 seconds per page. The machine can be switched between manual and automatic modes, however, and it supports pages up to 8.5x14 inches in size.
When it comes to paper handling, the unit comes with support for 650 sheets in its main tray, and users can add an extra 500-sheet tray to expand it further. An automatic document feeder can hold up to 50 sheets at a time for input, and makes short work of stacks of documents.
The machine itself is a little larger than some buyers might expect. It measures 18.2x27.2x23.4 inches, and it weighs just less than 50 pounds, even when including the weight of the Sharp FO-4500 toner.
Speaking of toners, the Sharp FO-4500 toner cartridges might be the most compelling reason to choose this model. With large capacities of 5,500 pages each, the Sharp FO-4500 toner cartridges make this device one of the most affordable ways to receive faxes in its class.
Overall, the Sharp FO-4500 won't hold a lot of appeal unless buyers are looking for a cheap solution for faxing. Even then, other multifunction models can offer a lot more features for the price, and better printing and scanning options as well.
