Sharp SF-8400 Printer Review
The Sharp SF-8400 laser copier is neither the fastest nor the most full-featured in its class, but it does offer a good balance of performance and affordability. Rated at up to 25 pages per minute, it can handle a small office quite easily, and replacement Sharp SF-8400 printer toner supplies are priced well for tight budgets.
One of the more frustrating omissions to the SF-8400's design is the lack of an automatic document feeder, as its base configuration includes only a flatbed scanning platen with a lid. A document feeder is available as an upgrade option, however, and most buyers would do well to install it. This will provide continuous scanning of up to 50 sheets at a time.
For both input and output, the unit supports a maximum paper size of 11x17 inches. The two main paper trays hold 500 and 250 sheets, with a 50-sheet manual bypass tray available for specialty media when needed.
Other potential upgrades include a 15-bin sorter to keep copies organized and a duplexer for two-sided printing, which can also help conserve paper. It is worth noting, however, that installing multiple upgrades may raise the price of the machine a bit too high for most buyers.
Of course, the cost of toners is a big factor, and Sharp SF-8400 toner cartridges are inexpensive enough to make buyers look past the machine's drawbacks. With a page yield of around 6,000 sheets, Sharp SF-8400 toner cartridges can last a long time, even in a fairly busy office. This keeps the overall expense of Sharp SF-8400 toner quite low.
The SF-8400 has a solid design that will fit a small office environment quite well. Still, it's hard to look past its slow speeds, and many buyers might require at least one optional upgrade that competing models already include.
