Compact home printer vs business-class printer
Why a $500 model can be a better deal than a $150 one — when your workload is heavy enough.
Built for different workloads
Compact home models are built for under 200 pages a month. Business-class models are built for thousands. Run either outside its zone and things get unhappy quickly. Early wear on the home model; overkill on the business one.
Where business-class earns its price
Higher monthly duty cycles, much higher yield supplies, sturdier paper handling, better network features, longer warranty. The cost-per-page gap usually pays back the price difference for heavy users.
When the compact model is still right
Light home use. No heavy report printing. Limited desk space. There's no advantage in buying business-class capacity you won't use — supplies and parts depreciate over time even when idle.
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