The last device we reviewed from this Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) was also an A3 printer – the Kyocera ECOSYS P4040DN. However, that printer was a single function printer as opposed to the device we’re reviewing today – the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP. The Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP is a multifunction monochrome laser printer that is as well equipped with features as any other device in the market falling in the same segment. The Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP is a device that would be ideal for small to medium scale businesses.
While it would be suited to all such businesses, it will particularly add value to those small to medium scale businesses that expect their operations to grow manifold in the next few years. The features and options in the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP are such that it is perfect for fast growing, printing dependent businesses that print A3 sheets as much as A4 sheets. One of these is, of course, the much lauded, HyPAS solution platform. If you’re considering buying this device, then it might be a good idea to go through the following review.
Strengths of Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP
The biggest strength of the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP is its affordability. This device is economy personified, regardless of how you look at it. If you consider initial cost then you will find the FS-6530MFP to be very competitive in a market that is already known for being competitive. Generally, you will find the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP to be valued about $3,000 but if you look properly, you’ll definitely find some nice deals on it. For example, at Inkjet Wholesale, this device is almost $200 cheaper.
The affordability of this device extends beyond initial costs to running or operational costs as well. The accepted and expected rule in the printer world is that if the initial cost of a device is high, then its running costs will be lower and vice versa.
The Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP bucks that trend though by not only offering competitive initial costs but also low running costs. When you run this device on a regular basis with genuine cartridges i.e. cartridges made by the OEM, you’ll find your per-page cost to be around 1.05 cents per page.
This is so competitive that using generic cartridges will only result in a minor reduction in the per-page cost. With compatible cartridges, you can expect your per-page cost to be around 1.03 cents. If this affordability wasn’t amazing enough for you, Kyocera will help you save another way i.e. paper costs.
This device comes with the automatic duplex feature. This means that two-sided printing will be an option you can choose whenever you want with your print tasks. Automatic duplexing will halve the amount of money you end up spending on paper, even if it will more than double your print time.
The Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP also excels when it comes to paper handling. If you don’t opt for any additional components, then you’ll get a device whose paper handling capacity will total to 600 sheets split between a 100-sheet multipurpose tray and a 500-sheet universal paper cassette. However, if you feel so inclined, you can actually increase your device’s maximum paper handling capacity to unbelievable 1,600 sheets by way of adding two 500-sheet universal paper cassettes.
All these advantages should convince you to buy the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP as it is but what is interesting here is that we aren’t even done listing all the strengths of this device. We’ve left the best for the last in the form of the HyPAS™ solution platform. HyPAS stands for Hybrid Platform for Advanced Solutions. The HyPAS solution platform contains a number of highly intuitive and effective business solutions or applications that the FS-6530MFP owners can use to customise their device usage. These business applications are either devised by Kyocera or approved third parties.
Weaknesses of Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP
For a device that boasts of so many great features, we find it strange that it has the kind of weaknesses that we’re about to mention. The Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP is a great option for all small to medium scale businesses, provided they can overlook these mistakes by the OEM. The first and foremost is that this device doesn’t come with faxing capability.
This absence stands out because most modern multifunction devices have four functions – print, copy, scan, and fax. At the same time, it makes sense for today’s multifunction printer to not have faxing as a standard function because very few users use it now in light of Emails and IMs. It is likely that you also fall into this category, if you don’t, then Kyocera has provided for you in the way of an optional faxing component.
Another flaw of the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP is that it doesn’t offer wireless connectivity and this absence is the opposite of faxing i.e. it stands out like a sore. Wi-Fi connections are everywhere these days and even large corporations have ditched wired connectivity. So, for a business multifunction printer to not have such connectivity option is a big problem. Kyocera has only provided USB 2.0 and Ethernet as connectivity options. In fact, wireless connectivity isn’t even an option that users can choose.
Furthermore, despite offering exceptional cost metrics and high paper capacities, the OEM has overlooked print speeds. The print speed that this device is rated for is decidedly mediocre.
At 30 pages per minute for A4 sheets and half of that for A3 sheets, the print speed of this device falls in the middle of the acceptable spectrum for this market segment. The final flaw of the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP is its weight. This is easily one of the heavier devices in the market which means that you’ll need strong men to move it around your office. The FS-6530MFP weighs 52.2 Kg.
Key Features of Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP
Even though the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP weighs quite a bit, all that mass is compact. This machine measures about 694mm high and 590mm wide and deep both. You should ideally pick out a quiet corner for this heavy machine so that you don’t have to move it around much. Since it is more compact than its competitors, this shouldn’t be all that difficult for you. Functionally, another statistic worth considering about the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP is that it will take only about 9 seconds to deliver the first page to you.
While you’ll control the device from your laptop, desktop, or tablet most of the times, you’ll also have the option of using the provided control panel. The control panel of the Kyocera ECOSYS FS-6530MFP consists of a colour touch screen that has wizard-style navigation for the users’ convenience. With respect to memory, the standard variant of the device comes with 1024MB RAM but this can be upgraded to 2048MB through add-ons. Other add-ons available with this device include a paper feeder, a sheet feeder, a cabinet, a 1GB DIMM memory, and a finisher.
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