Kyocera TASKalfa 2552ci and 3252ci Review

Good: EFI Fiery controller (on the TASKalfa 3252ci), 9" tablet-like interface, scalable paper handling.
Bad: Faxing and document feeders are only available as options.
Bottom Line: New color MFPs for SMBs that are part of a refresh of Kyocera's TASKalfa line.
Vendor:
Product:
Price:
Intended Users:
Kyocera
TASK. 2552ci/3252ci
$8,110-$9,224
Small, Medium
Speed Black:
Speed Color:
Processor:
Memory:
25 ppm - 32 ppm
25 ppm - 32 ppm
1 GHz
4 GB

Product Overview

Kyocera plans to overhaul its entire product line of black-and-white and color printers and multifunction printers (MFPs) in 2016, starting with the TASKalfa 2552ci and 3252ci.

These two new color MFPs are intended for small and medium-sized businesses and offer standard copying, printing and scanning functions. Both devices replace the older TASKalfa 2551ci that was released in 2014, and they have several enhancements, including a faster processor, more memory, a larger interface and mobile capability.

The TASKalfa 2552ci ($8,110) copies and prints at 25 ppm in both black and color, while the TASKalfa 3252ci ($9,224) copies and prints at 32 ppm.

While copying, printing and scanning features are standard, faxing is optional. First-page-out-time for copying in color is 8.5 seconds on the 2552ci and 7 seconds on the 3252ci.

Both devices start with a 1 GHz processor, 4 MB of memory and a 320 GB hard drive. PCL, PostScript and XPS printing languages are supported, as is Kyocera’s proprietary PRESCRIBE language. Ethernet and USB connectivity are standard, while Wi-Fi is optional. Mobile printing and scanning are supported via Apple AirPrint, Google CloudPrint and Kyocera Mobile Print.

Both machines have a customizable 9″ color touchscreen interface that works similarly to a tablet. Users can download any of Kyocera’s 60 business applications via its programming interface, Hybrid Platform Advanced Solutions (HyPAS).

More details are in our Features section below.

The TASKalfa 2552ci and 3252ci are good buys for small to medium-sized offices looking to add a color MFP to their businesses. The MFPs include the same strong features as Kyocera’s higher-end devices.

Features

Paper handling: Paper handling starts with two 500-sheet trays and a 150-sheet bypass. Kyocera offers optional paper trays that max out at 7,150 sheets, including two 500-sheet trays, two 1,500-sheet trays and a 3,000-sheet capacity tray. The standard 500-sheet trays accept up to legal-sized (8.5″ x 14″) paper, while the bypass and optional 500-sheet trays can accept up to 12″ x 18″ paper.

On both devices, there’s a choice of three optional document feeders: a 50-sheet reversing automatic document feeder, a 140-sheet reversing automatic document feeder and a 270-sheet document feeder that scans both sides of a page in a single pass.

There are a few finishing options. First, there’s a 500-sheet internal finisher that includes a 50-sheet dual-stapling position. Users can purchase an optional 2/3-hole punch kit. Second, there’s a 1,000-sheet finisher with 50-sheet multiposition stapling and an optional punch kit. Finally, there’s the 4,000-sheet finisher with 65-sheet multiposition stapling. Users can also purchase an optional booklet folder/tri-fold unit and multi-bin mailbox for this finisher. The mailbox includes seven trays with a 100-sheet capacity per tray.

Scanning: Users can send their scans in various ways, including scanning to folder, email, FTP, USB, TWAIN and WSD. These devices accept several file formats, such as TIFF, PDF, XPS and JPEG. Searchable PDF is optional. Scanning can be done in both black and color with a resolution of up to 600 dpi.

Faxing: The optional fax features include a 33.6 Kbps modem and 170 MB of memory. Network and duplex faxing are supported.

Security: The devices support many security features, such as local and network authentication, secure print and LDAP authentication. Optional features include a data security kit, hard-drive overwrite mode and hard-drive encryption.

EFI Fiery controller: Only available on the TASKalfa 3252ci, users can optionally purchase the EFI Fiery Printing System 15 controller if they have professional print jobs requiring higher image quality or complex color workflows. It comes with a 2.7 GHz processor, 2 GB of memory and a 500 GB hard drive. It supports PDF, PostScript and Microsoft Office formats. Other features include variable data printing, Fiery ColorWise color management tools and Fiery Command Workstation, to name a few.

  • Automatic Document Feeder?
  • Duplexing?
  • Ethernet Connectivity?
  • Wireless Connectivity?
  • Mobile Printing/Scanning?
  • Finishers?

Shortcomings

Faxing is only available as an option, whereas other devices in this level of the market offer it as standard (such as the Konica Minolta bizhub C227). The document feeders are also only available as options.

The Fiery controller isn’t available on the TASKalfa 2552ci device.

About

Kyocera Document Solutions America, headquartered in Fairfield, NJ, is a leading provider of computer-connectable document imaging and document management systems, including MFPs/printers, laser printers, color MFPs/printers and wide-format imaging solutions.

Kyocera Document Solutions America is part of Kyocera Document Solutions Inc., a core company of Kyocera Corporation, the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of advanced ceramics and associated products, including telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages and electronic components.

Copystar brand: Kyocera also sells its machines under the Copystar name. The brand was originally created for smaller dealers, but it now sells a full range of color and black-and-white MFPs and printers. The Copystar models are identical to the equivalent Kyocera ones and sell at the same prices.

Send feedback or corrections to feedback@betterbuys.com.

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