HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw vs Brother HL-L3220CDW
The HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw is a color laser using toner; the Brother HL-L3220CDW is a color laser using toner. A black page costs 4.1¢ on one and 3.2¢ on the other. Over 5,000 pages the Brother HL-L3220CDW works out about $136 cheaper to have owned.
- HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw~$756~$379 printer + ~$377 supplies
- Brother HL-L3220CDW~$621~$299 printer + ~$322 supplies
purchase priceink or toner. An estimate: purchase price plus 5,000 pages at each printer’s computed cost per page, assuming 4 mono pages for every colour page. Printers whose consumable price we could not source are left out.
- HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw
- ~$379 to buy · ~$756 after 5,000 pages
- Brother HL-L3220CDW
- ~$299 to buy · ~$621 after 5,000 pages
Estimates computed from published ISO page yields and consumable list prices.
| Spec | HPHP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw | BrotherBrother HL-L3220CDW |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$379 | ~$299 |
| Cost per mono page | 4.1¢ | 3.2¢ |
| Cost per colour page | 21¢ | 19¢ |
| Cost to own, 5,000 pages | ~$756 | ~$621 |
| Technology | Laser | LED |
| Ink system | Toner | Toner |
| Black consumable | HP 206X high-yield black toner · 3,150 pages | Brother TN229XL high-yield black toner · 3,000 pages |
| Colour consumable | HP 206X high-yield colour toners · 2,450 pages | Brother TN229XL high-yield colour toners · 2,300 pages |
| Third-party ink lock | No | No |
| Print speed, mono | 22 ISO ppm | 19 ISO ppm |
| Print speed, colour | 22 ISO ppm | 19 ISO ppm |
| Functions | ||
| Two-sided printing | Auto | Auto |
| Document feeder | None | None |
| Paper capacity | 250 sheets | 250 sheets |
| Max paper size | Legal | Legal |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi · Ethernet | Wi-Fi |
| Display | 2.7" colour touchscreen | Mono LCD |
| Weight | 35.7 lb | 24.7 lb |
Tinted rows are where these two differ.
Someone who already owns a scanner and wants colour laser output on its own: print-only, 22 ISO ppm, and no HP supplies lock.
Colour documents that get handled, filed or highlighted — where inkjet ink would smear — in low enough volume that toner cost stays bearable.