At 12.5 by 17.9 by 16.6 inches (HWD), the C320 is about average in size for a low-cost color laser printer. That said, it’s not quite as compact as the Brother HL-L3295CDW, which measures 10.8 by 17.6 by 15.7 inches. The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is a little smaller at 11.3 by 16.6 by 16.8 inches. And the Ricoh C125 P Color Laser Printer is a little taller and narrower, measuring 13.1 by 15.7 by 17.7 inches. They’re all in the same ballpark, but if your available space is quite narrow, that might give the Ricoh model an advantage.
(Credit: David English)
You’ll notice more of a divergence in the respective weights among this group. The C320 tips the scales at 46 pounds, which is somewhat heavy for its price and specifications. By contrast, the Brother HL-L3295CDW comes in at 36.8 pounds, and the HP 4201dw slides in just below that at an even 36 pounds. The Ricoh C125 P outweighs them all, weighing a substantial 55.1 pounds. Are heavier printers better than their lightweight equivalents? That depends on your point of view. They’re much easier to lift and move about. However, if you’re concerned that lightweight models might use plastic parts where metal would be preferred, you may favor heftier models.
(Credit: David English)
Given the modest retail price of this model, you might expect some capability cutbacks compared with higher-priced models. Those kinds of cutbacks often show up in the paper input capabilities. The C320 has a standard 250-sheet paper input tray, but only a single-sheet manual feed slot. That can be limiting, though Xerox does offer an optional $219 accessory that not only adds a 550-sheet paper input tray but also significantly boosts the single-sheet manual feed with an integrated 100-sheet bypass tray.
For comparison, the Brother HL-L3295CDW has a 250-sheet capacity input tray, a 30-sheet multipurpose input tray, and an optional 250-sheet paper tray. The HP 4201dw has a 250-sheet capacity input tray, a 50-sheet multipurpose input tray, and an optional 550-sheet paper tray. Finally, the Ricoh C125 P has a 250-sheet capacity input tray, a single-sheet override input tray, and an optional 500-sheet paper tray.
(Credit: David English)
On the output side, the C320 leads this group with its unusually large 170-sheet paper output tray. The Brother and HP models are not too far back with their 150-sheet output trays, while the Ricoh is further behind at 125 sheets. If you tend to need long print runs, especially unattended ones, you may want to pay close attention to this often-ignored specification. And no, you can’t upgrade the size of the output tray on any of these printers.
Even though these models are not meant to be used constantly, you do want them to be able to take on a reasonable amount of heavy work in a pinch. Here, the C320 rises above the others, making it a real standout for the price if a moderate-to-heavy workload is required. Xerox gives the C320 an unusually high 6,000-page recommended monthly print volume rating. Both the Brother HL-L3295CDW and HP 4201dw have a 4,000-page recommended monthly print volume. And the Ricoh C125 P is rated for a subpar 1,500 pages, which is only a quarter of the recommended monthly print volume of the C320.
It’s a similar story with the ratings for maximum monthly duty cycle. Here, the C320 has a very high 65,000-page maximum monthly duty cycle, while the Brother HL-L3295CDW and HP 4201dw are rated for a still-quite-strong 50,000-page maximum monthly duty cycle. And once again, the Ricoh C125 P can’t keep up with the others with its lackluster 30,000 pages.
