Pantum P2502W: An Honest Review

Smaller than many inkjets, the Pantum P2502W mono laser printer is suited for homes, home offices, and tiny offices with light print needs, text output, and no colour. Pantum, like other Pantum printers like the P3012DW, doesn’t list a price but a range of up to $99 at this writing. Paper capacity and speed are similar to the HP Neverstop Laser 1001nw, our Editors’ Choice entry-level mono laser. The 1001nw is cheaper to use than the P3012DW, which is cheaper to acquire. Which will cost less over time depending on how many pages you print.

Pantum P2502W Specification

PROS

• Inexpensive
• Quality text
• Good graphics and photos
• Wired and wireless networks

CONS

• Paper curls after printing.
• Manual duplexing only
• Unusual paper-feeding noise

Setup is Simple for Mono Lasers

Due to its modest size (10.5 pounds and 7 by 13.3 by 8.7 inches (HWD) with the trays closed) and single cartridge, the P2502W is straightforward to set up, like most small monochrome lasers. Other than finding a spot for it, you just need to remove the cartridge from the Printer, remove the drum’s protective sheet and the plastic tab that holds the toner during shipping, and put it back in. The small size makes the Printer quick to set up, comfortable for a desktop, and a tempting solution for a space-constrained office. You may connect it to any flat place and print wirelessly using Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, or USB. Its white or black finish increases its adaptability. However, if you frequently print duplex, you’ll want it nearby. When sent a duplex print job, the P2502W will print on one side of the paper, wait for you to re-feed the stack in the appropriate orientation, and then hit the Continue button to print the second side. The control panel, which has two buttons and two status lights on top of the Printer at the front right corner, includes the button.

Pantum sells two 1,600-page printer cartridges, which is unique. Pantum claims that the 3.8-cent-per-page version produces superior print quality. The cheaper variant costs 3.4 cents. Whatever you choose, more expensive printers with a lower cost per page—from the Pantum P3012DW’s small savings to the HP 1001nw’s huge savings—can end up cheaper in the long run. Our guide on saving money on your next Printer compares inkjets’ total cost of ownership. Mono lasers follow the same logic.

Good Mono Laser Speed and Quality

On our performance tests, the P2502W printed our 12-page Microsoft Word file at 22.8ppm for pages two through 12. This speed is important for printing lengthy files because the Printer should be closer to it. The P2502W tied the HP 1001nw but was much slower than the Pantum P3012DW’s 33ppm. Including the first page slowed the P2502W to 18.9ppm due to its 9-second first page out (FPO), which mattered mainly for shorter files. The HP 1001nw’s 12-second FPO time slowed it to 17.5ppm for 12 pages. The P2502W slows to 14.2ppm for our business apps suite with its many files due to FPO time. Our picture suite averaged 9 seconds per 4-by-6-inch photo. The P2502W produced good text, startling photographs for a cheap mono laser, and average graphics. We tested business document fonts with sharp, clean edges and well-formed text that was readable at 4 points.

Good Entry-Level Mono Laser

The Pantum P2502W’s low price and tiny size make it a tempting alternative for a home or office with limited space and no colour printing needs. Its paper capacity and speed are sufficient for light-duty printing. Its output quality is good, and its Wi-Fi and USB connectivity is convenient. Consider how often you plan to print and whether you can save money by choosing a more costly printer with reduced running expenses, like the HP 1001nw or P3012DW. The 1001nW has similar characteristics to the P2502W but a much lower running cost, while the P3012DW has a slightly lower running cost but faster speed and paper handling. It’s the only one of three with automatic duplexing. However, if a lower running cost won’t make up for the initial price and you don’t need faster speed or better paper handling, the Pantum P2502W is a good choice.

Setup

Installing the Pantum P2502W printer via USB is explained here:

1. Connect the USB cord to the Printer when it’s on.
2. Connect your computer’s USB port to the USB cable’s opposite end.
3. Put your Printer’s CD in the CD drive. If your computer doesn’t have a CD drive or you’d rather get the latest drivers online, visit this URL (confirmed at the time this article was created). This starts driver installation.
4. A setup screen appears. Click Install after selecting language, model number, and USB printer and agreeing to the license terms. This window provides links to the Printer’s user guide.
5. During driver installation, progress will be shown till completion.
6. After installing the drivers, select Devices & Printers in Control Panel.
7. Double-click your new Printer’s icon.
8. A printer-specific window appears. Select View the print.
9. Select Printer in the printer utility box and then Properties.
10. Click Print Test Page.
11. Your test page and confirmation window will print.