Samsung ML-2510 review

Samsung's ML-2510 costs just £9 more than the HP LaserJet 1018, but its engine speed of 24ppm is twice as high.

Like HP's LaserJet, it arrives with a consumable that lasts for just 1,000 pages, but subsequent replacements last for 3,000 pages. Only Kyocera Mita's FS-820 requires less maintenance, and the ML-2510's running costs are among the lowest here.

The grey plastic looks smart, if a little drab. It's one of the larger printers in this test, with a 250-sheet input tray that projects from the front. This has a smoked plastic dust cover that forms the base of the multipurpose feed slot. Printed pages are longer than the 100-sheet output tray, but they are retained by a flip-up guide that's wide enough to keep the output stack tidy and prevent curling.

Before you can print, you need to insert the printer's single consumable deep into its interior. Its fold-out handle makes the process easier, but it felt a little reluctant to lock into place. Samsung's install program completed quickly and prompted us to create a test page. Some users might like this confirmation that the printer is working properly.

The printer fell just short of its rated speed in our text tests, but 22.7ppm is impressive for a budget printer and easily the quickest on test. It was the fastest when printing our mixed-colour document, too, though Epson's EPL-6200L wasn't far behind.

The ML-2510 creases envelopes, but its quality was impressive. Photographs and illustrations were sharp, with a range of subtly differing greys rather than distinct bands of shade. Graphics had very little banding. Grey text had a smooth outline and was easy to read. Black text was crisp and bold, with no visible jaggedness.

Author: Simon Handby