Customer Reviews

Samsung SCX-4828FN Laser Multi-Function Printer

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Environment: mixed Windows XP and Mac OS X (Snow Leopard) computers. 1 GB network backbone and 802.11n wireless.

Set-up: Configured to use both direct (USB) and network connections with both PCs & Macs. Setup took about 45 minutes only because there are so many options and preferences (see Hint #4 below regarding this).

PROS:
1. Great printer. Time to first page is as fast as any laser printer could be, even when its been sleeping in power save mode. Resolution is very good, even in toner saver mode. Very quiet - only slightly noisier if you're printing in duplex mode. You can easily talk on the phone sitting next to it while it's operating.
2. Great document scanner. Automatic document feeder handles stacks of my expense report pages with taped-on receipts with nary a jam. Scanning is super fast over USB and reasonably fast when done over the network. Scans to both Win and Mac machines flawlessly, whether initiated from the SCX-4828 ("pushed" with the Scan to PC feature) or "pulled" from the destination machine using either Samsung's included software or third-party software, including Adobe Acrobat - the full paid version, not the free Acrobat Reader. This is not a high resolution photo scanner. It doesn't scan photo negatives. It also doesn't make toast. There are machines designed specifically for that.
3. Scan to USB flash drive/external hard drive is terrific.
4. Scan to email is very useful.
5. Faxing (initiated both from the SCX-4828's control panel and from a Win/Mac machine) works perfectly. Automatic forwarding of incoming faxes to an email address is brilliant, especially if you travel a lot.
6. You can set the machine to email you when there are problems (out of toner, out of paper, etc.) The setup for this is highly configurable.
7. The 250 sheet paper supply tray is great. The option to add a second paper tray is a big plus, especially if you use letterhead with different paper for page two and beyond or do high volume printing and need an extra-large supply.
8. Haven't found a single problem using this machine with WinXP PCs or Macs running Snow Leopard. I got the latest drivers and software (those are different things, btw) from the Samsung site. I can do everything on the Macs that I can do with the PCs. PCL and PostScript drivers work with no issues.
9. The physical dimensions of the SCX-4828 are as small as you could expect for a printer with an automatic document feeder and that is capable of printing in duplex mode (remember, the sheet has to be flipped over to print the other side and you need a little extra volume to do that).
10. You can check the approximate toner level remotely from any computer on the network.
11. You can set up individual user accounts and keep track of the number of pages printed per user. You can also password protect the device to restrict its use to specific people who share your network.

CONS:
1. The email features won't send mail OUT through Web-based email like Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Hotmail/Windows Live Mail because the SCX-4828 can't handle the type of authentication they need. Sending TO those domains is not a problem. I use my ISP's (Comcast) SMTP server to route my outbound email from the SCX-4828 and it works fine so this is a non-issue for me. Samsung might enhance their firmware to accommodate this shortcoming at some point but don't count on it.

HINTS:
1. RTFM. A lot of whining (and I do mean whining) from others about problems with this machine could have been easily avoided had they read the manuals. For sure this is a complex machine, but it's not particularly complicated, given what it's capable of doing. There are settings to set and choices to make if you want it to match your particular workflow. Take the time to understand what the options mean and what the settings do. Don't blame Samsung for bad design if you're too lazy to learn how to use it.
2. Use a static IP address if you're using this device on a network. It will make configuring each client machine that accesses it a lot easier if you do.
3. You can download all of the documentation (manuals, quick start guide) for this machine from the Samsung site for free BEFORE you purchase it. DO IT. Check out what the SCX-4828fn does and does not do (e.g. it can't SCAN both sides of documents using the ADF - it only PRINTS in duplex mode. You'd know that if you RTFM before you bought the thing.) Does the setup look too big and scary to enable the specific features you want to use on this device? Find that out BEFORE you buy it and either learn about how to do it or find someone with the expertise to help you after it arrives.
4. You don't have to use or even set up every bell and whistle all at once to get up and running with this machine. Live with the defaults for a little while until you run through different scenarios and then change settings as needed. Layer new functions on as you get comfortable with the basic features.
5. I agree with others that the SmarThru Office software is a resource hog and totally unnecessary. I didn't install it. It's a heavy-handed attempt at a document organization and indexing system to help you keep track of your scans. You already have tools on your PC or Mac that do what it does. If you don't already use those built-in tools, you likely won't use SmarThru, either.
6. The next-level-down and less expensive SCX-4826fn is identical to the SCX-4828fn with one exception: the latter includes PostScript capability, which was a must-have for the types of applications I use and the presence of Macs in my environment. People figured out that you could upgrade a 4826 for free by flashing it with the firmware of a 4828 that you could download from the Samsung site - until Samsung figured that out, too and stopped posting the firmware online. If you don't need PostScript capability, save yourself some money and get the 4826.

I originally owned the multifunction Samsung SCX-4725FN for 2 years. It was a workhorse that printed and copied fast, consistently, no software headaches, and worked well with our office Mac OS X environment. Other than one return within the warranty period, I had good usage from it given the amount of printing we do in our chiropractic clinic. So when it was time to upgrade, it made sense to remain with Samsung. They have a great track record with their commercial copiers (as told to me from a copier repair technician), and the price is very competitive when compared to Brother and HP. The next choice was the heavy duty business MFC model SCX-4828FN

Let me first say, I investigate and troubleshoot online and with the manual that's provided before I contact tech support for ANYTHING (in my experience, they are generally not reliable, unless it's Apple tech support). I've steered clear of Samsung tech support since most solutions to common printer problems are available online, or in the manual.

Settung up was easy. I was attracted to the compact size and small footprint since our office has limited space for an office appliance like this. It was ready to print straight out of the box within minutes. My Mac OS X instantly recognized it and I chose to use the post-script printer driver than install the one that came with the CD (as recommended by other Samsung users). The digital interface was really easy to use....FOLKS READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! its all there... I set up the fax settings, copier settings in 5 minutes. I knew this was unable to scan directly to email with this model in MAC OSX. The scan to email would be nice feature to use, but it is not a deal breaker. Duplex printing (2-sided) is a bonus. The machine runs very quiet when it is on, and the first print job came out very fast. It spits out copies quickly.

The most important consideration before I purchased this was the cost of toner. There are many online toner and ink suppliers that provide non-OEM toner more affordably without paying retail. 5000 Pages for a $75 toner cartridge is GREAT deal, and it can be found on a few of these websites. I lucked out with my purchase by finding it on Ebay from a company liquidating office furniture from a failed business in Minnesota. It was unused, included a starter toner, and cost me only $140!

Consider buying this over the Brother MFC. It is smaller, has a greater duty cycle before it breaks down, and you don't ever have to worry about buying a drum after a few thousand pages (like Brother), or pay MSRP for toner (HP ink and toner have a chip that prevents refilling of its cartridges). Samsung is the underdog of the printer brands, but they always seem to deliver well. If you can live and function without wi-fi, then Samsung is the better choice over Brother

This machine replaced an HP MFP 3380 because HP would not upgrade the software to run the scanner/fax on Win 7. Print quality is as good as the HP, but the Samsung is much faster, printing and scanning and is less expensive. The HP is a durable machine, and time will prove whether the Samsung is in the same durability class.

I purchased this multifunction printer 13 months ago. Recently the printing function stopped working(though the Scan-to-PC and Copy-to-USB drive work perfectly), and I can't justify the cost to repair it. While I am disappointed by this, I DID purchase an extended warranty and will receive a full refund. As soon as I was told I would be refunded the purchase price, I began researching multifunction printers (HP, Canon, Samsung, etc.), and the best solution, it now seems clear, is to purchase the same printer again. This printer has a rich feature set that I cannot find in another printer. My favorite features are: SCAN-TO-PC and FAX-TO-EMAIL. I could not live without these two features. I've saved myself hundreds of dollars in toner, I'm sure, by printing/saving to PDF format rather than printing hard copies. Even when I receive faxes, they're converted to PDF format and sent to an email account. No printing. I use SCAN-TO-PC to make copies of receipts and other documents I need to keep. No more hard copies. In the 13 months since I've owned this printer, not once has the automatic document feeder fed more than one sheet at a time. It is amazing. That was a frequent problem with my previous all-in-one. This printer is not perfect, however: (1) Printed paper is usually very warm when it first comes out; you have to lift the flap on envelopes immediately or it will seal, and you have to be careful not to use paperstock that can't handle the heat (e.g., shiny paper). (2) The printer, which sits directly behind me, is attached to my computer by way of a network cable. When I accidentally send something to the printer, immediately pressing the cancel button does absolutely nothing. To compensate, I changed my default printer to a PDF printer, so when I do it, it won't needlessly use paper or toner. (3) Paper loaded in the manual tray does not often feed straight. I purchased an optional, legal-size tray to handle legal-size paper; before I did, every copy that size was torqued enough to be unacceptable. (5) The user guide is not available as a PDF document in a normal size (8-1/2 by 11). Samsung created it in a 10.13 x 10.13 in. size. Weird!

I'm very happy with this printer. It is high quality, prints/scans well, and easy to set up. I got it connected to my network and Mac in 5 minutes. It makes my old HP inkjet multi-function printer (which was only about $100 less) seem like a toy.

I purchased this printer in Feb 2010 and have loved it with the exception of the manual bypass, as previous reviewers have noted it has a tendency to crinkle the paper, and a recent issue with the ADF. I want to make clear that the issue I had with the ADF was my own fault. The main reason I am writing this review is because I had so much trouble finding any documentation to help me fix the problem and the unit was out of warranty so Samsung suggested I take it to one of their authorized service centers.

I was getting some streaks on my copies when using the ADF so I tried to "clean" the thin piece of clear plastic (about 8 1/2"long x 1" wide) that covers the white piece of plastic just prior to the leading edge of the glass under the ADF. The dust was actually under the clear plastic piece so I removed the clear plastic piece which was also attached to a dark gray plastic bar (I'll call this the assembly). When I reinstalled the assembly, I let the leading edge of the clear plastic slide under the black bar that rests on top of the glass. BIG MISTAKE. The clear plastic piece should be on top of the black bar, not under it. I went for two months not being able to use my ADF because I didn't connect the "cleaning" with the ADF not working until I got frustrated and just started trying different things. Hope this helps if anyone else has the same issue.

After 3 months of use printer curls every print job on any type of paper. Curls it so bad you cannot feed back through the document feeder. Very annoying. I would not recommend this product.

Having owned and used this printer for just under a year and printing approximately 300 pages per week, I would conclude the following. Although the printer does give clear copies, it goes through a substantial amount of toner. I have replaced the toner cartridge far more times than with any other printer I have used. The time it takes to load a document from my Mac to print is very slow. Now the photocopying does not work. It began last week with a large black stripe down one side of the page and now the page comes out all black. It jams quite easily when printing two sided and it is giving sporadic problems (part of a page on one paper, more on the next) when printing. All in all, I would recommend something other than this printer if you need a reliable one.

UPDATE: This printer continues to function well overall. BUT, the paper feeder on the top use to scan/copy multiple page documents always jams on me before the first page makes it to the glass. Cheap design flaw perhaps.

I've been trying to find a good home multi-function laser printer for 6 months since I work from home. Aside from a decent laser printer, my 2nd most important function is the scanner. For work I tend to scan documents and want them saved as a PDF on my computer. I haven't tried the fax or networking functions yet.

Pros - Prints fast, double-sided, relatively quiet, and scanner works easily and sends to various file types (i.e. PDF) on your computer without problems.

Cons - Software locks up on install and messes with your CPU by the provided "SmarThru Office" software indexing your files. Takes up 50%+ of a CPU power, making it hot and increasing the computer fan noise (annoying to me). However, this is over come by turning OFF the indexing functionality on your computer & turning off printer when not in use. PDF scan of document is saved as a huge file (i.e. 22 MB for a 15 page grayscale PDF document...seems high to me). Should be able to have it scaled to do under 1 MB as a PDF. The only other complaint is that this unit is still pretty big for a home office.

I'm not a techie, so I want something easy to use and meet my needs without too much set up. I'd give it another star if it wasn't for the 'indexing/CPU' and software issue. Once you get the work around, it's fine. Perhaps if I upgrade my computer, it'd work better on MS Vista. But, I'm not willing to do that any time soon.

I looked around for quite some time to find a balance in speed and function. This Samsung was a good investment. I bought it for a client and installed it within seconds. Setup was easy due to the packaging and materials. Upon sharing it out, it was up and running. The noise level is very low for this quick printer. The design is very compact and stylish. The control panel makes it clear on what to find. I did not set it up for fax. It is primarily used for scanning. The scanner bed is big and opens very wide to allow for good sized items to be scanned. The scan speeds are also very quick and very sharp. The instant PDF output is a huge plus.

Cons:
* I would have like to see a Fax-less model (Why does fax still exist?).
* Toner consumption was quick, but not worse than others despite high-yield.
* Larger paper tray.

Even the cons are more like personal preferences. Fast shipping, good cost, and a quality product make a great investment. I would highly recommend this product.