If your office runs through printer paper by the ream (if not the box), you can't get by with just any old printer. You'll want what's often referred to as a "workhorse" printer or MFP, one designed to withstand the rigors of a higher-volume workplace. Fortunately, many machines that can handle bigger printing loads are available, not all of them the hulking behemoths you might imagine. The demands of a small or home office, however hectic, are modest compared with those of larger corporate settings, yet you'll still find some surprisingly durable printers among those geared to smaller venues.

Printer capacity is measured by maximum monthly duty cycle, the largest number of pages you can print per month without damaging the printer. (This figure is derived through stress tests conducted by the manufacturer.) In a recent guide to buying office printers, our printers lead analyst and reviewer M. David Stone notes that as a rule of thumb—if a manufacturer doesn't give a recommended duty cycle in addition to the maximum figure—you should pick a printer whose maximum duty cycle is at least 3 times the number of pages you actually print per month.

Duty cycle isn't the only factor to consider when shopping for an office printer. Paper handling is also vital, as it must have the input trays or drawers, feeders, finishers, and other features needed to deal with the reams of paper that will pass through it. (You'll want to have the capacity to handle a week's worth of printing without adding paper.) Print speed also becomes more important as jobs get larger, as does cost per page.

Finding the right balance between these features and others such as output quality can be a challenge. Fortunately, our reviewer delves into all these factors in evaluating and rating printers and MFPs. This roundup includes selected printers and MFPs rated 4 stars and higher (most of them Editors' Choices), with maximum duty cycles between 30,000 and 175,000 pages per month. This range covers everything from hectic home offices to large-office and enterprise settings. (Missing the cut were numerous printers and MFPs, mostly inkjets, geared to small offices, home offices, and homes, many of them fine machines in every way except durability, with typical duty cycles maxing out at a few thousand pages per month.)

Printers featured here run the gamut from a $180 personal color laser (the Konica Minolta magicolor 1600W) that would fit comfortably on your desk or in a home office yet has a max duty cycle of 35K pages/month to the Xerox Phaser 7500/DN, which has a whopping 150,000 page-per-month duty cycle (and a price to match). The 7500/DN's cousin, the Xerox Phaser 6280DN, is geared more to smaller offices and workgroups yet still has a 70,000 page-per-month duty-cycle max. The HP LaserJet P4014n Printer's maximum duty cycle is 175,000 pages per month while the Lexmark C544DN tops out at 55,000 pages per month. The Canon Color ImageClass MF8350Cdn has a maximum duty cycle of 40,000 pages per month, and the Brother MFC-8480DN just squeaks over our threshold with a maximum duty cycle of 30,000 pages per month.

Whether you're working out of your home or run a busy department or office, great printers that can withstand the rigors of relatively heavy use are available. You may pay a premium for one over a less heavy-duty printer, but the peace of mind and minimal downtime that it should provide are well worth the extra price.

Featured in this Roundup:

Recommended by Our Editors

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Brother MFC-8480DN ($400 street)

The Brother MFC-8480DN stands out as a winner, with fast print speed, reasonably high-quality output, and a wealth of all-in-one features.

Canon Color ImageClass MF8350Cdn ($699 direct)

The Canon Color ImageClass MF8350Cdn all-in-one (aka MFP) delivers impressive speed and output quality for a small office or workgroup.

HP LaserJet P4014n Printer ($899 direct)

With its head-turning print speed and ample paper capacity, the HP LaserJet P4014n Printer stands ready for heavy-duty printing in a small office or workgroup.

Konica Minolta magicolor 1600W ($180 street)

The Konica Minolta magicolor 1600W is a touch less expensive than its closest competition and a touch faster, and it offers higher-quality text.

Lexmark C544dn ($499 direct)

The Lexmark C544dn offers the right balance of speed, paper handling, output quality, and size to fit nicely in a typical small office, workgroup, or busy home office.

Xerox Phaser 6280DN ($649 direct)

The Xerox Phaser 6280DN color laser offers a highly attractive balance of speed, output quality, and paper handing for a small office or small workgroup.

Xerox Phaser 7500/DN ($3299.99 direct)

For office users, and, to a lesser extent, graphic artists who want professional-looking color output, the Phaser 7500/DN delivers top quality photos and graphics on plain paper.