At first glance, the 8515A is instantly recognizable as a business-grade MFC. Coming in at 38 x 29 x 48 inches and weighing 430 lbs., this machine is one of the larger models within its group. And with a price tag of $46,680, it’s also one of the most expensive machines we considered. Businesses looking to purchase the 8515A can abate the sticker shock by leasing it.
Coupled with the initial cost of the 8515A, business owners have to consider the added cost of supplies. This machine supports a standard paper capacity of 3,520 sheets, with a maximum of 6,020 sheets if using the optional tandem drawer. This MFC is a monochrome printer that relies on toner to mark up each page through its 300-sheet dual-scan document feeder. New cartridges from third-party sellers cost approximately $156 each. Toshiba estimates that each toner cartridge has a page yield of 106,600 pages at about 5% coverage.
As an MFC, the 8515A has scan, print and fax functionality to round out its copying capabilities. Built for small and midsize businesses, the 8515A can finish its first copy in 4.1 seconds, with an overall warmup time of approximately 20 seconds. According to Toshiba, the 8515 can handle up to 9,999 copies due to its 4GB of memory and 320GB self-encrypting hard drive. This machine can conduct 240 duplex scans per minute.
When it comes to printing, the 8515A runs at 85 pages per minute and can churn out up to 720,000 pages per month, making it the fastest and most prolific copier and printer in the group. As far as supported paper sizes go, the 8515A can handle sheets from 3.9 x 5.8 inches and 13 x 19 inches, as well as 12 x 47-inch banners and envelopes. That speed does not compromise quality, too, as it can print at a resolution of up to 3,600 x 1.200 dpi. In each one of its scanning, printing, and copying jobs, the 8515A utilizes Toshiba’s patented ASICs to boost clarity and rich text renditions in each instance.
Though usually only offered as an add-on, faxing comes standard with the 8515A if the right landline is supplied. With a modem speed of up to 33.6 Kbps and an option for dual-line faxing, this model can handle 100 jobs and 2,000 destinations when equipped with a hard drive, with a maximum of 400 destinations per job.
Interacting with the 8515A is just as fully featured as some of the other aspects of the machine. Sporting a 10.1-inch tablet-style WVGA touch screen, this control panel is tiltable for varying angles of use and supports remote virtual network computing. The touch screen also has an optional wireless keyboard function to allow for hands-free operation.
With internet functionality being a major selling point for today’s MFCs, the 8515A is no different. With a gigabit Ethernet connection and optional Wi-Fi functionality, this MFC can interface with cloud-based services like AirPrint and the Mopria Print Service. Android and iOS users can also use the e-BRIDGE Print & Capture app to interface with the machine. More analog users can utilize the system’s USB port to copy and print files directly from a flash drive.
While connected to the internet, the 8515A relies on features like local user authentication; an on-board data scramble function; SCEP, IP address, and MAC address filtering; network service and port control; SSL (HTTP, IPP, LDAP, SMTP, POP, FTP, DPWS) and IPsec (IKEv1, IKEv2) encryption protocols; and various password-protection methods. The system is compliant with the IEEE2600.1 standard in High Security Mode. The hard drive is also secure due to its self-encrypted nature.
When it comes to limitations for this machine, it’s hard to list them, because you already know what you’re getting into with a high-duty printer like this one. For most small businesses, the 8515A may be too expensive and too big of a machine for their needs. This copier and printer is best suited for an office environment, so any entrepreneurs working from home may need to consider whether the floor space you’ll need to commit to this model is worth it. Toner is also an expensive proposition, but its high yield could offset the cost.