Dell B1165nfw Pro Reviews

Everything we liked about the B1163w is true of the B1165nfw: its stylish design, strong text printing, tiltable control panel, three methods of connection, solid Print Manager options, and inclusion of Nuance's PaperPort 14. It faxes, copies, and scans well, though printing is slow. In the demerit column, the modest-size feeder and output tray mean this unit clearly is never going to function as a workhorse. Also, the CPP is high due to a relatively expensive cartridge, but it becomes manageable if you're willing to accept remanufactured ones. In our review of the Dell B1163w, we considered that printer a bargain for its price—and that price is now $105 from some resellers. The B1165nfw is a step up, adding faxing, manual duplexing, and an automatic document feeder, and we've seen it (from at least one major computer and office chain) as low as $80 on occasion. Even at Dell's own reduced price of $109 at the time of this writing in mid-August 2014 (it lists the MSRP as $200), it's very competitive, but if you knock off another $20 or $30, the deal’s good enough to make you wonder if it fell off the back of a truck at midnight. It's completely legit, though, and when you put it all together, the result is an awful lot of printer for the money.

The Dell B1165nfw is a simple, inexpensive monochrome laser printer that makes sense for small offices on a budget. It doesn't sacrifice features (unless you really need a USB port) and the addition of cloud printing features through Apple AirPrint-compatible devices, a Google Chrome Web browser, and even Dell's own Android app should inspire confidence that this unit is relatively future-proof.

I was impressed with the Dell B1165nfw because it is compact, easy to use and offers small offices and home offices basic business features at a low initial cost and, possibly more important, offers a low cost per page over the long term. Is the B1165nfw perfect? No. I'd really like to see automatic duplexing, a front side USB port, and a larger paper drawer. But for a home office or small office (think 1-9 users) looking for an efficient, reliable device, the B1165nfw is a great option.

Meant as a personal MFP, the Dell B1165nfw Mono Laser Multifunction Printer is capable enough for a micro office with light-duty print needs.