Epson WorkForce WF-2660 review

After debuting Epson's new PrecisionCore printhead technology in the popular WorkForce WF-3640, the company is bringing the same laser-like print quality to the affordable yet feature-rich WF-2660 ($149.99 /£96/AU$183) for small business.

The WF-2660 is more suitable for an office that doesn't print many pages or photos per month, but want the convenience of a printer, scanner, copier and even fax machine in a single unit that you can connect to wirelessly - whether it is through USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, cloud-based services or even NFC (Near Field Communication). This means you can print or scan from any computer or mobile device to this machine, with a maximum print resolution of 4800x2400 dpi, and a scan resolution of 1200x2400 dpi. Its 30-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) and auto-duplex (double-sided) feature make it indispensable in a busy office.

At just 14.6 lb (6.6 kg) and measuring 16.7" x 22" x 9.1" (424mm x 559mm x 231mm), the WF-2660 is tiny compared to its closest rivals, the all-round bigger Canon Pixma MG7520 ($129.99/£83/AU$158) and HP Envy 7640 ($140/£89/AU$173). That said, if your business is all about printing gorgeous photos, the Canon - with its six-ink-tank design and direct media access - is a no-brainer. If you aren't picky about the quality of your prints but want the connectivity of the Epson, the HP would be the way to go as it only uses two cartridges (one for blacks and one for all colors) and will be more economical to operate in the long run. The Epson WF-2660, on the other hand, hits the sweet spot between good print quality and price (some retailers are even dropping its price down to $100), with most of the office-friendly features you need.

Design

The WF-2660 is definitely more functional than fashionable, with a matte-finish to its plastic body that thankfully doesn't attract fingerprints. Aside from the ADF having some give to it if you push too hard (not a good resting place for books or anything heavy), the rest of the device feels solid and doesn't rattle when in use.

For some reason, Epson decided to put the retractable output tray right above the tiny 150-sheet paper tray. Due to the proximity of these two elements, I almost always pulled out the output tray by accident, whenever I needed to refill the paper tray (which was often), or vice versa.

You have to use the 2.7-inch color touchscreen to communicate with the printer, which was anything but fun. The panel is rather tiny and not sensitive enough for my fingers to navigate accurately, so I often had to poke at the screen multiple times to make a selection.

Paper Handling

Though the single paper tray can handle everything from envelopes to A4 sheets, the lack of a manual feed makes the WF-2660 really inefficient at printing more than one type of paper at a time. After all, you have to tell the printer what type of paper you just loaded every time you close the tray. If the paper type in your print job differs from the paper inside the tray, the touchscreen will ask you to acknowledge the difference before it will complete the job. This might not be bothersome if you're sitting right beside the printer, but for a device that is all about wireless and mobile printing, you might find yourself tethered to the WF-2660 more than you would like to be.

Speaking of paper handling, there seems to be some confusion over the extent of the WF-2660's auto-duplex abilities. From my experience, it can print two sheets to one, and will automatically flip the paper on its own. I was also able to use the ADF and copy two sheets into one. However, this model cannot scan a double-sided document without someone manually flipping it over for the second side.