Sharp MX-6580N

The Sharp MX-6580N is a 65 ppm A3 color production-class MFP, the next step up in Sharp's older production family — designed for centralized print zones, in-house print shops, and marketing teams doing 30,000 to 65,000 pages a month. Sold today refurbished for shops that need production capability without paying new prices. It runs 65 ppm color and B&W, supports 11 x 17 and heavier media, has duplex print and scan, and ships with the older Sharp panel. Networking covers Gigabit Ethernet and USB. The thing buyers regret: this class of machine consumes service hours, and a refurbished unit without a service contract is a budget grenade — a single fuser-plus-drum service can run several thousand dollars. Buy with a contract or do not buy. With the contract and a low-meter unit, the MX-6580N is a strong production-light workhorse; without the contract, it is a coin flip.