Similar to our review of the HP LaserJet Pro 400 Color Printer M451dw, the biggest complaint about the CP2025dn (and its companion printers, the HP CP2025n and CP2025x, as well as the CM2320fxi, CM2320n CM2320nf series of HP printers) is the cost of original HP toner. The bottom line: HP makes fine printers, but they charge too much for toner. “It is not very quiet, and if you are within six feet of it, it is hard to talk on the phone while printing. “After several years it developed squeaky noises as it prints,” E-consumer reports. Other users complain the CP2025dn is noisy compared to other laser printers.
“The machine works great with genuine HP toner, but I get powder splatter marks all over the first piece of paper out of the machine whenever I use generic toner. “I have problems with generic toner,” Amanda reports. The main drawback of the CP2025dn in the high cost of replacement toner. Genuine OEM toner cartridges cost over $100 each, but yield 3,500 pages.
Of note, the printer comes with toner cartridges that are only about 1/3 full - you get about 1,200 pages before you have to replace the four cartridges (black, magenta, cyan, yellow).
The CP2025dn has a high monthly duty-cycle (40,000 pages) but if you do a lot of high volume printing, you’ll want to find a machine with a lower operating cost. Test prints and page yields resulted in a cost of 15.4 cents per page, which was high compared to other printers in its class. (Newsflash: You can get this set of genuine HP 304A toner cartridges on sale for $375!) The four separate toner cartridges - CC530A (black), CC531A (cyan), CC532A (yellow), and CC533A (magenta) - are mounted in a rollout drawer, and released with a simple push-to-release latch. Buying a full set of four OEM toner cartridges from HP cost $486 - nearly the cost of the printer itself. Right off the bat, users were unhappy with the cost of replacement cartridges. (HP offers a useful start-up video on the installation CD with step-by-step instruction.) Unhappy Users
HP's ToolboxFX software also shows the status of the device in real time, current toner levels, approximate pages remaining, usage trends, and the option to receive e-mail alerts when the printer malfunctions. The front control panel houses a small two-line LCD for alerts and toner level graphics, a left and right directional pad, a cancel button, and two LEDs to alert users of low toner and print errors. At a hefty 53 pounds, the printer requires two people to move. The unit is 12.7 inches tall by 15.9 inches wide by 25.9 inches deep with all the drawers tucked in. The CP2025dn has a print resolution of 600 dpi and can handle letter, legal, executive, cards, and envelopes. (In fact, Macworld reports the CP2025dn was a bit slower than other color printers in its class, with a speed of 44 seconds.) The CP2025dn delivered good print quality for both text and graphics, but its speed was merely average. The CP2025dn offered easy set-up and a 250-page standard paper tray, with a 50-page second tray for additional media. The printer averages 3.7 out of 5 stars when you combine reviews from CNET, Techspot, and Amazon users. Like many HP products, the CP2025dn has aged fairly gracefully over the years. “I love this printer model and have used it for seven years!” user Raccoon Brat reports. Other models in the CP2025 family include the base model CP2025, the CP2025n, with 10/100 Ethernet networking, and the CP2025x, which offers duplex printing, networking and an additional 250-sheet paper tray.) The CP2025dn wasn’t the fastest or cheapest printer on the market, but it was a solid performer. (This is what the “d” and “n” in the CP2025dn represent. When the HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn was released a decade ago, reviewers were impressed with its ability to duplex print and connect to a network.