Gestetner 3222

The Gestetner 3222 is primarily a copier with the option of adding a printer, scanner and fax into the mix. The 3222 is aimed firmly at the business workgroup market and is built to meet all its needs. It is of a modular design which is becoming more popular as manufacturers realize that it offers good value to be able to ‘bolt-on’ functions to existing chassis. It negates the need to design separate machines for each function.

The control panel is well laid out, with buttons either side, depending on the function and options you have installed. Some of the buttons are a little small and fiddly, but that’s only because the machine can do so much. The four line LCD screen is well lit and clear enough to read everything.

The build quality is solid, with a reassuring feel, none of the trays feel flimsy or weak, and overall it looks built to last. Gestetner follows Kyocera’s lead in purposely designing machinery to last the test of time. Reliability is almost as powerful a selling point as the featureset. This is something that Gestetner has taken to heart and engineer into each of their devices.

The pair of standard paper trays hold 500, and the multipurpose tray a further 100. There is also the option to add more paper drawers to take the total to 2600 sheets.

Toner is handled much the same as in other models, the door on the front opens and the cartridges are unclipped and removed. A replacement cartridge is good for 11000 pages, while a replacement drum will last for 60000. This means maintenance can be kept to a minimum and users can concentrate on being productive rather than keeping the device running.

Printing and copying resulted in quality pages with the text coming out clean and clear. Pages with images were good for a monochrome laser and we were pleased with the results. The speed is also acceptable with a print or copy being produced at a rate of 22 pages per minute at 600 dpi.

The Gestetner 3222 is a very flexible multifunction that has enough optional features to serve any situation well. It is built to server and built to last, so maintenance and overall running costs should be minimal. A good purchase for an office who doesn’t need color and wants something that will last.