Printer Review: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw

Posted by Rob Errera on 06/12/2023

Some HP printers are legendary and awesome (we’re looking at you, Laserjet IV!). Other machines don’t quite live up to the company hype.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw, released in 2015, is closer to the latter than the former.

Its performance -- and the performance of its companion printers, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn and the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fnw -- is solidly mediocre over the past eight years, with reports of document feed troubles and scanning resolution problems.

Good First Impression

Businesses with limited space but big needs often choose multifunction printers to handle common office tasks like scanning, faxing, and copying.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw was an expensive choice in 2015, selling for well over $600, but most users were pleased with this machine’s performance. According to PC Mag, the 51-pound M477fdw is compact for an MFP; it could even fit in the corner of a desk.

Standard paper capacity is 300 sheets of up to legal-size paper, split between a 250-sheet tray and a 50-sheet multipurpose feeder.

HP offers an optional 550-sheet paper tray for an extra $199.99, for a maximum paper capacity of 850 sheets.

The M477fdw includes an auto-duplexer for two-sided printing, has a maximum monthly duty cycle of up to 50,000 pages, and a recommended monthly duty cycle of up to 4,000 sheets.

Connect And Scan

The M477fdw has a flatbed scanner atop the printer with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder that supports single-pass, two-sided scanning of letter or A4 paper.

A 4.3-inch touch-screen display controls the machine's MFP functions.

Below the front panel is a port for a USB thumb drive. There are a variety of choices for wired and wireless printing with the M477fdw, including USB for connecting to a computer, and Ethernet for connecting to a wired LAN.

Complaints Filter In

Over time, complaints about the MFP M477fdw began to filter in to consumer sites like Best Buy and Amazon. Many users were frustrated the scanner maxed out at 300 dpi when it promised scan resolutions of up to 1200 dpi.

A few mentioned connectivity problems with Mac software. HP later addressed these shortfalls with software and firmware updates.

Some users complained about the MFP M477fdw’s noisy cooling fan, which runs for about 15 minutes after any activity before shutting down.

Others didn’t like how the MFP M477fdw’s power save feature shuts off the printer after 80 minutes, prohibiting wireless printing.

A few users reported the automatic document feeder tended to skew pages while scanning.

The Bench Test

TopTenReviews put the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw through the paces and found, on average, it printed a few seconds slower than other printers in its class, though it produced very few errors.

HP’s MFP M477fdw performed middling when it came to making color prints and copies. (“The printer failed to reproduce some of the details in the images’ bright and dark areas.”) But the LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw hit the mark when it came to reproducing text.

Running costs of 2.2 cents per monochrome page and 13.6 cents per color page (based on HP's prices for its highest-capacity cartridges), are on the high side, particularly for color.

The M477fdw's running costs are considerably higher than some laser-class inkjet MFP. TopTen’s bottom line: “There are other laser printers out there that are better values.”

Your Best M477fdw Value

Perhaps the best way to increase the lifespan of your M477fdw and lower your overall cost-per-page is to lower your cost for genuine replacement toners.

HP M477 printers use HP410A toners, including black (CF410A), cyan (CF411A), magenta (CF413A), and yellow (CF412A).

If you’re ordering your replacement toners through HP, you’re paying too much. Order genuine, brand name HP toner for your M477fdw through Toner Buzz and you’ll get the lowest possible price on OEM replacement toners.

The M477fdw might not be HP’s finest moment, but it’s still a solid workhorse, especially if you get your replacement toners on the cheap at Toner Buzz!

HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw Full Specs

General

Printing Technology — Laser - color
Monthly Duty Cycle (max) — 50000 pages
Office Machine Features — Print from USB flash drive, save to USB flash drive, scan to e-mail, scan to network, scan to Cloud, Instant-on Technology, touch-to-print
Display Features — Touch screen, tilt
Fax Type — Plain paper
Display Diagonal Size — 4.3"
Recommended Monthly Volume — 750 - 4000 pages

Printer

AirPrint Enabled — Yes

Connectivity

Wireless Ready — Yes
Mobile Printing Capability — Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, HP ePrint, Mopria Print Service, wireless direct printing

Memory

Standard Memory — 512 MB
Supported Flash Memory — USB flash drive

Power

Power Consumption Sleep — 2.6 Watt
Power Consumption Standby — 18.2 Watt
Power Consumption Operational — 560 Watt

Copying

Max Copying Speed — Up to 28 ppm (mono) / up to 28 ppm (color)
Max Copying Resolution — Up to 600 x 600 dpi (mono) / up to 600 x 600 dpi (color)
Max Copying Speed B/W — 28 ppm
Max Copying Speed Color — 28 ppm
Max Copying Resolution B/W — 600 x 600 dpi
Max Copying Resolution Color — 600 x 600 dpi
Max Document Enlargement — 400 %
Max Document Reduction — 25 %
Automatic Duplexing — Yes
Maximum Copies — 99
Copying Features — ID Card Copy, collation copy, fit to page

Display

Display Diagonal Size — 4.3"
Display Diagonal Size (metric) — 10.9 cm
Features — tilt, touch screen

Miscellaneous

Microsoft Certifications — Compatible with Windows 7
Consumables Included — 1 x cartridge (black) - up to 2300 pages, 1 x cartridge (cyan) - up to 1200 pages, 1 x cartridge (yellow) - up to 1200 pages, 1 x cartridge (magenta) - up to 1200 pages
Color Category — white
Compliant Standards — 21 CFR 1040.10, 21 CFR 1040.11, AS/NZS CISPR22:2008 Class B, CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1-07 Second Edition 2011-12, CoC, EN 300 328 V1.8.1:2012, EN 301 489-1 V1.9.2, EN 301 489-17 V2.2.1, EN 55024:2010, EN 60950-1:2006+A1:2010+A2:2013+A11:2009+A12:2011, EN 61000-3-2:2006+A1:2009+A2:2009, EN 61000-3-3:2008, EN 62311, EN 62479:2010, EN55022:2010 Class B, ETSI ES203 201, FCC CFR47 Part 15 B, FCC CFR47 Part 68, FCC Part 15.247, ICES-003 issue 5 Class B, IEC 60825-1:2007, IEC 60950-1:2005 + A1:2009 + A2:2013, IEC 62479:2010, IECEE CB, IPv6 Ready, ISO/IEC 17629, ISO/IEC 19798, ISO/IEC 29183, R&TTE, RSS-210, UL, cUL
Included Office Machine Accessories — USB cable

RAM

Installed Size — 512 MB

Manufacturer Warranty

Limited warranty - 1 year - pick-up and return
Limited warranty - phone consulting - 1 year
Limited warranty - e-mail consulting - 1 year

Printing

Max Printing Resolution — Up to 600 x 600 dpi (mono) / up to 600 x 600 dpi (color)
Max Printing Speed — Up to 28 ppm (mono) / up to 28 ppm (color)
Max Resolution B/W — 600 x 600 dpi
Max Resolution Color — 600 x 600 dpi
Printer Drivers / Emulations — PCL 5c, PCL 6, PCLm, PDF, PostScript 3, URF
Image Enhancement Technology — HP ImageREt 3600
Max Printing Speed B/W (ppm) — 28 ppm
Max Printing Speed Color (ppm) — 28 ppm
Automatic Duplexing — Yes

Environmental Parameters

Sound Emission (Idle) — 32 dBA
Sound Emission (Operating) — 49 dBA
Min Operating Temperature — 59 °F
Max Operating Temperature — 86 °F
Sound Emission — 32 dBA (idle) / 49 dBA (operating)
Humidity Range Operating — 10 - 80% (non-condensing)

Connections

1 x USB 2.0 - 4 pin USB Type B
2 x USB host - 4 pin USB Type A
1 x Gigabit LAN - RJ-45
Security Protocols & Features — LDAP, SSL, Apple Bonjour, TLS, Wi-Fi Direct
Operating System Support — UNIX, MS Windows 7, MS Windows XP SP3, MS Windows Vista, Ubuntu Linux 10.04, Apple Mac OS X 10.7, Debian Linux 6.0, Ubuntu Linux 11.10, Ubuntu Linux 12.04, Apple Mac OS X 10.8, Windows 8, Fedora 17, Android, iOS, Fedora 18, Ubuntu Linux 12.10, Windows 8.1, Apple Mac OS X 10.9, Fedora 19, Ubuntu Linux 13.04, Apple Mac OS X 10.10, Fedora 20 (32/64-bit), Ubuntu Linux 13.10, Ubuntu Linux 14.04 (32/64-bit), Linux Mint 13 - 17, Windows 10, SuSe Linux 12.2, SuSe Linux 12.3, SuSe Linux 13.1, Boss 3.0, Boss 5.0, Ubuntu Linux 14.10, Debian Linux 7.x
Software Included — Drivers & utilities, HP Web Jetadmin, HP Toolbox, HP Update

Document & Media Handling

Max Media Size — A4/Legal
Document & Media Handling Details — ADF - 50 sheets size: 4 in x 6 in - Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) weight: 60 g/m² - 90 g/m²
Input tray - 250 sheets size: 3.93 in x 5.8 in - Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) weight: 60 g/m² - 200 g/m²
Bypass tray - 50 sheets size: 3 in x 5 in - Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) weight: 60 g/m² - 200 g/m²
Output tray - 150 sheets

Speed Details

Scanning: up to 47 ipm - B/W duplex
Scanning: up to 30 ipm - color duplex
Printing: up to 28 ppm (Letter A) - B/W (ISO/IEC 24734)
Printing: up to 28 ppm (Letter A) - color (ISO/IEC 24734)
Printing: up to 27 ppm (A4) - B/W (ISO/IEC 24734)
Printing: up to 27 ppm (A4) - color (ISO/IEC 24734)
Scanning: up to 26 ppm - B/W
Scanning: up to 21 ppm - color
Copying: up to 28 ppm (Letter A) - B/W
Copying: up to 28 ppm (Letter A) - color
Copying: up to 27 ppm (A4) - B/W
Copying: up to 27 ppm (A4) - color
Printing: up to 24 ipm (A4) - B/W duplex
Printing: up to 24 ipm (A4) - color duplex
Printing: up to 25 ppm (Letter A) - B/W duplex
Printing: up to 25 ppm (Letter A) - color duplex
Min Original Size — 2.13 in x 2.75 in
Max Original Size — Legal (8.5 in x 14 in)
Original Type — sheets
Document Feeder — ADF
Document Feeder Capacity — 50 sheets
Media Type Class — envelopes, other, photo paper, plain paper
Media Size Class — A4/Legal
Min Media Weight — 60 g/m²
Max Media Weight — 200 g/m²
Supported Media Type — bond paper, envelopes, glossy paper, glossy photo paper, labels, plain paper, postcards, preprinted paper, recycled paper
Supported Media Sizes — 3 in x 5 in, 3.95 in x 5.83 in, 4 in x 6 in, 5 in x 8 in, 7.24 in x 10.24 in, 7.68 in x 10.63 in, 7.75 in x 10.75 in, 8.5 in x 13 in, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), A5 (5.83 in x 8.25 in), A6 (4.13 in x 5.83 in), B5 (6.93 in x 9.83 in), Executive (7.25 in x 10.5 in), JIS B5 (7.17 in x 10.12 in), JIS B6 (5.04 x 7.17 in), Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in), Oficio (8.5 in x 13.5 in)
Supported Envelope Sizes — International B5 (6.93 in x 9.83 in), International C5 (6.38 in x 9 in), International DL (4.33 in x 8.66 in), Monarch (3.87 in x 7.5 in), US No 10 (4.1 in x 9.5 in)
Standard Media Capacity — 300 sheets
Bypass Feeder Capacity — 50 sheets
Output Trays Capacity — 150 sheets

Office Machine

Monthly Duty Cycle (max) — 50000 pages
Recommended Monthly Volume — 750 - 4000 pages
Printing Technology — laser
Printing Output Type — color
Office Machine Features — Instant-on Technology, print from USB flash drive, save to USB flash drive, scan to Cloud, scan to e-mail, scan to network, touch-to-print

Interface Required

Connector Type — 4 pin USB Type A, RJ-45
Type — Gigabit LAN, USB 2.0, USB host
Total Qty — 1, 2

Dimensions & Weight

Width — 16.8 in
Depth — 25.7 in
Height — 16.3 in
Weight — 51.15 lbs

Scanning

Optical Resolution — 1200 x 1200 dpi
Grayscale Depth — 8-bit
Color Depth — 30 bit
Automatic Duplexing — Yes

Fax Machine

PC Faxing — Yes (send only)

Fax Machine Features

Speed Dialing — 120 station(s)
Telephone / Fax Switch — Yes
Broadcast Transmission — 119 stations
Delayed Transmission — Yes
Remote Fax Retrieval (Polling) — Yes
Features — Distinctive Ring Detection (DRD), auto reduction, automatic redialing, billing codes, block fax, color faxing, fax activity reports, fax forwarding, fax memory backup, junk fax barrier, poll receive, print fax log, save and load speed dials

Printing System

Photo Printing Capability — Yes

Consumables Included

Type — cartridge
Duty Cycle — 1200 pages, 2300 pages
Color — black, cyan, magenta, yellow
Included Qty — 1

Document & Media Handling Details

Type — ADF, bypass tray, input tray, output tray
Media Feeder Capacity — 150 sheets, 250 sheets, 50 sheets
Min Media Weight — 60 g/m²
Max Media Weight — 200 g/m², 90 g/m²
Min Media Size — 3 in x 5 in, 3.93 in x 5.8 in, 4 in x 6 in
Max Media Size — Legal (8.5 in x 14 in)

Software

Operating System Support — Android, Apple Mac OS X 10.10, Boss 3.0, Boss 5.0, Debian Linux 6.0, Debian Linux 7.x, Fedora 17, Fedora 18, Fedora 19, Fedora 20 (32/64-bit), Linux Mint 13 - 17, MS Windows 7, MS Windows Vista, MS Windows XP SP3, SuSe Linux 12.2, SuSe Linux 12.3, SuSe Linux 13.1, UNIX, Ubuntu Linux 10.04, Ubuntu Linux 11.10, Ubuntu Linux 12.04, Ubuntu Linux 12.10, Ubuntu Linux 13.04, Ubuntu Linux 13.10, Ubuntu Linux 14.04 (32/64-bit), Ubuntu Linux 14.10, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, iOS
Software Included — HP Toolbox, HP Update, HP Web Jetadmin, drivers & utilities

Speed Details

Function — copying, printing, scanning
Max Speed — 21 ppm, 24 ipm, 25 ppm, 26 ppm, 27 ppm, 28 ppm, 30 ipm, 47 ipm
Size — A4, Letter A
Mode — B/W, B/W (ISO/IEC 24734), B/W duplex, color, color (ISO/IEC 24734), color duplex

PC Connectivity

Connection Availability — Yes
Interface — Gigabit LAN, NFC, USB 2.0, USB host, Wi-Fi(n)
AirPrint Enabled — Yes
Security Protocols & Features — Apple Bonjour, LDAP, SSL, TLS, Wi-Fi Direct

Service & Support

1 year warranty

Service & Support Details

limited warranty
Service Included — e-mail consulting, phone consulting
Location — pick-up and return
Full Contract Period — 1 year

Power Adapter

Voltage Required — AC 110 V
Frequency Required — 60 Hz
Power Consumption Operational — 560 Watt
Power Consumption Standby — 18.2 Watt
Power Consumption Sleep — 2.6 Watt

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Rob Errera

Rob Errera is an award-winning journalist embedded in the world of printers and printing supplies. Rob has nearly two decades of experience writing about cutting edge technology, business trends, and the ever-evolving industry of printing.