Xerox WorkCentre 5645 Review

The WorkCentre 5645, priced at $9,899, starts out only as a black and white copier. Before going any further, I truly suggest you get the upgraded copier/printer, or copier/printer/scanner if you've ever needed these features. If you will never need to print or scan don't bother, but I think any machine should be prepared for any job it may encounter.

With that said, let's examine the speed of this machine. The PPM (pages per minute) rating is a very impressive 45, but I am a little disappointed. You see, the WorkCentre 5050, priced about $1,000 less, has a 50 PPM, and I can't see why this more expensive model can't compete with that speed. Let's go further to see if it is any better than the 5050.

Standard paper capacity is 1,100 sheets and can be upgraded to 4,700 sheets. While the standard is pretty good, considering the speeds and the usage I assume you will be getting out of it, the upgrade may be worth it. Again though, I want to bring up the 5050. It's standard paper capacity was 4,800 sheets, and they both share the maximum paper size.

11x17 is the largest paper this copier can take, and though more useful for color users for small posters, there is always a need for printing this large, so it is good to be prepared.

When it comes to finishing options, the 5645 begins to separate itself. The 5050 only included stapling, booklet making, and hole-punching. The 5645 however has those, and it can fold, do booklet making (prints double sided and arranges as a booklet with the pages automatically shrunk down and having two pages per side), and more than that it can do saddle stitch. Meaning, unlike the 5050, the 5645 can staple the booklets, instead of just printing them out.

Also, if you need the scanner, the 5645 can do 60 sheets per minute, while the 5050 only did about 40.

What other limitations does the 5645 abolish for your printing/copier needs? The 5050 could only copy 75 double sided sheets at once, while the feeder for the 5645 has been upgraded to handle 100 sheets.

It also includes the very unique Print Around feature. Meaning that if a certain jobs needs a paper size that isn't loaded, this machine will automatically move onto another job and save this one for last. This increases productivity and makes your printing much faster.

Now, what you have to decide, is the additional features and extra copying capacity worth an extra $1,000? If you prefer speed and paper capacity over these features, then go for the cheaper 5050. However, the 5645 does do a lot of things the 5050 can't. Analyze your needs and you should be able to discern which is better for your needs.