Your needs, this model
Does it fit your priorities?
Can a compatible USB computer print ordinary Legal documents from the 250-sheet base drawer?
Yes. The exact 1720 has USB desktop printing, and the original media table supports Legal in tray 1 with 250 ordinary-sheet capacity. Check software and the actual regional rating before use.
Explore this need in the finder →Does the 1720 automatically turn the sheets for two-sided output?
No. Its documented routine is manual duplex with the printed stack reinserted into tray 1. Automatic duplex is 1720dn only.
Explore this need in the finder →Can the base 1720 join Ethernet using the socket shown for 1720dn?
No. The original specifications reserve the Ethernet interface for 1720dn; it is not included on the base 1720.
Explore this need in the finder →The base 1720 is a local monochrome printer
The Dell 1720 is an earlier single-function laser printer for a compatible computer desk. It handles black-and-white documents through USB or a parallel connection. Its important limitation is that automatic two-sided printing and built-in Ethernet belong to the related 1720dn, rather than this base model.
That distinction matters when an earlier printer is advertised using a shared manual or a shortened family name. Confirm the exact label before planning a shared network queue or an unattended two-sided document job. The shared guide explicitly separates those functions.
Two-sided output needs someone at the paper tray
Dell documents a manual duplex routine for the 1720. The driver prints the first set of sides, then signals that the paper should be reinserted into tray 1 with the prescribed orientation. That is a practical option for an attended job when someone can remain available to reload the stack.
It is not the automatic routine described immediately afterward for the 1720dn. The distinction survives even if both models use similar driver terms such as long-edge and short-edge binding. Those choices describe page orientation; they do not install the missing automatic hardware.
Run a short sample before a lengthy two-sided job. The guide requires tray 1 for printing the second sides, even when a different paper source was used initially. That extra handling should be included in the office's expectations.
A full drawer and a manual feed serve different jobs
The standard drawer holds 250 ordinary sheets. Its media table explicitly includes Letter, Legal and A4. Set the paper choice to match the loaded stock, and check the intended material before sending a large run.
The manual feeder takes one sheet at a time. It is the instructed route for an appropriate envelope or an occasional alternate sheet. Send the job and follow the printer's loading signal instead of forcing media into the mechanism.
Those two paths provide 251 physical positions, but the one-sheet feeder is not another bulk reservoir between refills. This assessment counts 250 bulk sheets. An optional extra drawer changes the configuration and is not assumed to be attached.
Verify the actual computer arrangement
USB is the straightforward reviewed route for a nearby computer. The original specifications identify a parallel connection as well. The guide's Ethernet instructions and network configuration tool apply to the 1720dn, so they do not establish an Ethernet interface on the base 1720.
Check that a working driver exists for the intended computer and test representative application output. The historical operating-system list does not guarantee present-day support, and the 1720's PostScript description has its own Macintosh qualification.
There is no document scanner, copier, fax or automatic document feeder. A computer connection and a printer-management utility cannot supply those missing document functions. Choose a multifunction machine if paper capture is part of the same desk workflow.
Assess supplies and the actual machine condition
The original shipped-cartridge figure differs between the two family variants. Identify the toner actually installed, rather than assuming that the larger sibling's initial supply accompanies a 1720. The imaging drum is a separate maintenance concern, with its own status and replacement instructions.
The maximum monthly-duty figure is not a recommended recurring workload. Inspect feeding, drum status and maintenance history, then demonstrate the actual documents the printer will receive.
Finally, verify the regional electrical label and leave room for paper loading, rear access and cables. The 1720 is a sensible earlier reference when a proven local monochrome printing setup is enough and attended duplex handling is acceptable.
Key details at a glance
| Color printing | No |
|---|---|
| Scanner | No |
| Copying | No |
| Fax | No |
| Flatbed scanner | No |
| Automatic document feeder | No |
| Automatic two-sided printing | No |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No |
| Single-pass two-sided scanning | No |
| Color scanning | No |
| Instructed envelope handling | Yes |
| Maximum monthly duty | 25000 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 251 sheets |
| Imaging engine | laser |
Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.
Paper, software and setup details
Print-rate conditions
No verified one-sided Letter print rate is assigned from these personally read original sections. The guide lists 25,000 maximum monthly pages and 500 average pages per month; the average is not converted into a maker recommended-volume range.
Paper handling
Tray 1 holds 250 ordinary 20 lb sheets with explicit Letter, Legal and A4 rows. The manual feeder accepts one sheet or envelope at a time. Hardware therefore has 251 physical positions, while bulk refill matching counts 250. The optional 550-sheet drawer is excluded. Exact1720 duplex is manual: reinsert the first printed stack into tray 1; automatic duplex belongs only to 1720dn.
Scanning arrangement
The exact model is a single-function monochrome laser printer, without a document scanner, copying, fax or ADF.
Computer and mobile connections
The 1720 has USB and parallel computer interfaces. The shared guide explicitly restricts 10/100 Ethernet to 1720dn. The included operating plan is compatible USB desktop printing; no network capability is borrowed from the sibling or an external print server.
Supplies and declared yields
The exact 1720 column lists an approximately 1,500-page shipped cartridge at the stated 5% coverage basis, rather than the 1720dn’s 3,000-page shipped supply. Toner and imaging drum are separate maintenance items. Inspect the actual installed supplies and drum status; the initial declaration is not a current included-cartridge promise.
Software and support
The read guide documents the original driver arrangement and operating systems of its publication period. Verify supported software and representative output on the intended current computer. PostScript support has a Mac-only qualification for 1720; generic family network-management software does not establish a network socket on the base 1720.
Electrical edition and setup
Dell’s actual US support record establishes the 1720/dn product family in its US catalog. Exact electrical edition, body measurements and loaded weight are not established by the read sections, so those fields remain unknown. Verify the actual rating label and operating clearances; do not assume a 220–240 V imported unit is suitable for US power.
Sources for this assessment
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