Lexmark MX517de: Legal scanning and fax with the 51B supply system review

Make the paper and toner configuration part of the choice

The Lexmark MX517de is a monochrome office MFP for wired printing, copying, color scanning and conventional fax. US part 35SC703 includes a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 350 sheets of combined input and a 50-sheet reversing duplex feeder. Its recommended monthly range is 2,000–12,000 pages, making it a workgroup reference rather than a recommendation to run at its 120,000-page maximum duty cycle.

Its close resemblance to the MX511 is not a reason to interchange toner or starter allowances. The MX517's exact US record uses the 51B supply family and a 3,000-page original starter. Lexmark marks the printer discontinued, so checking the actual offered unit, compatible regional supplies and usable software is more useful than relying on a surviving shopping widget.

Legal glass and automatic two-sided feeder capture

The original paper table explicitly includes MX517 in its Legal-glass footnote. Letter, Legal and A4 are documented on the glass as well as through the feeder. A full-length Legal original that should remain flat therefore has an established route; smaller family members do not necessarily share it.

The feeder captures both sides automatically by reversing the sheet. It is not a single-pass scanner. For normal loose originals, load faceup, short edge first, and adjust the guides. Books, photographs, small items and delicate media belong on the glass. Color originals can be captured in color even though the print engine and copied output are monochrome.

The declared Letter scan modes are up to 43 black or 20 color sides per minute for simplex, and 19 black or 9 color sides for duplex. Reversing, processing, destination handling and the chosen file settings all matter to an actual job. These specifications should not be treated as a measured complete workflow.

Use the documented computer paths

The exact source supports scanning to USB- or network-connected computers. USB Type-B supplies workstation attachment, while gigabit Ethernet provides standard shared networking. The guide describes a Scan Profile process with a computer destination and local initiation at the panel. Check that the required scanner software or profile workflow remains usable on the intended system.

Front and rear Type-A interfaces have separate roles from the computer port. Supported flash-drive printing and scanning use documented file and FAT-format restrictions; do not assume arbitrary storage or application files are accepted. Optional OCR, RAM and disk requirements apply to specified advanced PDF features rather than ordinary basic scanning.

Confidential printing uses compatible computer Print and Hold software, a four-digit PIN and local release. Memory pressure, expiration and incorrect attempts can remove held jobs. The hard disk is optional, so it should not be assumed present merely because the printer has a security menu or a solution name.

The source lists wireless as an optional N8350 interface. Generic mobile app wording and qualified family chapters do not establish every mobile protocol on the exact base package. Analog fax also needs a suitable separate phone line and station setup; Ethernet is the computer network path, not the ordinary analog fax transport.

Included paper and exact replacement supplies

The 250-sheet drawer and 100-sheet multipurpose feeder total 350 sheets on the stated 20-pound or 75-gsm basis. Letter, Legal and A4 fit both ordinary inputs and automatic duplex. Set guides, size and type correctly; suitable envelopes use the separate one-sided feeder routine. The 2,000-sheet maximum requires additional optional drawers.

Printing is declared up to 45 one-sided Letter pages per minute, with automatic duplex separately 20 Letter sides per minute. These are maker modes rather than measured results for a particular office file. The monthly recommendation remains separate from maximum duty.

The original starter declares 3,000 pages. Replacements include 51B1000 at 2,500, 51B1H00 at 8,500 and 51B1X00 or 51B0XA0 at 20,000 under ISO/IEC 19752. The separate 60,000-page imaging unit has another job and coverage basis. Match regional and Return Program conditions, inspect the electrical label and allow loading and service access around the 48-pound body. A confirmed wireless or single-pass configuration is the alternative when either capability is essential.