Brother MFC-8840D Laser Multifunction

This the third Brother laser printer I've purchased in the past seven years. This machine was a logical first choice based on my good experience with this brand. I've had this one for about four months and have put it to heavy use. Simply put, this machine does exactly what it promises and without any glitch. I used it with both my Mac and Windows XP PC at home; the software integrates well. Four other positives are worth mentioning: (1) the toner refills are inexpensive ($60 for the 7,000 page version), (2) they can be reliably refilled once each with the toner refill kits off of ebay ($12-16 each; not a messy process), (3) mine's not as loud as another reviewer's unit seemed to be (or maybe I'm used to the level of noise from Brother printers;), (4) The duplexing works very reliably (not a single jam since I bought this unit). Highly recommended.

Pros: For $450, getting a fax + copier + scanner + duplex laser printer is a pretty good deal. I considered buying higher quality printer, scanner and fax-modem components separately and then using my computer to integrate them, but there is something to be said for "press-a-button" copying and faxing that just works. I've found a lot of unexpected uses for the copy machine - no longer need to tote the whole textbook; just copy the chapter I plan to read, etc. The N-in-1 feature is useful - you can fit many textbook pages onto a single sheet. The printer is completely quiet when idle, though it takes a few minutes to fan down after printing something.

Cons: My biggest requirement in a printer was built-in duplex (double-sided printing). I couldn't find another laser duplex multifunction device for under $1000. (For those deciding, if black & white text print quality matters to you, do NOT buy an ink jet - or at least do a careful side-by-side print comparison. Laser...Read more

After much research and some looking and testing, decided to go for this Brother machine based on reviews and my other good experiences with Brother equipment. Bought this at Costco for somewhere around $375. Set up was a breeze -- less than 30 minutes, and no problems with XP Pro. Networked it to my colleagues without problems. Works like a champ. Faxing is a breeze and sheet feeder is fast and well-designed. Copying is also slick. Printing has been fast with sharp text. Have not needed to scan anything yet. Toner save is a real plus for us b/c of the volume of faxes, copies, etc. that come through every day. Making command changes is a snap and pretty much intuitive. I thought the manual was very clearly written, and it's easy to find command changes you want. The size of the thing is a little intimidating -- I think it frightened away our other little inkjet, but I'm perfectly happy with it -- in fact, I think we got a steal on this thing. If you're looking for a...Read more