Brother HL-L2865DW printer review | TechRadar
Specification
type: Monochrome laser printer
Function: Print only
Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi
Data storage slot: without any
Maximum printing speed: 34ppm (single side)
Maximum paper size: Letter paper/A4
Print quality: 1,200×1,200dpi
memory: 128MB
Apple AirPrint: Yes
Consumables include: Black cartridge, 1,200 pages
Dimensions/weight: 723 x 435 x 285 mm (WxDxH) / 71.4 lbs / 7.1 kg
This compact laser printer carries Brother’s Workhorse branding, which means it’s designed for commercial use, but its compact size and convenient features will also appeal to home workers.
The Brother Workhorse HL-L2865DW is a single-function black and white printer that offers fast print speeds, cost-effective monochrome printing, and a host of useful features. like many people best laser printer I’ve already reviewed that this one can print two-sided automatically and its built-in Wi-Fi is dual-band, but it also comes with a useful front-loading multipurpose tray for printing on envelopes. It’s also equipped with the security and environmental features needed for shared offices, including settings to reduce energy and toner consumption.
Brother HL-L2865DW: Design and Build
The Brother HL-L2865DW is a discreet gray box that’s small and light enough to share your desktop. It has Ethernet and USB cable ports and offers wireless connectivity with AirPrint compatibility. It’s a shame there’s no USB host port on the front, but the manual feed slot on the front is a very welcome feature as it can save a lot of time on individual print jobs, such as printing on letterhead and envelopes.
It feels a little light and plasticky, and the single-line display is difficult to read, but at least these money-saving measures keep the overall cost competitive. Since this is a monochrome printer, there’s plenty of room for a single high-yield black toner cartridge, which means your cost per page is competitive, too.
Brother HL-L2865DW: Features and Specs
For a print-only monochrome device, the Brother HL-L2865DW has a lot to like. Printing speeds are impressive, especially in duplex mode. The number given is 16ppm (pages per minute), which I confirmed with a stopwatch. In simplex mode, its speed is 34ppm, which is significantly faster than 26ppm HP Color Laser Printer Pro 3201dw.
The single-line LCD is small, but at least it has a display. The built-in Wi-Fi is dual-band, and there’s an Ethernet port. The main paper tray holds a generous 250 sheets of Letter or A4-size paper, and the single-page advance bin is essential for those one-off print jobs.
Brother has taken steps to make this printer more sustainable by reducing power consumption through Eco Mode and Toner Save Mode. Unfortunately, no recycled plastic or parts are used in its construction, and the packaging contains polystyrene, so there’s room for improvement.
Brother HL-L2865DW: Setup and Operation
The setup manual is very brief, as Brother assumes you’ll download the excellent companion app (called Mobile Connect) and use it as a setup guide. Before you can let an app on your smartphone connect the printer to your local Wi-Fi network, you need to plug it in, load paper, and install a toner cartridge. It worked for me for the first time, and with built-in AirPrint, I was able to print instantly from my MacBook and iPhone. It is also fully compatible with Windows and Chrome OS. The Mobile Connect app is also great for general operations, as you can use it to check toner levels, order new cartridges, or update your printer’s firmware.
Brother HL-L2865DW: Performance
I found the Brother HL-L2865DW to print quickly and surprisingly quietly throughout my testing. The quoted speed of 34ppm is accurate enough, while the quoted noise level of 49dB makes it one of the quieter laser printers on the market. It also prints reliably and well as long as you don’t ask it to print on thick paper on both sides. I found that when using the single-page input designed for heavier paper, it printed fine on 300gsm thick paper in simplex mode, but the automatic page turning always caused paper jams. Clearing a jammed page requires removing the ink cartridge to access it. Paper weight is limited to a fairly thin 105gsm for automatic duplex printing.
The first job of any black and white laser printer is to print pages of text with clarity and consistency. The characters don’t look as pitch black as some competing laser printers I’ve tested, but that’s not to say they’re pale. When I reduce the font size to just two points, I’m still able to read the text easily (through a magnifying glass).
The quoted 1,200 x 1,200 resolution sounds better than the 600 x 600 resolution typically obtained with laser printers, but unfortunately, that doesn’t equate to superior print quality. The black and white photos I printed didn’t look as sharp as other laser printers in this price range. Even more impressive is that it applies black toner very evenly without leaving any marks or clogging, which is good news if your document contains pie charts and areas of solid black. However, as mentioned before, it’s not the darkest black toner available, so it tends to appear gray.
Brother HL-L2865DW: Supplies
The printer’s replacement toner cartridges are cost-effective, especially the high-yield TN830XL ​​(TN2510XL) toner cartridge, which can print 3,000 pages for just $152 (£96). That’s a pretty low cost per page. The bundled ink cartridges are good for 1,200 pages, which isn’t too bad for boxed toner.
Brother HL-L2865DW: Maintenance
Unlike inkjet printers, laser printers do not suffer from clogged nozzles when idle, so they require less maintenance overall. They do, however, rely on the drum, which in this case needed to be replaced after 15,000 pages, and Brother’s new DR830 (DR2510) unit costs $136 (£106).
Brother HL-L2865DW: Final Verdict
The Brother HL-L2865DW highlights the efficiency of a black and white laser printer in a shared office or home office environment. If you can safely say you don’t need to print in color, a monochrome laser printer like this one is smaller, simpler, cheaper to buy, and cheaper to run. Holds more toner (enough for 3,000 pages in this case) and more paper (250 sheets) with just one cartridge. During my testing, it did its sole job well, which was to produce professional-looking text pages. The printing speed of 16ppm in duplex mode is quite fast, the noise is less than 50dB, and the operation is very quiet. The only test it failed was the duplex high quality test, which resulted in a jam. Stock limit for duplex printing is 106gsm. I would have liked a larger display, or a front-facing USB host port, but the front-facing multi-function input slot has proven to be very valuable for one-off print jobs (such as printing on envelopes and letterhead paper) . Overall, this basic laser printer proves to be a good value for money.
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