I did a ton of research because this is a big ticket item for me. It got good, solid reviews and frankly, I've had issues with Canon and Epson printers. I've always owned inkjet. But make no mistake, I have learned the hard way that the reason for inkjets being so cheap is because they make all their real money off ink purchases. I decided to go with a laser jet for that reason. I read that the ink in a laser jet doesn't dry and evaporate like inkjet cartridges and while the toner cartridges in a laserjet are more expensive, they last longer.
This printer was a breeze to set up. It comes with a quick start guide that is really all you need to get started. The instructions/illustrations for removing packing from the tanks and CD install are easy to understand and simple to do. When I first scanned something, i didn't need instructions, the interface on the printer was super simple and I scanned right to my PC with a push of a button.
The print quality is better than anything I have owned. It's a strange pleasure to have something print, quickly and quietly, without an error message, a paper issue or an online connection issue.
I was concerned because I read that laserjet is not really great for images. Even though i do a lot of photography, I rarely print my own images - but I do sometimes print articles or recipes with photos. Articles and guides online tell you that the laser jets photo quality is a downside, but so far I am pleased with the quality of any image I've printed - and it is better than any inkjet I have owned. And you cannot beat the crisp, black text you get from a laser. Also, I believe it arrives with smaller ink tanks, as many do, so you have to purchase full tanks eventually - but I have had this about a month and have printed about 100 pages and no "low ink" messages yet.
Speed - I don't need a fast printer, but i will say it is ridiculously faster and quieter than inkjets I have owned.
Now if you are wondering why this is not a verified purchase, that is because i bought it from Amazon prime with 2 day shipping and it never showed up. i waited several days and it was sitting at a UPS depot in another state and no one could tell me why. So I cancelled it and bought it, price-matched, at BestBuy and picked it up locally.
I really love this printer - it feels like a solid, beneficial purchase that will continue to be an asset. Can't say that for many things I buy at this price point.
This low end commercial class printer works quite well, and if you need laser crisp printing (no inkjet bleed) on a tight budget this printer fits the bill. We use this in our small independent pharmacy and it is a great printer for our advertisements, copying needs, and scanning forms so that they can be completed electronically.
Setup for this was fool-proof. What took the longest was removing all the protective packaging... and that isn't a bad thing. I liked that the printer was shipped in appropriate materials to protect it in transit. We have robust security hardware/software but this was no issue to connect this to its own separate wifi. Brother's driver installation was easy and allowed for, "custom options", for driver only, and it also came with bonus Nuance Paperport V.14.0 - Complete Product - 1 User - Document Management - Standard Retail - Dvd-rom - Pc - English software.
Because Brother, "registers", the PC with this printer during install, scanning is very simple and there is no need to be near the computer you are scanning to, which is a pretty cool, automatically setup feature.
For people who do not like technology, even they could not have anything negative to say about this machine's ease of use. The touch screen is very responsive (one doesn't have to push their finger through the screen).
Overall, a nice value. Toners are reasonably priced and replacement is simple. "Tricking", the printer into thinking it has new toners is a nice trick to get an extra few hundred sheets out of each.
This product received 4 stars from me because I think it is a good value, is easy to use, has reasonably priced replacement parts, easy setup, nice/supportive packaging, and functions as advertised.
It did not receive 5 stars because its duplexing capability is dated; i.e. it should print both sides internally rather than back-feed the paper, taking more than twice as long. Another negative is that you have to do a toner reset in order to use as much toner as you can. This printer triggers the toner empty, and won't print, even when there is probably a few hundred pages left. Though this is easy enough to manage, it is a unnecessary task.
I hope you found this review helpful!
Must update the firmware to get wireless to work with modern AC routers.
Scanning speed is excellent.
Super cheap cost-per-page if using non-Brother toner.
Setup is complicated if you use the advanced features, like scanning to a network drive. You must use the web interface. Saving to network folders is hard to set up.
Photos on card stock look acceptable when framed behind glass.
I had this previously marked at 2 stars but am bumping it up to 4 because I found a solution to a photo printing problem. Photo printing cannot be done on regular photo paper as most is designed for inkjets. I didn't realize this. Sure enough my Costco Kirkland photo paper says it's for inkjets. So make sure to get a laser compatible photo paper. Thick bond/cardstock seems to work well for photos but was leaving tire tracks (smudges seen at an angle) on the paper. After much testing and wasting of toner, I found the answer on the Brother website. On the back is a door that opens. When using thick paper and a lot of ink is being laid down, open the back door. The paper will go straight through and the tire tracks are reduced significantly. The website says that the tracks are caused by compression of the paper by the rollers. By letting the paper go straight through, it's in less contact with rollers. This did in fact reduce the tracks by about 90%. Granted it's a pain to move this monster printer from the wall to open the door. But it does almost solve the problem.
Revising my review on 9/20/2018 --
This printer has started randomly rebooting itself multiple times a day. It's driving me nuts. There is no logical explanation. I did update the firmware again at which time it hasn't rebooted in about 5 hours. So hopefully this is fixed.
We purchased this as a 'business expense". My husband is an owner operator and we need to scan many invoices, as well as print numerous items in a high quality fashion. This printer seemed to do everything we needed it to do, for the best value, with the least expensive toner cartridge replacements, and had the best range of Amazon reviews. I also liked the top scanner that scanned many multiple pages (like income taxes so one can fax them in a simple easy pdf file to the CPA.)
This machine has made my bookkeeping life easier.
We purchased this in mid February 2018 and have now had it about 3 months.
Some pro points to note:
- It was easy to set up on our iMac.
- It was easy to set up on our home wifi network
- it is easy to print from our Apple phones
... it also holds an ample amount of paper, prints crisp and clear in all colors. The toner cartridges all still appear full.
I think the only CON I can think of it is it pretty big. Some people may not like that. It is big because it takes large toner cartridges. It is a little over 17" tall with the top loading paper tray open. It is 16" wide and about 18" deep. This takes up some decent desk real estate so keep that it mind.
So far so good. I will update this as time goes on, but our first quarter with this machine has proven to be good.
This printer was unpacked and printing within 10 minutes. I have never had a printer that seemed so well designed and robust for my needs. I print occasionally at home, and found that my old inkjet printer never worked right. The ink was either dried up, or the heads needed cleaning. The scanner worked flawlessly, as did the 50 or so PDF documents I needed to print. Absolutely, no trouble whatsoever. Please do not hesitate to purchase this machine.
I have not tested the fax machine thus far, and probably never will to be honest...but I assume it would function fine. Do not listen to the reviews that are negative because it doesn't duplex...it was never advertised as having that functionality. Besides it wouldn't be that hard to print the odd number pages, put those pages back in the tray appropriately, and print the even number pages if you really needed to.
On another note, I purchased this printer for $330.00 on Amazon.com (BestBuy was $400), and before it was even delivered the price had dropped by $81.00! I e-mailed Amazon about receiving credit for the difference in price, and they responded in less than hour with a confirmation number and a message explaining they would gladly provide me the $81 credit. I have used Amazon for years, and will continue to use them for my shopping needs based on their customer service alone.
Feature Product
- FAST PRINT AND SCAN: The Brother MFCL3710CW lets you get things done with up to 19ppm print speed and scans up to 29imp black and 22ipm color
- ENJOY AFFORDABLE AND FLEXIBLE COLOR PRINTING: Affordably print professional-quality, rich, vivid color documents with laser printer quality. The 250-sheet adjustable paper tray helps minimize refills and the manual feed slot handles varied printing needs
- 3.7" COLOR TOUCHSCREEN: Print-from and scan-to popular cloud apps - Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote(2) and more from the touchscreen
- PRINT AND CONNECT YOUR WAY: The MFCL3710CW has mobile device wireless printing,(1) built-in wireless, Wi-Fi Direct and USB interfaces
- FOR USE WITH BROTHER GENUINE TONER: TN223BK, TN223C, TN223M, TN223Y, TN227BK, TN227C, TN227M, TN227Y
- AMAZON DASH REPLENISHMENT ENABLED: Upon activation, Amazon Dash Replenishment measures the toner level and orders more from Amazon when it's low
Description
The reliable, robust Brother MFC-L3710CW compact digital color all-in-one printer is a great choice for the busy home or small office looking for laser printer performance. Affordably add color to your printing for vivid images on all your documents. Quick print speeds of up to 19ppm, scan speeds up to 29ipm black and 22ipm color plus robust construction ensures your all-in-one works as hard as you do. The compact design is ideal for smaller spaces.
The MFC-L3710CW helps make color printing affordable for your home or small office looking for laser printer quality. Toner Save Mode helps you save on toner costs. With Brother affordable increased yield toner options, there’s never been a better time to add a Brother digital color printer to your home or small office. Choose from Standard or High-Yield toner to help make color printing even more economical.
Flexible paper handling options accommodate a variety of paper types, sizes and styles. The up to 250-sheet capacity adjustable paper tray lets you print longer with less refills and handles letter or legal-size paper while the up to 50-sheet automatic document feeder helps you save time with easy multi-page copy, scan and fax. The manual feed slot accommodates printing on card stock, envelopes, photo paper and more.
The Brother MFC-L3710CW offers versatile connection options with built-in wireless and Wi-Fi Direct or connect locally to a single computer via USB interface. Print wirelessly from your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.(1) Print-from and scan-to popular cloud apps(2) directly from the 3.7"" color touchscreen including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote and more. Help save time by creating custom shortcuts on the touchscreen for your most used features. The Brother MFC-L3710CW compact digital color all-in-one printer has a one-year limited warranty with free online, call, or live chat support for the life of your printer.
(1)Requires connection to a wireless network. (2)Requires an Internet connection and an account with desired service. (3)Approximate cartridge yield in accordance with ISO/IEC 19798 (letter/A4). (4)Reprinted from pcmag with permission. 2017 Ziff Davis, LLC. All Rights Reserved. (5)The mobile device must have NFC capability and run Android OS 4.4 or later. (6)Requires additional purchase. (7)Approximate 18,000-page yield each drum unit (may vary by type of use). (8)The recommended range of monthly printed pages to achieve the best possible performance and printer life. Printers are intended to handle occasional usage beyond this range with little or no effect. Consistently printing above the recommended print volume, however, may adversely affect the print quality or life of the machine. It is always best to choose a printer with an appropriate recommended print volume to allow for any anticipated increase in printing needs.
Now that it is working properly I really like this printer. The problem I had was with Airprint. The printer was advertised to work using the Airprint function and I would not have bought it otherwise. I set the printer up on my wireless network following all of the instructions. It worked just fine with my laptop (running Windows 10). However, when trying to print from my iPhone and iPad I kept getting the message "no Airprint printer found". Since it was the weekend and I could not reach a live person at Brother support, I started with Apple support. We checked everything conceivable and determined the problem was not with my mobile devices. Next I spent another half hour on the phone with Xfinity support as the Apple support person had asked me how old my router was. I didn't know and wanted to rule out network problems. Again, tested everything, still would not print (or even see the printer) using Airprint. Finally, on Monday I spent about an hour on the telephone with a Brother customer service person who did not seem to know how to handle this problem, and put me through a whole bunch of different maneuvers, most of which I had already tried. Finally, deep in some obscure setting, there was a selection that was off that needed to be on. We tried that and it still wouldn't work. I asked him if I needed to reboot again and he said no. I said I would have no choice but to return the printer and I arranged the return through Amazon. Then, just for the heck of it, I rebooted the printer and it has worked fine with Airprint ever since so I was able to cancel the return. I think if a printer is advertised to work with Airprint it should be Airprint enabled upon delivery. I am a small business owner and I lost a lot of billable time resolving this problem.
I cannot give this five stars, but it is close to earning that just out of sheer robustness. I just checked the page counter, it is showing 27,558 pages printed and copied. I have already reset the parts life counters once and am going to do so again. We will see how long it will continue to print in both color and monochrome.
The print quality itself is good, especially for a low budget color MFC. No complaints there, even with photos (4x6, 5x7, 8x10). Don't expect to win a speed contest with a higher dollar machine, or a print quality contest. But again, this is a budget color MFC.
The two issues I have with this machine that keeps it from earning five stars are as follows: The main feed roller for the ADF has eaten itself, well more like about 35% of itself. I have to check it every week or so and work the roller cover back over so it doesn't continue to do so and clean the debris from nooks and crannies. The second issue I have is when scanning it will sometimes loose connectivity with the destination computer. This normally happens when I am scanning ~20 pages through the ADF, of course it normally does this with 1-2 pages to go. The page will stop being fed through (so it is partially in and out), and the machine will just sit like this for about 30s to a full minute. It will then display an error and feed the remaining sheets through in rapid fire fashion. You then must start over your scan job. I scanned about 50 pages this morning with zero issues however.
This has been used with Android and iOS devices, along with Windows 7/8.1/10 with out really any drama. I try to keep the firmware up to date along with drivers. Firmware updating is pretty straight forward, I've only had to do it twice.
For the most part, I really like this printer. Setup was pretty easy. They walk you through it quite nicely. The ink that came with the printer has lasted for quite a while. I'm a teacher, and I mostly print game boards, game cards, and playing pieces that require a large amount of ink per page. I'm still using the original set of ink cartridges. The print quality and color are both very good. There were two issues that I noticed. The first one may or may not be the printer's fault. Most documents print just fine, but occasionally there will be a document that simply won't print if I select a range of pages. If I want it to print, I need to print the current page one at a time until it is finished. I have tried, but I am unable to solve this. Again, it may or may not be a printer issue. It could be a computer issue. The second issue that I have is that sometimes the ink will not adhere to the paper. Once the page prints, you can see that the ink didn't adhere, and you can rub it off with your finger. At first I thought it was because I forgot to select the correct thickness of my paper. However, it continues to happen even when I change the setting to the correct thickness. I would estimate that it happens once out of every 25 pages or so. Overall, this is a good printer for the price, and I would recommend it to others.
I have only had this printer a month but it is fantastic and I would not hesitate to buy it again.
I have had many printers over the years from inkjets to laser printers to mult-function printers. My last printer was a multi function printer from Brother that is about 7 years old. I was looking to upgrade to a color laser printer and since my old Brother printer has been such a work horse I decided to stay loyal to the brand.
Positives are: color is amazing and easily as good as the $5k machine we have at work. Scans are quick and very high quality as well as the copies. Color touch screen menu system was a very big upside surprise given how sensitive and intuitive it is.
The big selling point for me is the wireless capability. The machine is large as it should be but now I just hide it in a closet. Synchronizing it to my wireless network was easy and took about 20 seconds with the touchscreen keyboard.
I also love the Brother software that comes with it.
Works with all my PCs and Macs perfectly.
If you are tired of replacing 50 dollar printers with 60 dollar ink cartridges, this is the way to go. No issues with ink drying up or only printing certain amount of pages until the chip shuts off the cartridge sending you to the store to buy another one. The cost of this printer is higher, but it is loaded with great features, the included software works very well. The toner is a bit pricey, but it lasts way longer than ink tank cartridges and wont dry up. The print quality is very clear and does not smudge as it does in inkjet printers. I am still using the cartridges that came with the printer and I have printed quite a bit, using the toner save feature which does help since I have hardly made a dent in the amount of toner still left according to the indicator. Customer support is great for this product online or by phone. In my opinion this is a great buy for someone who does moderate amount of printing, such as a student in high school or college.
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