We have this same model I think we paid $180 for it or somewhere around that brand new when it was on a really good sale once. It’s a solid work horse. We have kids and print out a ton of stuff for them to draw, write and color on. Prints fast, pages look nice and those toner carts last FOREVER! Would never go back to an inkjet again!
This is also the first wi-fi printer i’ve had zero issues with. You simply print from any source and it comes out. Every now and again you have to push the green button to wake it up, but other then that hassle free.
If/when there’s ever a good deal on a color laser printer from Brother we’ll strongly consider upgrading.
I have owned numerous laser printers.
I will never ever buy another brother printer.
When (the printer thinks) your toner gets low, then printer will shut down and you will not be able to print another page. Even though there is toner in the cartridge.
I use HP printers where you can tell the printer it’s ok, and keep printing.
I don’t know what model you have, but I have not found that to be the case. They will tell you that toner is low, but it is not going to stop until it is “out”. Yes, there’s still toner in the cartridge; it’s the norm with the laser cartridges from other brands too, with some being much worse than others.
On the corollary, I will not and have not purchased a HP printer in years because they were the only ones who made printers that ceased functioning because of the ink’s date, even if it’s new and unused. Nevermind that more recently, they pushed out firmware that prevented printers from using third party cartridges yet again. This is the second time in two years that they did this.
We have six Brother printers in various departments here at work. At my previous job, we had eight. I personally have three at home. All have been economical workhorses.
Also, there’s a simple trick for extending the life of your Brother printer toner carts. There’s a small sensor hole on both sides of the cart that the printer uses to measure your remaining toner. Even though the cart still has toner enough for hundreds of pages, the printer will prematurely report “Low Toner”.
The workaround is to put a piece of tape over that hole.
My HL-2170W stopped printing because it sensed a low toner state. I had forgotten to cover that hole. Once I did, it worked like a champ. It’s been 6 months, and only now are my printouts starting to show signs of fading or splotches.
You can tape one or both holes - doesn’t matter. There’s also a hole on the drum unit that aligns with the toner hole. You can tape that if you prefer. Just be sure that whichever hope you opt to tape up, that you use something opaque.
We also have a Brother (model HL 5470DW) and never have had this issue. Plus, when it registers low, take out the toner cartridge and tap it a couple of times and replace. It will print another 100 or so pages!
I have a 5470. It seems the only difference is mine also has USB out connector. This is a real workhouse which has never failed me. The print quality is stunning, just as you wold expect from a Laser printer. The paper duplex feature is awesome and helps reduce paper use. Brother printers use less toner than the comparable HP’s, which are know for their ink/toner usage.
I highly recommend this if you are in the need for a Laser printer.
I have a Brother HL-2170W laser printer. It is one of the models that will stop and refuse to print long before the toner cartridge is actually empty – no amount of button mashing will get it to budge.
Just like kenbuzz reported, I found out online that you can cover the sensor holes and get a lot more pages. What I found works the best is to use opaque masking tape, then use a black Sharpie to make the tape nice and dark. I found that without the Sharpie, I was still getting enough light to pass through that the printer would quit again. On my current toner cart, I’ve gotten almost 1,000 additional pages after the printer initially refused to print another page, and they all look just as sharp as day one.
It is terrible that Brother does this. It should just give a warning instead of refusing to print. As long as there is a work-around, it’s still a good printer and I’m happy with it.