Brother MFC-7820N 5-in-1 Network Monochrome Laser Multifunction Center
by Brother Printer
|
List Price: Our Price: $199.00 You Save: $50.99 (20%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Brother MFC-7820N 5-in-1 Network Monochrome Laser Multifunction Center
Customer Review: Inexpensive and functional with some drawbacks
Summary: 3 Stars
First thing you notice when unpacking it is that it's very light - which tells me it's all plastic and other inexpensive materials.
Then you plug it in and realize that all the lights on the same circuit will dim a few times each time the printer warms up. Potentially damaging to other sensitive electronics that may share the circuit.
The software programs are helpful, but not required for basic printing. I was able to use the same drivers and network port settings as with my previous HP LaserJet.
However the software is required for network scanning. I was able to setup the software on one workstation, then could access thes scanned files via the network. If you would like to save scanned files to multiple machines, the software needs to be installed on each destination PC.
The best feature is that you can initiate a scan job, select job settings and choose the destination PC all from the MFC's keypad.
The last short coming I found was when I went to pay the bill for the MFC. I use the printer to print all my checks, and found that the manual feed only allows single sheet feed - and not well at that. Inserting that single page is pretty clumsey, often getting caught under the sliding paper aligners. Also the aligners slide so easily that they are ineffectual at keeping manually fed paper straight.
Customer Review: Not bad but some problems
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this all-in-one for about 3 months and I, for the most part, like it. It is compact for an all-in-one, print quality is good, and it is simple to operate.
There are problems. It takes a lot of energy when waking up (whenever you are printing). I had to plug the printer into another outlet to keep my battery backups from clicking on every time I printed. The manual sheet feeding slot has no paper support and, even following the instructions, the paper feeds crooked. This is a problem if you print checks. You must keep your hand on the paper guide to prevent the crook feeding (not in the manual).
When operated as a network printer, you can send FAXs from your computer (as long as you have installed the PCFAX program supplied) however, you cannot receive FAXs on your PC. You can receive Faxs IF you connect the printer via USB (but you can't connect with USB and network at the same time).
The quality of the scanner is not as good as my old HP scanner but is adequate for scanning documents.
Some have criticized the low number of pages that the supplied toner cartridge produced. This cartridge is referred to as a "start cartridge" in the manual. The normal cartridge should produce more pages. I'm sure that Brother shaved a few dollars off the price by doing this, but it was probably unwise.
Customer Review: Very good deal
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been using this printer for more than 3 months and so far haven't had any issues with it. It's very easy to install and use.
If you are using a network connection and software doesn't detect scanner, then you need to setup printer network configuration manually. Don't use default "auto" setting, instead enter your network parameters, including network speed and duplex.
Printer does curl paper, but very slightly. It hasn't been a problem even when printing 100 of pages. Paper jams or overlow are very rare. Automatic feeder works without problems with 20-24 lb common stock. The manual feeder is very poorly designed, the printouts often come out skewed. Otherwise it's a very solid and very inexpensive device. In my estimates printed page costs about 1.8 cents (at current toner prices), or about 2.5 cents when drum replacement cost is taken into account.
So far I've been using the starter cartridge rated at 1500 pages. The printer showed the first "end of life" message after about 1550 pages. After shaking and reinserting the same cartridge twice I've been able to print another 170 pages.
Printer is pretty fast, just a few seconds warmup time, and print speed is pretty much in accordance with the spec. Regarding the noise level -- it's just everage, like most other printers in $200 range.
Customer Review: expect to pay twice as much for print cartridges
Summary: 2 Stars
Brother says that one cartridge will print 2500 copies. Well after we set up the machine and noticed how quickly we had to replace the cartridge that came with the printer, I decided to get 5 reams of 500 sheets and use only these to print off the MFC. After going a little more than halfway through this paper supply, it REFUSED to print because, as the display said, the toner life ended. I was forced to replace the cartridge with a new one, even though it seemed apparent to me that the old one was still working just fine.
Mind you, we do not use the printer to print things that take up a lot of ink. Just regular typing. But regardless of how much toner I used, I object to the fact that the machine simply refused to print, but instead displayed a sign saying "toner life end"
I think the folks at Brothers have discovered a way to make money by selling lots of cartridges to those who have the misfortune of buying this product. Buyer Beware!!!
The printer/scanner/functions are fine. But I think that there was a lack of honesty in the claim that the cartridge life was 2500. Think 1400 tops.
I am editing this post after having had the machine a while longer. If I could change the evaluation to one star, I would do so, because of the problem described above.
Customer Review: Exceptional Value and Versatility
Summary: 5 Stars
Strengths: Versatility, small foot print, easy setup, network ready, decent software bundle, nice scanning, clean printing, Win & Mac CD's included
Weaknesses: Limited paper handling, Win98 install buggy, does not save incoming faxes to PC, somewhat limited documentation on CD
For economy & quality, I use (and recommend) lasers for most of my customers. This is one of the best packages I've seen. I installed in my home as a network printer. Flawless install on two XP machines. I needed to download newer drivers (large files) for Win98SE. Directions are better than most. Packaging is very nicely done. Easy to fax out, print from all my PC's. Works great as standalone fax, copy machine (no PC needed) 5 user license for PaperPort & Control Panels are included. Easy changeout of cartriges, clear access for paper jams.
Limited space for output sheets means you'll need to pickup/monitor large print jobs. I saw no more paper curling than with other inexpensive lasers. Very quick multipage scanning directly to Acrobat. OCR is fairly quick and capable. Nice copies, clear text, graphics are average. Many settings/features are available but you'll have to root a bit to find them.
Considering the price/capability, I haven't seen a better unit for the SOHO user.