Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Laser Printer with Copy and Scan Duplex Mobile Black White Includes Refresh

I have used Brother laser printers for years. I decided on this particular model, mostly because it offered just exactly what my small business and home office needs were. I have no use for a fax machine any more, so this printer and scanner was really all I wanted, and it seemed like a pretty reasonable value. I have tested it several times with various paper media. I print normal text documents, some with graphics, envelopes, and voucher checks regularly. This printer has handled everything really well so far. There was a bit of a learning curve with some odd sized envelopes, but I'm pretty sure my struggle was with the software I was using, not the printer. I did experience a couple of situations where the machine said there was a paper jam when using the front tray to print an envelope, but it was easily resolved. The quality and clarity of the print seems great to me. You can adjust the print density, toner ecology, etc. pretty easily. The machine itself has a heavy duty and durable feel to it, and I'm happy with how it has been working so far for me. WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY: I was reading other people's comments about having issues with this. I am going to share what I found worked best for me, and maybe that will be helpful for others. Since I have owned and used several Brother printers in the past, I've learned that getting the machine on my wireless network is easiest by simply using the machine's console push buttons. I know in the literature it says it should be discoverable by going through the steps outlined in the instructions after downloading their software. However, I've never had consistent luck with that process. I still download the software to make sure I have the right drivers and features loaded, but when it comes to getting the printer on my network, I just use the machine's console to find my router and then type in the password. It's a tiny bit tedious typing the password using the console buttons, but I've never had it not work for me. Honestly, seconds after doing that, the wireless printer was discoverable and available to all of my devices. I was able to print from my CPU, laptop, phone, tablet, etc. without any issues. I know that's not the only way of setting up the wireless functionality on these printers, but it's what I've learned causes the least amount of stress and frustration. I hope that's helpful. They provide details on how to accomplish this method in the accompanying literature that comes with the printer. At this point, I have no reason not to give this five stars. If something shoud change down the road, I'll be sure to update this review. Read more

This is a fantastic printer. It is quick, runs well, and provides dual sided printing. I bought it because Cannon and HP got greedy with their inkjets, e.g. arbitrary "you're allowed to print 30 pages per month", blocking attempts to refill cartridges, bricking the scanner feature if any ink runs out, etc. I hope Brother can stay away from that because it's a major reason to abandon injet. Also I don't print a lot, so toner doesn't dry out like ink cartridges. Obviously it doesn't print color, and injets still excel at photos especially with their ability to accept any paper type (textured paper). If you're in the vast majority of use cases where that doesn't matter and you still need color without the injet hastle, Brother also makes reasonably priced toner-based color printers to consider as an alternative. The main difference is many of those use LED strips at 600 dpi instead of this printer's laser technology (each color needs its own light source because of the way toner transfer works, so LED is simpler, cost less, and has no moving parts compared to 4 laser arrays for each color). 600 dpi is usually good enough, but in comparison you can ramp this black/white printer up to 1200 dpi if needed, which moderately improves photo/graphic prints without significant slowdown. This printer is great for the majority of print jobs. The speed and dual sided printing makes this a much better value for most home office settings, and the picture quality for black/white is still reasonable. Read more

This Brother DCP-L2640DW has been excellent so far. Setup was straightforward, wireless connectivity is available though I have mine connected directly to my LAN, and the print quality is sharp and consistent. Duplex printing is smooth, and the copy/scan functions are quick and easy to use. The scanner works great with the Brother IPrint&Scan software, and printing from my smartphone over the LAN has been excellent. I’ve had this printer for over a month now, and the toner level already shows about half remaining — a good sign that it’s been handling a fair amount of printing without issue. One thing I did notice is that the printer draws enough power to flicker the lights and trigger my UPS when it starts up. I solved this by putting it on a separate circuit in my home office, and since then it has been flawless. It’s not a dealbreaker at all — just something to be aware of if you’re running sensitive equipment on the same line. Overall, I’m very happy with this purchase. It’s a solid, reliable printer that fits perfectly in a small office setup, and the renewed premium version feels like new. Read more