Summary: Poor quality, even for the price.
Comment: I was not expecting top quality for such a low price, but I am disappointed nonetheless. I have two complaints. The first is that the print quality is acceptable, but many documents come out rather faint (if evenly so). The second is that the unit jams very often, especially when the paper casette is low. I have had it for a year now, and have printed perhaps 2000 pages on it, and have been very gentle with it, yet it is jamming increasingly often. I do not recommend this printer; I wish I had spent a few more bucks and gotten a better one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy to install and to use!
Comment: I bought this printer last June for my 78-year-old mother and she lives 2,000 miles away. It was a breeze to install on her USB port on her Compaq Presario notebook (I installed it for her when I visited, shortly after Amazon shipped the printer). Mom hasn't had a bit of problems with it in all this time, and she definitely is NOT computer/printer literate at all. Actually, after I went home, I was expecting the "tech support calls" for me to walk her through various problems she might have encountered but there hasn't been a one in all these months!
I happened to be on this page because I'm going to order one for myself!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Win and Mac workhorse! Delightfully reliable
Comment: I've had this printer for a year now. One of my best purchases, for sure. I've run through several thousand pages on this machine and have yet to hear the slightest squeal! (I use it with my iMac and a Thinkpad.) The thing works like a charm...and it is fast. Brother keeps updating its drivers online....make sure you have the lastest version. Highly recommended for Mac and Windows users.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Low-cost Printer For Linux
Comment: I have used this printer for about six months in my home office, and it has performed flawlessly. Although it may not have features such as duplex printing that expensive office machines have, it represents an excellent value for the average user.
I use the printer with RedHat Linux 6.2, and it is easily configured using the printtool application. Selecting the "Input Filter" option "HP LaserJet IId/IIp/III* with TIFF compression" will have you up and printing at 300dpi five minutes out of the box. There are other drivers available on the Web to exploit its 600 dpi capability, but the lower resolution looks good enough for me and uses less toner.
I have briefly used this printer with Windows NT as well, and installation was straightforward here as well.
I strongly recommend this printer to anyone looking for a low-cost, high quality printer. It's price is not much higher than that of an inkjet printer, yet the output is better and the ink does not smear. I do not normally spend time writing reviews, but this printer deserves special attention!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Use it alongside your color inkjet - save a bundle !!
Comment: Great deal, easy setup, low ongoing costs!
I have owned a Brother HL-6 laser printer for about 6 years and it has held up very well. At the time I bought it, price was a major factor - but when you shop price you always wonder about quality. Aside from one small piece broken by my kids resting their feet on the printer feed tray (!) the HL-6 ran like a charm for 5 years. Only in the last year did paper jams and the like start to occur more frequently. It was time for an upgrade.
But I'm still a cheap guy ! I found the HL-1240 and the price was great. I can't say how long it will last - who could ? But I expect from my experience with the other Brother laser that it will be a long time. I don't plan to use it in an office environment - just busy home use. I suppose a high-volume office might go with a higher-end model.
The printer was up and running in 15 minutes. It has a built-in USB port but I used the old-fashioned parallel port; running it off my son's Windows ME machine in a small home network. It works like a charm printing on the network, too, something many [inexpensive] color inkjets don't manage.
Some nice features include a better (internal) paper tray system and some that I haven't tried yet: direct feed for single-sheets and envelopes and a neat one that allows you to feed thicker paper like card stock in from the back so that it doesn't get bent on the regular curvy internal paper path. You can also set up a "watermark" that prints (light gray ??) on your sheets ("CONFIDENTIAL" for CIA types or "DRAFT" when you want everyone to know it really is!)
It has a slick option for printing multiple pages in reduction - up to 16 pages scaled onto 1 page. Four-to-one makes nice (very readable at 600 dpm) "thumbnail-like" printouts. It also allows "banner" type printing. I tried to 'blow-up' a one page print to a 2 by 2 banner. It did the scaling but included small (1/4") margins all around so I'd still have to cut and tape to end up with my 17 x 22 banner. I'll bet there is some way around this that I haven't found - yet.
I really like their toner cartridge pricing...This compares very well with some other brands that go for [more money]. A 6000-sheet capable cartridge is also available. Don't know the price.
If you are comparing to inkjets you know (don't you !) that the cost per page for inkjets - even Black & white, is much higher than lasers. You can go broke when your kids print out internet pages for homework and the like. Consider, instead, a [inexpensive] inkjet for color only AND a laser like this... desk space could be an issue but this is a compact unit and the color inkjets are getting teeny. You'll save a lot aiming all your regular B&W printing to the laser....The only negative I could honk about arises because of another feature - the ability to load "legal" size paper into the paper tray. This means the tray extends out the back of the printer about 4 inches, even when its loaded with regular letter paper. That extra capability is one I'll never use so the need for the extra desktop clearance is annoying. Otherwise, overall the unit is a nice, compact package about 12" x 12 by about 10" high.
Quick. Did I mention its quick. Of course you saw that in the specs. But moving to 12 ppm from my old 6 ppm is a huge jump... printouts are just... there !
Great product.