GREAT DEAL FOR HOME OFFICE - 1 MAJOR FLAW
Written: Dec 23 '04 (Updated Feb 09 '05)
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Pros: NETWORK-READY, FAST FAXING (33.6) & PRINTING, GREAT PRICE, CHEAP INK
Cons: Won't print in black if any color ink is empty.
The Bottom Line: Great deal on a network-ready print/scan/fax/copy for home office. I would not recommend this printer because of the way it refuses to print in black if the color is empty.
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| razorback187's Full Review: Brother MFC-3820CN Printer |
UPDATE:
ANNOYING PROBLEM:
Will not print in black because the color is empty.
No, that is not a typo. This printer will not print if ANY of the toner is empty. This is extremely annoying.
I have never printed in color, not even once. The auto-clean feature used up all the toner from all 3 colors in about 3-4 months. I have plenty of black ink, but it won't print. Even if you never use it for color prints, you are still going to have to buy a set of color cartridges every 4 months to replace the ink the auto-clean feature uses. Otherwise, it will refuse to print even in black. Yes, I'm sure.
PRINTING:
I haven't printed any photos yet, so I don't know how high quality the color printing is. My recommendation is for use for mainly B&W printing & copying & faxing. The B&W text printing is good quality.
NETWORK READY:
I have it connected to my router via ethernet, so that I can print/scan from any one of my computers on my network. Set-up was easy. All I had to do was plug the cable into my router and install the software on the computers that I want to print/scan from.
FAX: (No computer needed)
You can tell it to fax a big stack of papers and forget about it. Fax is 33.6 which is fastest you can find.
COPY: (No computer needed)
Copying is super-easy. Just push one button for color or the other button for B&W. It has both a flat-bed copier surface, as well as a paper tray feeder. Very nice to have both.
SCAN:
I have not used the scan to computer feature yet. The software it comes with is PaperPort.
INK:
The ink is pretty cheap too, you can get it for about $20 for a 3-pack of black ink refills on the internet.
Make sure you buy a 3-pack of black ink along with the printer purchase, because you will need to change the ink after a few hundred pages.
AUTO-CLEAN:
I see a lot of people complain about the auto-clean feature, but I am glad to have it. I have had expensive ink cartridges get ruined because I didn't print for a few days. The print head on the cartridge can dry out and then the cartridge is unusable. The auto-clean prevents this. I don't think it uses a significant amount of ink.
To be sure, the black ink cartridge should be a little bigger. But that is not such a big deal because:
A) The cartridges are easy to swap out.
B) The black ink is really cheap, a 3-pack for only $20.
RELIABILITY:
I've had it about 4 months, no problems. (yet).
PRICE:
I bought this at staples for about $100 after rebate.
SPECS:
Product Specifications
Print speed Up to 14 ppm black, 12 ppm color
Print resolution Up to 4800x1200-dpi black, 4800x1200-dpi color
Copier speed Up to 12 cpm black, 10 cpm color
Scanner type Flatbed
Scanner resolution Up to 600x2400 dpi
Fax speed Up to 33.6Kbps, 3 seconds per page
Fax memory Up to 480 pages
Card Slots Yes
Network ready Yes
Document feeder 20-sheets
Input paper capacity 100 sheets
Maximum paper size 8.5"x14"
Reduce/enlarge 25% to 400%
Interface USB 2.0, Ethernet
Monthly volume Not rated pages
Memory 16MB
Total ink tanks/cartridges required 1 Black / 3 Color
Compatible cartridges LC31BK (sku# 514987)LC31C (sku# 514988) LC31M (sku#514989) LC31Y (sku#514990)
Technology Inkjet
System requirements Windows® 98/98SE/Me/2000 Pro/XP, Mac OS X 10.1/ 10.2.1 or greater
Dimensions 17.6"x17.8"x13.9" (wxdxh)
Weight 23.1 lbs
Warranty One year limited
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 100
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
razorback187
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Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
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