The Brother MFC-L2800DW is a straightforward laser printer that can scan, copy and fax at a competitive price. What more do you want?

I have no idea whether Brother ever works with a design agency for its printers, but they forgot that with the Brother MFC-L2800DW (203.19 euros excl. VAT). Extremely boring and without a touchscreen, this printer doesn’t warm us up. On the other hand, there are only a few printers that excite us.

Design is not the focus here, nor is cutting-edge technology, but we offer a reliable overall package at a competitive price. Brother has also managed to do this, especially considering that it is a multifunctional laser printer. Printing is only possible in black and white: you can’t have everything in life.

Back in time

In a world where almost every multifunction printer has a (often small) touchscreen that allows you to configure everything clearly, we travel back in time with the Brother MFC-L2800DW. The two-line LCD screen is back, supported by numerous buttons and a numeric keypad for faxing. Wonderfully nostalgic. On the other hand, launching a copy with physical buttons is faster than with a touchscreen. Every disadvantage has its advantage.

This makes the installation a little more difficult than normal. We have to resort to techniques we haven’t needed since our Nokia 3310, including a T9 keyboard to enter the WiFi password. There is also an Ethernet port: a rarity in this price range. This way the installation is also completed much faster.

We need to download an installation wizard from the support.brother.com website. Why Brother doesn’t provide all of its software (including drivers) in an app in the Windows Store like all other brands is a mystery to us. This significantly increases ease of use and the software is updated automatically.

Clear expectations

Once installed, we admire the sterile appearance of the Brother MFC-L2880DW. The price is competitive, so you don’t have to count on an NFC reader for this Pull pressure. Fortunately, in addition to Ethernet, WiFi (Direct) is also available, as is the fax connection for those who still need to work with it as an organization.

Toner installation couldn’t be easier. When you open the lid, it slides in gently at the front. Removing it is also child’s play. In order to sell this device as cheaply as possible, the toner supplied only contains a limited amount of ink, which is sufficient for 700 pages. A standard toner is enough for 1,200 prints, the XL version has 3,000 pages.

Somehow we’re disappointed that it doesn’t just include standard toner, but at the same time we like that Brother is so transparent about this. We all know that manufacturers never package full toner or ink cartridges in boxes, but almost no one is transparent about this. Brother yes, Chapeau.

Smarter than you think

Boring on the outside, boring on the inside? Not quite, because the Brother MFC-L2880DW supports mobile printing via the Brother app (Android and iOS). In fact, you can also activate the Brother EcoPro subscription on this printer. These prices apply to black and white laser models:

These are interesting prices considering that printing with standard toner (1,200 pages) without a subscription costs 3.54 cents per print. Printing with an XL toner (3,000 pages) costs 2.42 cents per print.

If you always buy XL toner, it will be cheaper without a subscription. The standard toner costs almost as much as the subscription. The latter ensures that a new toner is always delivered on time. What’s particularly interesting is that when you purchase this printer you are entitled to six months of free printing. Then you can pause or continue.

The paper tray has space for 250 sheets. The scan/copy tray holds 50 sheets. Note that the feeder only scans one side, not the front and back.

Print quality

That’s all well and good, but what about the print quality? That’s okay, but no more. From four points we can read the text, from 7 points everything appears error-free. That’s a little less than average, but still excellent in this price range. Recto-verso printing works perfectly when the paper is positioned perfectly.

The Brother MFC-L2880DW is hardly usable for PowerPoint handouts. In black and white photos, screenshots or other visual elements, you can sometimes see “lines/bands” that indicate that the laser printer has not done its job 100 percent. This doesn’t happen all the time or bother you, but when it happens on a print like this it doesn’t look professional. Ideal for internal use, but for external use it is better to use a color printer for handouts.

The print quality is excellent, as is the centering of the sheet to be printed. Some numbers from our test:

Diploma

These days you have to evaluate a printer based on three factors: print quality, ease of use and ink price. The Brother MFC-L2800DW (203.19 euros excluding VAT) performs adequately in all three points. Nothing more and nothing less, but you shouldn’t expect that from a laser printer in this price range.

Add to that a decent duplex function and you have an ideal office printer for small SMEs with a print volume of up to 800 pages per month. If you print more or have more than ten employees in the office, it is better to choose a device with more options like NFC and a large touchscreen.

Warranty: The Brother MFC-L2800DW comes with a two-year carry-in manufacturer’s warranty.