Description
The Brother MFC-L8900CDW is a color laser all-in-one aimed at small offices and busy home offices. Brother lists print and copy speeds of up to 33 pages per minute in both color and monochrome, two paper trays totaling 300 sheets, a 70 sheet automatic document feeder, a 5 inch color touchscreen, 512MB of memory, automatic two sided printing, and both wireless and gigabit Ethernet networking. This particular listing is a bundle that adds a third party JAWFOAL printer cable.
What This Machine Is Built For
The specification that defines this printer is its duty cycle. Brother gives a monthly duty cycle of 60,000 sheets with a recommended monthly print volume of 4,000 sheets. Those two numbers together describe a workgroup machine rather than a household one: the recommended volume is what the machine is designed to produce comfortably month after month, and 4,000 pages a month is far beyond what a home printer sees.
Color laser is the other defining choice. Compared with inkjet, a color laser produces sharper text, does not dry out between uses, and costs less per page in an office that prints regularly. Compared with a monochrome laser such as the Brother MFC-L2700DW, it costs more to buy and to feed but prints color when you need it. If you never print color, the monochrome machine is the cheaper choice by a wide margin.
Print speed is quoted at 33 pages per minute for both color and monochrome, which is unusual: many color lasers run slower in color. Copy speeds match at 33 copies per minute. Scan speed in color is listed at 58 impressions per minute.
Paper Handling and Scanning
Two paper trays totaling 300 sheets means you can keep two media types loaded, typically plain letter in one and letterhead or a second size in the other. Brother lists supported media as plain paper, letterhead, colored paper, thin paper, recycled paper, bond paper, labels, thick paper and glossy paper, with a maximum sheet size of legal at 8.5 by 14 inches.
The 70 sheet automatic document feeder is generous for this class and is the specification that matters most for scanning and copying multi page documents. Note one important limitation Brother states plainly: double sided scanning is listed as No. The printer does automatic two sided printing but the scanner captures one side at a time, so scanning a double sided document requires reloading the stack. On a machine at this level that is a real omission and worth weighing if you digitize double sided paperwork regularly. A dedicated scanner such as the Brother ADS-1300 handles single pass duplex scanning and costs a fraction of this machine.
Other copier functions listed include enlargement up to 400 percent and reduction down to 25 percent, PC faxing and speed dial. Scanner optical resolution is listed at 1200 dpi.
Consumables, Which Decide the Real Cost
Brother names the compatible consumables directly, which is unusually helpful: TN431, TN433 and TN436 toner cartridges, and the DR431CL drum.
Read that list carefully because it contains two separate things. The three TN numbers are toner cartridges at different yields, which is the standard arrangement of standard, high and super high capacity in the same family. Choosing the higher yield cartridge lowers cost per page for anyone printing at volume. The DR431CL is the drum unit, a separate part with its own service life, replaced on a different schedule. On a color laser there are typically four toner cartridges, one per color, and the drum is another purchase again. Work all of that into the running cost before comparing this machine against anything else.
One genuinely positive detail: Brother states that full capacity cartridges are included, not starter cartridges. Many laser printers ship with reduced capacity cartridges that run out quickly, which hides a real cost in the first months of ownership. Full capacity cartridges in the box is worth money and is stated here explicitly.
Highlights
- Color laser all-in-one with print, scan, copy and fax functions.
- Up to 33 pages per minute in both color and monochrome, with matching copy speeds.
- Two paper trays totaling 300 sheets, with legal size support.
- 70 sheet automatic document feeder and a 5 inch color touchscreen.
- 512MB of memory and a 60,000 sheet monthly duty cycle.
- Wireless and gigabit Ethernet networking, with app based and email mobile printing.
- Automatic two sided printing and 1200 dpi scanner optical resolution.
- Full capacity toner cartridges included, using the TN431, TN433 and TN436 family with a DR431CL drum.
- Energy Star 8.0 rated.
Things To Consider
The operating system compatibility list is the most significant thing to check. Brother names Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, Windows Server 2012 R2 and 2016, and macOS up to 10.12 Sierra. That list stops well short of current operating systems. It does not mean the printer will not work with newer releases, since Brother generally maintains drivers for many years, but it does mean the listing does not confirm it. Check Brother’s current driver page for this model against your operating system version before buying.
The specification block contradicts the description in several places, and the description is the fuller source:
- Copy speed appears as 25 ppm in the specification block and 33 copies per minute in the description.
- Maximum media size appears as 8.5 x 11 inches in the specification block while the description says legal, 8.5 by 14 inches.
- Maximum print resolution appears as “2400.00006”, a corrupted number.
- The controller type field reads “Android” and the display type reads “LCD” while the description confirms a 5 inch color touchscreen.
- A weight of 77 pounds is listed, which is high even for a color laser all-in-one and probably includes packaging. Either way, plan for a two person lift and a sturdy surface.
Two further points. This listing is a bundle including a third party JAWFOAL printer cable rather than a plain Brother retail box, so confirm warranty handling with the seller. And note that we list a second page for this same printer model on this site under a slightly different slug; the two describe the same machine, and this is flagged rather than changed.
Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Not
Buy the MFC-L8900CDW if you run a small office that prints in color at volume, you need scanning, copying and faxing in one machine, and the 4,000 page recommended monthly volume matches your workload. The two trays, the 70 sheet feeder, the touchscreen and the full capacity cartridges in the box all point at sustained office use rather than occasional printing.
Do not buy it for a household that prints occasionally, where the purchase price and four color consumables cannot be justified. Do not buy it if single pass double sided scanning is important, since this machine does not offer it. If you need color at lower volume, the Xerox C325 and the HP LaserJet Pro M477fnw are the smaller comparisons, and our second listing for the same Brother machine covers it from another angle. Our laser printers category and toner cartridges category cover the machine and its running costs.
