Decent Multi-function Laser Machine
Written: Dec 13 '03 (Updated Sep 16 '04)
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Pros: Works well; fast document feeder is notably jam-free!
Cons: Rinky-dink software
The Bottom Line: Solid performance all around!
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| mashimaru's Full Review: Brother MFC-6800 All-In-One Laser Printer |
I bought this machine to replace a Panasonic KX-FLB751 that was very unsatisfactory. When it comes to flatbed multi-function machines, most of them tend to be inkjet printers instead of laser printers. Since I'd already decided that I'd prefer a laser printer, I didn't have a whole lot to choose from.
I chose the Brother MFC 6800 because it was on sale - about $100 less than the listed retail price at the time, which was about $400. Hurray! And I had a Brother fax machine which is quite old, but still works great. So I felt good about the Brother brand.
The machine itself comes in a very large box – noticeably larger than the box for the Panasonic KX-FLB751 for some reason. This is probably because the machine was just about completely assembled in the box – all I had to do was plug in the power cord and install the toner. But it is a big, hefty box and a little person like me needed help carrying it. It didn’t fit in the trunk of my sedan, either (and my sedan is large) – so make sure you have room for it in the backseat or borrow a truck.
COPYING:
The Brother MFC 6800 makes great copies: crisp and detailed. I’ve been using this machine for about six months, and haven’t noticed any degrading of the copying quality. I made sure to test this out at the store by copying various test documents, since one of the reasons I gave up the Panasonic KX-FLB751 was because of its poor copying quality.
I can reduce or enlarge the copies. I can also adjust the contrast (five levels), which the Panasonic KX-FLB751 wasn’t able to do. Both functions work very well, and are very easy to use. The layout of the buttons is very intuitive and simple.
I particularly like the document feeder on this machine: it’s very fast, and it has so far never jammed on me. If I put in a multi-page document for faxing or copying, the feeder just zips it through and stores the documents in its memory while the machine is still dialing or warming up, and then it does its thing. So far, it’s been very reliable.
SCANNING:
Although the Brother doesn’t print color photos because it’s a monochromatic laser printer, it can scan them. And I was surprised by how well it scanned photos (up to 9600x9600 dpi). It isn’t quite as good as my dedicated photo scanner (Epson Perfection 2400) – the colors looked a little washed-out in comparison – but the resolution was very good. I’ve tried printing out these scans on photo paper using a color inkjet, and I’ve also developed the pictures at a photo developing service, and I got pretty nice pictures. I found the Brother MFC 6800 to be a decent photo scanner for someone who scans photos occasionally.
I was also able to get satisfactory high-resolution scans of all text-based documents, for storing and archiving important papers, and to convert them to text using OCR technology. I’ve now made it a habit of scanning all my important documents using the Brother MFC 6800, which is much easier to do than with my Epson scanner because it has a document feeder.
The Brother MFC 6800 comes with software called Paperport which handles all the scanning. Unfortunately, the Paperport software is average, at best. First of all, it comes with virtually NO documentation on how to use it – either in the paper manual, or in the CD-Rom. Anyone with some computer experience can figure out how to use it, but it takes a little bit of navigating, and a trial-and-error phase. I was quite surprised that there is no user’s manual for the software.
Aside from its lack of documentation, Paperport is a pretty basic program that feels a bit rinky-dink: it doesn’t come with sophisticated features, and just performs your basic scanning and conversion functions. If you are used to sophisticated photo scanning software, you will not be impressed.
The strength of Paperport is its document-managing: it allows me to store all the pages of a document into one file, and also lets me rearrange pages. But another drawback to Paperport is that it doesn't allow me to create standard format (e.g., *.jpg) files with background removal. If I copy a b/w document, it removes the background while it remains a Paperport file. But if I convert it to a *.jpg file, all the white part of the document turns hazy gray.
FAXING:
Once again, faxing by using the document feeder is excellent – it’s fast. I love it. I’ve also had no problems receiving faxes.
However, the Brother MFC 6800 doesn’t have a phone handset, or come with any kind of on-hook dialing function. Although most machines of this type do not come with a handset anyway, I like using one so I can dial complicated number sequences, for calling cards and international faxes. But since you can attach an external phone to the machine, this is not a big drawback.
The Brother MFC 6800 also has a Caller-ID function for those who want to keep track of incoming calls. (I do not use this function, however.)
Another function that the Brother MFC 6800 has is using the machine itself to send faxes directly from my computer. I’m not sure what the purpose of this is, exactly, except that it makes it possible to send faxes if you don’t have a fax/modem. Since most people have a fax/modem these days, I don’t see this as a big necessity.
However, a problem with sending faxes from your computer with the Brother MFC 6800 is the software. The fax software is too basic, and doesn’t even archive the faxes I send into image files, or keep a log of all the faxes I send: something even the most rudimentary faxing programs do. To get a record of the faxes I send, I would have to print out a transmission report from the machine itself. Once again, the lame software mars an otherwise decent function.
PRINTING:
The laser printer output was satisfactory. It made crisp print-outs of text and pictures.
MISC:
Design:
There are a few external design problems. None of it is a deal-breaker, but they are worth mentioning. First of all, the machine itself is not very attractive: it’s got a weird oblong shape that made it stand out among a row of similar machines at the store, and not in a good way. Another problem is that the printer “tray” that you pull out to receive output looks very flimsy, like it could snap very easily. So I don’t use it. But then I need to remind myself to keep my desk space clear for incoming faxes, which either get wrinkled because of the clutter, or just get sprayed every which way.
Toner:
And lastly, one of the biggest "annoyances" about the Brother MFC 6800: the Low Toner warning. When you begin to run out of toner, a red light blinks. But since the output looks fine, I just keep using it with no problems. And then the machine just stops working due to the allegedly low toner.
Usually, most printers just keep on printing even with low ink/toner – you can tell the toner is low by the fading pages. And taking out the toner and shaking it to rearrange the toner powder inside usually keeps your machine going for a while longer. But the Brother MFC 6800 does not let you squeeze every “drop” out of your toner cartridge this way, because it just stops working. You can try to “trick” the machine by opening and closing the machine, or shaking the toner cartridge, but your machine will only be “tricked” for a couple of pages.
The purpose of this function is to ensure that you don’t get faded faxes, copies or print-outs if you weren’t monitoring your toner level. Although I was initially annoyed by not being able to decide for myself when to change the toner, I've come to appreciate this function. If I get an important fax while I'm not home, I wouldn't want it to be all streaky and illegible. Instead, the machine would just store the received pages, and print them out when I change the toner.
Speaking of toners: the toner cartridge for this machine is the Brother TN-250, which costs about $25 ~ 30, and is supposed to last for up to 2,200 pages. I’ve changed my toner about 3 times, and have found that I get about 2,000 pages with each toner cartridge.
CONCLUSION:
The Brother MFC 6800 is a solid machine that performs all its functions adequately. The major drawbacks are that the machine stops working completely when the toner is low, and the software is pretty lame. The other minor drawbacks: unattractive exterior, the flimsy output tray, etc. are things I can work with, considering that the Brother MFC 6800 is relatively inexpensive for machines of this type.
All in all, I’m pretty happy with this purchase so far. It copies, it faxes, it scans, and prints! And I use all these functions. It's comforting to have a reliable machine to handle all my paper management.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299.99
Operating System: Windows
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mashimaru
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Location: California
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