Brother Printer MFC7860DW Wireless Monochrome Printer with Scanner, Copier & Fax

Most helpful customer reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful.
Great cross-platform multi-function
By Bill
I have a network with both Windows (XP and 7) and Mac (10.5.8) machines on it, and was in need of a new printer. I was looking to replace a trusty IBM InfoPrint 12 which had been in use on the network (via a router with print server) for over 10 years (and only two toner cartridges). I even debated about fixing the InfoPrint, but I was not sure what it would take, and I needed a solution now. At first I was only thinking about a stand-alone laser printer, both in terms of cost and function, but then decided to look into multi-function machines as I also have an ink jet multi-function (usable only by my work machine) that I did not mind removing.

These are the criteria that I had in mind while selecting a product:
* laser print: for crispness and consumables (my ink jet seemed to drink ink, or it dried up)
* duplex: one of the items I did not like about the InfoPrint 12 is the lack of duplex
* compatibility across several OS platforms
* ability to scan via the LAN and not requiring direct USB

I was not concerned about the size of the unit, as it was going to have its own table (though it is quite compact). I was also not concerned about the fax functionality of the machine. While it is nice to have if needed, I had only used my old multi-function to fax once.

Taking these into account, I could not find anything that met them as well as the Brother MFC-7860DW. There are some higher caliber machines, but these were designed for more active use and their price reflected that. Some may think the MFC-7860DW is pricey, but there are others which are much more so. Since the MFC-7860DW are very new, I had some questions and wanted to see one in action, but I was not able to find any in stores. My main question was the software compatibility across OS platforms. A sister product from Brother (the HL-2270DW) had excellent reviews in terms of platform support, but I've been burned before on assumption, so I e-mailed Brother's pre-sales support. They confirmed that full functionality was supported for both Mac and Windows. It was time to purchase! I checked a few prices on-line and chose Amazon. Sure they were a few dollars more than the lowest but I like their delivery speed, customer support, and return policy (if needed). I also did not want to create (yet) another account for a single purchase.

The package arrived with some dents and tears in it (thanks UPS) but the printer was within a styrofoam shell and was unharmed. Unpack was a breeze, and the first function to test was copying -- looked great! Next I hooked it to an open port on my router and started software install. My Windows XP machine had some trouble with the PaperPort software. I did not have need to scan from that machine, so I just installed the printer driver and moved on. Full install on the Windows 7 machine went well. The full install on my Mac was even easier. The newness of the product insured I had the most recent versions of the software too.

Now that I have it installed, functional, and run bunch of paper through it I am glad I chose this one. Not only did it meet my main criteria as previously listed, I've come to appreciate these items too:
* a 250 page paper drawer (I do not like how other printers leave the paper exposed to collect dust)
* toner saver mode
* wired, or wireless, network capability (I chose wired due to the next item)
* super sleep mode (only available if on wired network)
* the separate toner and drum design (I think that it is good as they have different service lengths)

So, no negatives you think? If I had to choose one it would be the noise level. It is noisier than the InfoPrint 12 was, but I can live with it given the other benefits of the machine.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent
By busman
Having never written a review for Amazon, I feel compelled to pen one.

I just installed my Brother MFC-7860DW printer this morning and couldn't be happier. I'm replacing a Dell 1600N Multi Function Printer. While I generally liked the Dell printer over the years, it didn't play well with Mac.

To give you an idea how this was set up, let me describe it briefly. The Brother was installed in my home network via an Ethernet cable to my Apple Time Machine. My iMac is hard wired to the Time Machine and I also have a MacBook that lives a wireless life. The installation instructions that came with the printer were quite clear and I followed directions for a "Wired Network for Macintosh". The installation and setup to my iMac took less than 2 minutes and worked right away. I then installed the software in my MacBook and also selected Wired Network. It also went quickly and worked right away. I use Ooma VOIP for phone service and the registration FAX was sent successfully however I have not yet received a FAX. I should mention that I'm just a regular guy and not a computer guru in any way shape or form. I just read the manual and followed directions.

I should mention that I've only had this printer powered up for a couple hours and my first impressions are very positive. I've printed one sided and duplex jobs with zero complaints. I've scanned to my iMac, perfect. I made a single test copy and it was about 90% on the quality scale (I haven't messed with any sort of copy settings yet). I printed one envelope. It came out slightly wrinkled but not enough to not use it.

A few words about printer noise. I don't think it is objectionable at all. My old Dell printer would run/hum for 30 minutes after a print job and was quite annoying. This printer powers up with an incoming job, prints it with minimal noise and then puts itself to sleep. Yes, you can hear it run but I don't find it overly loud and certainly quieter than my old printer.

Time will tell but so far, I'm very happy with my purchase.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
Attractive & Fast.. That's about it.
By Litmus
I purchased this from OfficeMax not on Amazon.com. In doing so, I spent months doing research trying to replace a really old Brother MFC-420CN which I loved. I wanted a Brother machine as they are durable, reliable and don't wear as much as other machines (Always owned a Brother fax) - Having said that, this machine was a dream come true, it's inexpensive, small footprint and decent workhorse. Unfortunately the CONS outweigh the PROS.

PROS:
Fast printing
Attractive design
Small footprint for duplexer
Fast faxing

CONS:
Very noisy while printing
Flimsy ADF feels as though it will come off
Duplexer sounds like it's in pain (noisy and very slow)
Starter toner cartridge gives you 200 pages @ 5% coverage

Here is a quirk:
If you have this in WIRELESS mode, that is the unit is NOT connected to the router via Ethernet cable, the machine *always* runs, even in sleep mode. The fan will stay on and its noisy. The lights (deep blue) will always be on.

If you have this in WIRED mode, that is the unit IS connected to the router or USB, the machine will enter "Deep Sleep" and looks like its actually off. No noise, nothing. (Lights are off)


This quirk is hard to find in the manual but there it is. Consider the noise level which I ignored when buying this and now regret.