Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.

Brother MFC-L2820DW [DCP-L2640DW, HL-L2480DW] Printer Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Mar 20, 2024 at 09:50 am
Brother MFC-L2820DW [DCP-L2640DW, HL-L2480DW] Picture
6.2
Family
7.8
Small/Home Office
7.8
Student
8.6
Black & White
1.4
Photo
0
Color Quality
9.0
Document Quality
8.1
Scanner
8.8
Speed

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is an all-in-one monochrome laser printer. This 2024 model uses Brother's TN830 toner cartridge and is compatible with the high-yield TN830XL and TN830V cartridges. It has a 2.5-inch touch-sensitive control panel and an ADF-equipped scanner with fax functionality and built-in optical character recognition. Its connectivity includes Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet, and support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. This printer has many variants with slightly different features and performance; you can see them in the Differences Between Variants section.

Our Verdict

6.2 Family

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is okay for family use. It's a good option if you only print black and white documents, but it isn't ideal if you plan on printing photos or color documents since it's a monochrome laser printer. It produces incredibly sharp documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 33 pages per minute. Connectivity options include USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, and there's support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, making it easy for every household member to print or scan from various devices. You won't have to worry about high ownership costs, as the toner cartridge yields a large number of prints and is relatively cheap. The scanner has extendable lid hinges to accommodate thicker items like textbooks, and there's also an automatic feeder to process long, multi-page documents.

Pros
  • Produces sharp documents.
  • Fast printing speed.
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Cons
  • Not ideal for photos due to low print resolution and printing pattern.
  • Can't print on glossy photo paper.
  • Lack of color printing may be limiting to some.
7.8 Small/Home Office

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is good for small and home offices, but only if you don't need color printing since this is a monochrome laser printer. It produces incredibly sharp documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 33 pages per minute. Its connectivity options include USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, making it easy for everyone in the office to access. The toner cartridge yields a large number of prints, and you can get larger-capacity cartridges that'll last even longer. There's a scanner with an automatic feeder, though it's rather slow, as it can only process up to seven pages per minute. It doesn't support duplex scanning; however, you can get a variant that does.

Pros
  • Produces sharp documents.
  • Fast printing speed.
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
  • ADF scanner.
Cons
  • No duplex scanning.
  • Lack of color printing may be limiting to some.
7.8 Student

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is good for student use. This all-in-one has a wide array of connectivity options and supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, so you can easily print or scan from various devices. It produces incredibly sharp documents, warms up in under 15 seconds, and prints up to 33 pages per minute. The scanner has extendable hinges to accommodate thicker items like textbooks and magazines, and there's also an automatic feeder to process longer documents. Its cost-per-print is outstandingly low, as the toner cartridge yields a large number of prints and is relatively cheap. Plus, there's only one cartridge to replace since it's a monochrome model. The lack of color printing is its main drawback, so you must be sure you won't need to print anything in color.

Pros
  • Produces sharp documents.
  • Fast printing speed.
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
  • ADF scanner.
Cons
  • No duplex scanning.
  • Lack of color printing may be limiting to some.
8.6 Black & White

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is excellent for printing black-and-white documents. It produces incredibly sharp documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 33 pages per minute. It supports automatic duplex printing, so you don't have to flip the pages manually when printing double-sided documents. The toner cartridge yields a large number of prints and is relatively cheap, so you won't have to do a lot of maintenance or spend much on replacement toner. You can also get XL cartridges that yield even more prints. As for the scanner, although it has an automatic feeder to process long, multi-page documents, it's on the slow side, as it can only process seven pages per minute. There's no duplex scanning on this model, but you can get a variant that supports it.

Pros
  • Produces sharp documents.
  • Fast printing speed.
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
  • ADF scanner.
Cons
  • No duplex scanning.
1.4 Photo

The Brother MFC-L2820DW isn't designed for printing photos since it's a monochrome laser printer that can only print in black and white. It can't print on glossy photo paper and produces photos that look grainy with a visible printing pattern.

Pros
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Cons
  • Not ideal for photos due to low print resolution and printing pattern.
  • Can't print on glossy photo paper.
0 Color Quality

Pros
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Cons
9.0 Document Quality

Pros
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Cons
8.1 Scanner

Pros
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Cons
8.8 Speed

Pros
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Cons
9.0 Recurring Costs

Pros
  • High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Cons
  • 6.2 Family
  • 7.8 Small/Home Office
  • 7.8 Student
  • 8.6 Black & White
  • 1.4 Photo

Performance Usages

  • 0 Color Quality
  • 9.0 Document Quality
  • 8.1 Scanner
  • 8.8 Speed
  • 9.0 Recurring Costs
  1. Updated Mar 20, 2024: Review published.
  2. Updated Mar 13, 2024: Early access published.
  3. Updated Mar 08, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
  4. Updated Mar 07, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  5. Updated Feb 21, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Brother MFC-L2820DW all-in-one monochrome laser printer. It has many variants with different features and performance; see them in the table below.

Model Display Scanner Duplex Scanning Advert. Print Speed Ethernet NFC Notes
HL-L2464DW 2-line LCD Flatbed N Up to 30 PPM N N -
HL-L2465DW 2-line LCD Flatbed N Up to 30 PPM N N -
DCP-L2605DW 2-line LCD Flatbed N Up to 32 PPM Y N -
DCP-L2640DW 2-line LCD Flatbed + ADF N Up to 36 PPM Y N -
HL-L2480DW 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen Flatbed N Up to 36 PPM Y N -
DCP-L2680DW 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen Flatbed N Up to 36 PPM Y N -
MFC-L2760DW 2-line LCD Flatbed + ADF N Up to 30 PPM N N -
MFC-L2800DW 2-line LCD Flatbed + ADF N Up to 34 PPM Y N -
MFC-L2805DW 2-line LCD Flatbed + ADF N Up to 36 PPM Y N -
MFC-L2807DW 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen Flatbed + ADF N Up to 34 PPM Y N -
MFC-L2820DW 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen Flatbed + ADF N Up to 34 PPM Y N -
MFC-L2820DWXL 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen Flatbed + ADF N Up to 34 PPM Y N MFC-L2820DW + additional toner (estimated yield of 4,200 pages)
MFC-L2880DW  3.5-inch Color Touchscreen  Flatbed + ADF Y Up to 36 PPM Y N -
MFC-L2880DWXL 3.5-inch Color Touchscreen  Flatbed + ADF Y Up to 36 PPM Y N MFC-L2880DW + additional toner (estimated yield of 5,000 pages)
MFC-L2885DW 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen  Flatbed + ADF Y Up to 36 PPM Y Y -
MFC-L2920DW  3.5-inch Color Touchscreen  Flatbed + ADF Y Up to 36 PPM Y Y -

See our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Printers

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is an excellent all-in-one monochrome laser printer. It stands out for its sturdy build, outstanding print quality, fast printing speed, and low cost-per-print. The lack of duplex scanning might be problematic for some offices, though you can get a variant that supports it.

See our recommendations for the best laser printers, the best office printers, and the best black and white printers.

Brother MFC-L2750DW [L2710DW, L2717DW, L2730DW]

The Brother MFC-L2820DW and the Brother MFC-L2750DW are very similar overall. While the MFC-L2750DW has a few more features, like automatic duplex scanning and NFC support, you can find variants of the MFC-L2820DW that support them. The only differences are the control panel and page yield; the MFC-L2820DW has a nicer display with fewer physical buttons, while the MFC-L2750DW has a slightly higher page yield.

Brother HL-L2390DW/HL-L2395DW

The Brother MFC-L2820DW and the Brother HL-L2390DW/HL-L2395DW are both all-in-one monochrome laser printers with similar print quality, print speed, and yield. The most notable difference is that the HL-L2390DW/HL-L2395DW only has a flatbed scanner, while the MFC-L2820DW has a flatbed and an automatic feeder.

HP LaserJet Pro M15w

Although the Brother MFC-L2820DW and the HP LaserJet Pro M15w are both monochrome laser printers, the Brother is an all-in-one, while the HP is a print-only unit. The Brother is better overall; it has a sturdier build, a better display, faster printing speed, and automatic duplex printing capability. However, the HP yields more prints, making its cost-per-print slightly lower. The HP's drum is integrated into the cartridge, which makes maintenance easier, but it can end up costing more because you would have to discard any remaining toner if the drum gets damaged.

HP LaserJet M209dwe

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is better than the HP LaserJet M209dwe for most uses. The Brother has a sturdier build, a better display, superior print quality, and faster printing speed. It also has an ADF-equipped scanner with fax functionality and optical character recognition, whereas the HP doesn't have a scanner. The HP yields more prints, so it won't cost as much in replacement toner; however, its drum is integrated into the cartridge, which can be a hassle, as you would have to throw out the whole cartridge if the drum gets damaged, potentially wasting toner.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
8.5
Design
Build Quality
Type All in One

The Brother MFC-L2820DW feels well built. The whole body feels very sturdy, and unlike the older Brother MFC-L2750DW, the power cord is now detachable, making it easy to replace in case of damage.

There are pros and cons regarding the design. The scanner bed lifts and stays open to give you better access to the output tray, and there are handles on the sides so that you can get a good grip when moving the printer. However, the sheet rollers can be hard to access if you have big hands, as the back panel only opens partially. You can remove the paper tray and toner cartridge to reach them, but again, the opening is quite narrow. Also, while the display's visibility isn't a major issue, it would have been nice to have some tilt or swivel adjustment to accommodate different office layouts.

Design
Dimensions
Height 12.4" (31.5 cm)
Width 16.1" (41.0 cm)
Depth 15.2" (38.7 cm)
Height When In Use
12.4" (31.5 cm)
Width When In Use
20.0" (50.7 cm)
Depth When In Use
17.2" (43.7 cm)
Weight
15.4 lbs (7.0 kg)

The Brother DCP-L2640DW, MFC-L2760DW, MFC-L2800DW, MFC-L2805DW, MFC-L2807DW, MFC-L2820DWXL, and MFC-L2885DW have the same measurements as the posted results.

Here are the advertised measurements for the Brother HL-L2464DW, HL-L2465DW, HL-L2605DW, HL-L2480DW, and DCP-L2680DW variants:

  • Height: 10.7" (27.2 cm)
  • Width: 16.1" (41.0 cm)
  • Depth: 15.7" (39.9 cm)

Advertised measurements for the Brother MFC-L2880DW, MFC-L2880DWXL, MFC-L2920DW variants:

  • Height: 12.5" (31.9 cm)
  • Width: 16.1" (41.0 cm)
  • Depth: 16.6" (42.1 cm)

7.5
Design
Expected Maintenance
Ink Related Maintenance
Not Needed
Drum Unit
A Separate Unit

This printer doesn't need much maintenance. Unlike inkjet printers, there's no risk of clogging if you don't use the printer for a long time. The toner cartridge yields a large number of prints, so you won't need to replace it often unless you print a lot. Replacing the toner cartridge is straightforward—you can access it through the front of the printer. The drum is a separate unit you'll have to replace, but again, it isn't something you'll have to do regularly, as it has a lifespan of around 15,000 prints. Having a separate drum is less wasteful and might cost less in the long run, as, unlike cartridges with an integrated drum, you don't have to throw out the whole cartridge if the drum gets damaged. Also, drums usually last much longer than the toner.

For paper jams, you can access the sheet rollers via a panel on the back of the printer or by removing the paper tray and toner cartridge. The back panel only opens to a 45° angle, and the front access (through the paper tray) is narrow, so you might have trouble reaching the sheet rollers if you have big hands. You can also remove the duplex feeder in case paper jams occur when printing double-sided documents. The input tray holds 250 sheets of paper, which is a decent amount, so you won't have to refill it regularly.

See the user guide here.

7.5
Design
Display Screen
Display Screen Yes
Display Screen Size
2.6" (6.7 cm)
Touchscreen Yes

The Brother MFC-L2820DW has a good display. It's reasonably large, and its interface is user-friendly. Visibility is good for the most part, though it can be hard to see when seated. Unfortunately, there's no tilt or swivel adjustment to improve visibility.

The display changes depending on the variant. Some have a 2-line monochrome LCD, while others have a larger 3.5-inch color touchscreen. You can see which display each variant has in the Differences Between Variants section.

7.7
Design
Cartridge
Technology Laser
SuperTank
No
Photo Cartridge
No
Color No
Number Of Color Cartridges
N/A
Black Cartridge Model
TN830
Tested Black Page Yield
67 prints
Estimated Black Page Yield
1,273 prints
Color Cartridge Model
No Color Cartridge
Tested Color Page Yield
N/A
Estimated Color Page Yield
N/A
Third Party Cartridge
Not Found At Time Of The Review
Ink Type
Toner
High Yield Cartridge
Yes

The regular TN830 toner cartridge yields a large number of prints, so you won't have to replace it unless you print a lot. Larger-capacity cartridges are available: the TN830XL has an estimated yield of 3,000 prints, while the TN830V (US only) has an estimated yield of 3,300 prints.

The printer warns you when the toner is low (estimated via internal page counter) and stops printing; however, you can change the settings to force the printer to continue printing, even when the printer deems the toner too low or depleted. This printer accepts toner cartridges that it had previously used but not cartridges used on another printer, even if they’re of the same model.

7.6
Design
Scanner Features
Scanner
ADF + Flatbed
ADF Capacity
50 pages
Scan Speed
7 PPM
Duplex Scanning
No
Max Flatbed Scan Size
8.5" x 11"
Max ADF Scan Size
8.5" x 14"
Flatbed Hinge Adjustability
0.91" (23 mm)
Fax
Yes
Copy
Yes
OCR Included
Built-in

Scanner features change depending on the variant; some only have a flatbed, while others have a flatbed and an automatic feeder. There are also models with automatic duplex scanning capability. You can see each variant's features in the Differences Between Variants section.

This printer has a built-in OCR (optical character recognition) feature, so you can initiate an OCR scan from the printer. Doing so saves the scanned document as a .txt file by default (with no images or formatting). You can change the file type to HTML or RTF if you prefer. Initiating the scan from a computer gives you the option to save the document as a searchable PDF.

8.5
Design
Scan Quality
Max Scan Resolution
1,200 DPI
Max Scan Color Depth
24Bit

The scan quality is excellent. The only complaint is that the image processing is a little too aggressive and removes some of the finer elements, like the lines in the graph and the watermark. The posted scan resolution applies to the flatbed scanner; the resolution drops to 600 DPI when using the automatic feeder.

Design
In The Box

  • Documentation
  • Power cord
  • Phone/modem cord
  • Starter toner cartridge (est. yield of 700 prints)
  • DR830 drum unit

Design
Battery
Advertised Battery Life
N/A
Tested Charging Time
N/A
Document
9.0
Document
Black & White Documents
Color Ink Needed For Black & White
No

The print quality of black-and-white documents is outstanding. Text looks sharp, and all the fine elements are present. Prints sometimes come out slightly crooked. It only happens occasionally; it's just something to be aware of.

0
Document
Color Documents

This printer can only print in black.

9.0
Document
Cost-Per-Print
Black Cartridge Price
49.99 US$
Color Cartridge Price
N/A
Black-Only Printing Cost
0.039 US$/print
Color Printing Cost
N/A
Photo Printing Cost
N/A
Ink Subscription
No

The Brother MFC-L2820DW's cost-per-print is outstanding, as the toner cartridge is relatively inexpensive and yields a large number of prints. Also, there's only one cartridge to buy since this is a monochrome printer. You'll have to spend extra to replace the drum; however, it doesn't need regular replacement, as it has an estimated lifespan of 15,000 prints.

8.8
Document
Printing Speed
Black Only Text Document
33 PPM
Color Document
N/A
Photo Printing Time
13.0 s
Single Page Out Time (Black Only)
13.0 s
Duplex Printing
Automatic
Input Tray Capacity
250 pages

The variants in this printer series have slightly different advertised printing speeds; see the Differences Between Variants section. The manual feeder can only hold a single sheet of paper, while the output tray holds 100 sheets.

Document
Document Printing Sizes
Letter (8.5" x 11") Yes
Legal (8.5" x 14") Yes
Tabloid (11" x 17") No
A6 (105mm x 148mm) Yes
A5 (148mm x 210mm) Yes
A4 (210mm x 297mm) Yes
Max Paper Weight
230 g/m²

The posted max paper weight applies to the manual feeder only. The main paper tray's max paper weight is 163 g/m².

Photo
0
Photo
Color Gamut

This printer can only print in black.

0
Photo
Color Accuracy
Average Color dE
N/A

This printer can only print in black.

2.0
Photo
Small Details
Max Print Resolution (DPI)
1200 x 1200

This printer is terrible at reproducing small details. The halftones and the printer's printing pattern obscure almost all of the fine elements.

0
Photo
Photo Printing Sizes
Glossy Paper (4" x 6") No
Glossy Paper (5" x 7") No
Glossy Paper (8" x 10") No
Glossy Paper (8.5" x 11") No
Glossy Paper (13" x 19") No
Borderless Printing
No
Mobile App And Connectivity
8.0
Mobile App And Connectivity
Connectivity
Ethernet
Yes
USB Input To Computer
Yes
Wireless
Yes
Bluetooth
No
Wi-Fi via Router
Yes
Wi-Fi Direct
Yes
External Storage Support
No
Apple AirPrint
Yes
Mopria Print Service
Yes

There's no Ethernet port on the Brother HL-L2464DW, HL-L2465DW, and MFC-L2760DW variants.

The Brother MFC-L2885DW and MFC-L2920DW variants support NFC (Near-Field Communication), allowing you to connect an NFC-enabled device by tapping it against the printer.

9.5
Mobile App And Connectivity
Mobile App
Mobile App Yes
App Name Brother Mobile Connect
iOS Yes
Android Yes
Photo (JPEG, PNG)
Android and iOS
PDF
Android and iOS
Microsoft Office Files
Android and iOS
Text Files (TXT)
Android and iOS
Webpages (HTML)
No

Brother's Mobile Connect app is superb. It lets you print, order supplies, manage your toner/ink subscription, access the printer's support page, and perform maintenance tasks. You can print and scan even when you aren't home or close to the printer, though this function requires a Brother account. This app can't print webpages directly, so you'll have to print them from whichever app or browser you use to view them.

Mobile App And Connectivity
OS Compatibility
Windows Fully
macOS Fully
Chrome OS Fully

There's no need to install drivers or apps on Chrome OS and macOS devices. You don't necessarily need to do it on Windows devices to print, but we recommend doing so, as it'll ensure you get access to all the settings and functions. Get the drivers here.