The Brother HL-L2460DW is a print-only monochrome laser printer. It uses a single toner cartridge and is compatible with Brother TN830 models. There are also several high-yield options available, including the Brother TN830XL cartridges or the super high-yield Brother TN830V. It is capable of automatic duplex printing. Connectivity options include Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and USB connectivity, as well as support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. It's also compatible with the Brother Mobile Connect app, which lets you perform various tasks, monitor ink levels, and manage your ink subscription.
There are many variants of this printer that feature different functionality and performance, as well as regional-specific models. See the Differences Between Variants section for more information.
Our Verdict
The Brother HL-L2460DW is a poor choice for a home printer mainly because it lacks versatility. It's a monochrome laser printer, making it unsuited for photo printing, and as a print-only model, there's no scanner for digitizing family photos. On the upside, it uses inexpensive cartridges with a high page yield, and it offers a wide array of connectivity features, so it's easy to access.
High page yield results in low cost-per-print.
- Wide array of connectivity options.
Text looks crisp and legible.
No risks of clogging.
- No scanner.
Not designed for photo printing.
The Brother HL-L2460DW is an alright small office printer. It utilizes a high-yield toner cartridge, minimizing maintenance requirements, and prints pages quickly. However, as a print-only model, the lack of a scanner may be limiting for some offices. Print quality is very good out of the box. The text looks sharp, and the graphs are well-defined, even if the overall render can be a bit too contrasty.
High page yield results in low cost-per-print.
- Fast print speed.
- Wide array of connectivity options.
Text looks crisp and legible.
- No scanner.
- Takes a bit of time to warm up.
The Brother HL-L2460DW is an excellent choice if you're looking for a printer that simply works and is ready to print even after weeks of inactivity. Since it's a laser printer, you won't have to worry about clogging, which is ideal if you don't print often. It prints quickly and has a high page yield; it's also compatible with a variety of high-yield cartridges, making it ideal for those with a very high print load. It also supports multiple connectivity options, including both Morpia and Apple AirPrint services, which makes it very easy to print from any device.
High page yield results in low cost-per-print.
- Wide array of connectivity options.
No risks of clogging.
- Takes a bit of time to warm up.
The Brother HL-L2460DW is a monochrome laser printer not designed for photo printing. It can only print in black and white, and its printing pattern is very visible, completely masking fine details.
Not designed for photo printing.
The Brother HL-L2460DW has excellent page yields. It can print more than 1,200 black and white pages with the regular cartridge. High-yield TN830XL and value high-yield TN830V cartridges can further increase this with advertised yields of 3,000 and 3,300 pages, respectively.
High page yield results in low cost-per-print.
The Brother HL-L2460DW takes a moment to warm up and print the first page, but it prints very quickly once it gets going, outputting up to 34 pages per minute.
- Fast print speed.
- Takes a bit of time to warm up.
The printer produces excellent black-and-white output. The high contrast can sometimes feel a bit harsh, but the text remains crisp and clear, and most fine details in the document are well preserved.
Text looks crisp and legible.
The Brother HL-L2460DW is a print-only model.
- No scanner.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Dec 16, 2025:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 1.3. We also retested the print quality to check if the default settings have been improved over time. Black-and-white print quality has improved drastically, with results that are more in line with what we would expect from a laser printer in this range.
- Updated Dec 16, 2025: We've updated the review to Test Bench 1.3, which adds a number of test boxes including Risk of Clogging and Ease of Unclogging. We also updated the Usage and Performance boxes at the top of the review to better integrate the new aspects covered. See the changelog.
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Updated Feb 11, 2025:
We've rewritten the Introduction, verdict boxes, and the 'Compared To Other Printers' box to bring them in line with our current standards for printer reviews.
- Updated Jun 18, 2024: Added mention of the HP DeskJet 2855e as an alternative for color printing in the Color Documents section.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Brother HL-L2460DW. There are multiple variants of this printer, all with slightly different features and performance; these are listed in the table below.
| Model | Connectivity | Duplex Printing Capability | Advertised Printing Speed (Letter) | Region of Sale | Additional Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HL-L2400D | USB | Yes | 32 PPM | North America | - |
| HL-L2400DW | USB, Wi-Fi | Yes | 30 PPM | Europe | - |
| HL- L2400DWE | USB, Wi-Fi | Yes | 30 PPM | Europe | Comes with a 4-month subscription to the EcoPro ink subscription service |
| HL-L2405W | USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | No | 30 PPM | North America | - |
| HL-2420DW | USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | Yes | 30 PPM | North America | |
| HL-L2460DW | USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, Ethernet | Yes | 36 PPM | North America | - |
| HL-L2460DWXL | USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet | Yes | 36 PPM | North America | Includes 1x high-yield TN380XL and 1x starter TN cartridges. |
| HL-L2865DW | USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet | Yes | 34 PPM | Oceania | Compatible with super high-yield TN835 cartridge. |
See our unit's label.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Brother HL-L2460DW is a print-only monochrome laser printer. It feels very well-built, especially for a budget printer, and has a high page yield. It's a great option for people who only need to print the occasional return label, as you don't have to worry about clogging like cheaper inkjet alternatives. It's also ideal for those who have a lot of documents to print, thanks to its quick print speeds. That said, you'll need to adjust some settings to improve the overall print quality, as this printer doesn't deliver the same level of performance as Brother's previous generation print-only models out of the box.
If you're looking for alternatives, see our recommendations for the best laser printers, the best office printers, and the best all-in-one printers.
The Brother HL-L2325DW and Brother HL-L2460DW are very similar printers. The HL-L2325DW uses TN730 cartridges, whereas the HL-L2460DW uses TN830 cartridges; both offer very similar page yields. The biggest difference between the two regarding physical design is that only the HL-L2460DW has a detachable power cord. However, the HL-L2325DW delivers superior print quality out-of-the-box, requiring no fiddling.
The Brother HL-L2390DW/HL-L2395DW and Brother HL-L2460DW are monochrome laser printers. These printers have variants offering a wide range of connectivity options and print speeds of up to 36 pages per minute. The real difference comes down to your use cases. If you need to scan documents, get the L2390DW, as it includes a flatbed scanner; however, the L2460DW is a great option if you only need to print.
The Brother HL-L2460DW is better than the Canon imageCLASS MF3010. The Brother feels better built, is compatible with a full-featured mobile app, and prints faster, though the Canon does take less time to initialize. The Canon also features a flatbed scanner, so it's a much better fit if you need to digitize documents regularly.
The Pantum P2502W and Brother HL-L2460DW each have their advantages. The Pantum uses cartridges with a higher page yield and delivers superior print quality when left in its default state. However, the Brother feels better built, can output pages much faster, and supports automatic double-sided printing.
Test Results
The Brother HL-L2460DW feels impressively well-built. It's very similar in feel to other Brother printers, such as the Brother HL-L2325DW, with a dense plastic body, robust hinges, and a solid-feeling paper tray. Unlike the HL-L2325DW, however, the power cord is removable, allowing you to easily replace it if it becomes damaged. The toner cartridge and drum are easily accessible through the top front of the printer, and the printer doesn't need to be on to access them. A drawback of the design is that the manual feeder can only hold one page at a time and lacks an extender to hold the page properly, so the paper just hangs off the feeder. Additionally, accessing paper jams can be challenging for individuals with large hands, as the rear access door is quite narrow. Although you can reach the roller through the front by removing the cartridge and drum, space is still limited.
The Brother HL-L2460DW features a rudimentary 1-line monochrome display that can display up to 16 characters at a time. It doesn't allow for tilt or swivel adjustments, but it offers good viewing angles, making it easy to see from all sides. Navigating the settings menu is tedious, as the screen can only display a limited number of functions at once, and the buttons have minimal labeling, despite serving multiple functions.
The cartridge system is very good. The standard TN830 cartridge boasts an impressive page yield, so you won't need to replace it as often. Better yet, high-yield TN830XL and value high-yield TN830V cartridges are available, with advertised yields of 3,000 and 3,300 pages, respectively. Super high-yield TN835 toner cartridges, with an advertised yield of 5,000 pages, are exclusive to the HL-L2865DW variant of this printer.
The printer stops printing when the internal page counter detects that the installed toner has reached its estimated end of life. However, you can adjust the settings so that printing continues even when the printer indicates that there's no toner left.
Putting in a partially used toner cartridge prompts a 'Replace Toner' message, and the product user guide recommends only swapping in new, untouched cartridges; see the printer's help section.
This is a low-maintenance printer. Unlike inkjet printers, there's no risk of printhead clogging if you don't print for an extended period. You don't need to replace the toner cartridge often, as it yields a large number of prints. When you need to change it, the cartridge is easily accessible through the front, and the printer doesn't need to be on to do so. You have to replace the drum separately, although it's usually good for around 12,000 prints, so it's not too bad.
There are several ways to access paper jams. The first is through the panel on the back of the printer. However, this panel only opens up to a 45° angle, so it might be hard to reach in if you have large hands. You can also remove the paper tray, toner cartridge, and drum to access paper jams, or remove the duplex feeder in case the jam occurs while duplex printing. The main paper tray holds 250 sheets of paper, the output tray holds 100, and the manual feeder holds one.
See the user's guide.
This isn't an inkjet printer. As such, it poses no risk of clogging.
- Quick setup guide
- CD-ROM with drivers
- Power Cable cable
- DR830 drum unit
- Starter TN toner cartridge
Note: The HL-L2865DW model variant is bundled with a super high-yield TN835 toner cartridge.
The Brother HL-L2460DW's cost per print is outstandingly low. Its TN830 cartridges have a high yield and aren't unduly expensive to replace. However, you need to replace the drum separately, which is an additional expense that's not factored into the cost. The drum usually lasts 15,000 prints, so you won't have to do it too often. Having the drum as a separate unit also makes the toner cartridge less expensive and more eco-friendly, as it doesn't need to be replaced as often as the toner.
The Brother HL-L2460DW outputs pages impressively quickly. It takes a while to get the first page out, but it becomes much faster once it's warmed up and gets very close to the advertised speed of 36 PPM. The input tray is relatively large, so you don't have to reload it as often during big print jobs.
The print quality of black-and-white documents is excellent. It delivers a very contrasty rendering, which can look a bit jarring at times, but the text is very clear, and the printer manages to retain most of the document's detail. It does struggle a little with small white text on colored backgrounds, but this is a common challenge.
This printer can only print in black and white. If color printing is a must, check out the HP DeskJet 2855e/2852e.
The posted maximum paper weight applies to the manual feeder. The main input tray can only support up to 163 g/m².
This is a print-only unit. If you need a monochrome laser printer with a scanner, check out the Brother MFC-L2820DW.
The Brother HL-L2460DW does a terrible job of resolving fine details. The printing pattern is very noticeable and completely obscures fine details.
Brother's Mobile Connect App is fantastic. You can manage the Refresh EZ Print subscription service and print documents remotely. You can also perform maintenance tasks, such as updating the firmware, checking the toner level, and ordering replacement toner online. That said, unlike other Brother printers, you can't print HTML files directly.