MFC-L5900DW
About
Brother products have been changing the way people work, and play, for years. Our reliable, high-quality, feature-rich printers, scanners, labelers, and more are hard at work in homes everywhere. Whatever your need, Brother products are always "At your side."
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Charlotte on Amazon
7 years ago
05/16/2016, 11:00 AM
Very Impressive Home-Office Printer
I received this printer a few weeks ago to complement a smaller color Canon printer. My goal was to have a printer for my home office with higher printing speeds, faster/easier scanning capabilities, and greater paper capacities. I've put it through some testing to assess its capabilities. In general, I am extremely impressed with this printer.
Details below...
UNPACKING, SETUP, AND INSTALLATION
The printer is boxed securely, everything protected nicely for shipping. All pieces come out of the box and their protective wrappings very easily. It does take some time to remove all the tape inside the printer (which keep parts from opening during printing). I forgot a couple of pieces after I thought the printer was ready and had to open up some compartments to remove the remaining tape. But it's not difficult and you can be done with this part in less than 10 minutes.
The printer comes with a "Quick Setup Guide" sheet with a great visual/text overview of initial steps. The manual is designed and written pretty well -- always a pleasant surprise with any product!
It's very easy to get this printer set up on your wireless network (no need for cables). Simply press the "WiFi" button on the control panel, select your WiFi name, and enter the password. The touchscreen is large enough to display a fair-sized keyboard, which makes it easy to enter the information. The whole WiFi setup is done in about 1 minute. This is a model for how all printers should work!
Configuring the printer from the computer is also very fast. On my iMac, I accessed the printer from the computer's settings (wirelessly) and the system immediately ran through its configuration and was done in less than a minute.
TOUCHSCREEN CONTROLS
All printer options are easily available from the main screen, with very intuitive choices. I did not make any changes from the basic settings, but the way to make the changes was clear. A "home" and a "back" light allow you to quickly navigate through the available options. It's all in a clean, simple interface that allows you to access detailed configurations in a way that does not seem detailed! The software developers at Brother deserve credit for their efforts here.
PRINT SPEED AND QUALITY
Printing quality is as good as it gets. I tested this with several font sizes, typography, and line charts. It all looks great. The printing is deposited in an easy-access shelf in the front of the printer, which accommodates hundreds of sheets if necessary.
After a very brief start-up (less than 15 seconds) the printer starts working. In my tests, the speeds reported on the spec sheet (42 ppm) are accurate.
SCANNING
This printer allows color or black-and-white scanning. The number of options offered for handling scanned documents is impressive, including sending it via FTP or other share points. However, scanning from the machine itself is the one weak point for this printer. I found the controls for scanning on the printer to be more work than just scanning from the computer via the "Preview" app (Mac). Scanning photos via the PC/Mac is super fast -- done in less than 2 seconds for a photo at 300dpi.
Scanning documents with the feeder is terrific on this printer. The document feeder smoothly and reliably pulls the documents through and creates scans in seconds. I ran a test document of 10 text pages, again working from "Preview" instead of the printer itself. The printer pulled the sheets through the feeder and output the PDFs to Preview in less than 20 seconds. From there, it was simple to save the scans.
COPYING
Using this printer as a copier is terrific! Insert the document(s) in the paper feed tray, then select "Copy" from the touchscreen display. All the relevant choices for copying are presented clearly on the touchscreen (number of copies, print density, and all choices for 2-sided printing). The way Brother designed the user interface for this is a lesson for other companies! The copying speed is also great. I ran several documents through, converting 1-sided sheets into 2-sided sheets and other configurations. A 10-page document is done within 20 seconds.
ACCESS TO TRAYS
The main paper tray is very easy to access, and pulls out smoothly. Other trays, located in the back of the printer for specific uses, are also easy to access. When opening the main front paper tray, the system prompts you to ask if you wish to change the paper type. Most of the time, if you are just adding more paper, this is not necessary. However, it is nice as a reminder for those times when you do need it. You also have the option to tell it to stop asking.
TONER USAGE AND EXPENSE
I did not use this printer long enough to test the longevity of the toner. I will report back with an updated review at a later date on that.
CONCLUSION
This is my first Brother printer, but I am thoroughly impressed with all aspects of this machine. In quality, speed of printing, and in the design of the machine, Brother did a terrific job. The software behind the control panels and user interfaces for this printer are simple, clean, intuitive, and really well-designed. I strongly recommend this printer to anyone who needs a dedicated laser printer for a small office.
S. Potter on Amazon
7 years ago
05/13/2016, 13:36 PM
Monochrome and Proud of it
The MFCL5900DW is a great printer with excellent print quality. It's got resolutions up to 1200 dpi but the 600 dpi looks great. The large, legal sized scanner glass is another nice feature. And the 5900 is easy to setup and join to your network. I had no problems connecting it to my Windows 10 network.
Like it's big brother, theBrother MFCL6700DW Business Laser All-in-One with Advanced Duplex, Wireless Networking and Large Paper Capacityit works with Google Cloudprint and lots of other cloud based services. The touch screen display has clear, easy to follow menus that make it easy to explore the printer's features and configure it the way you want it.
One of the greatest attributes of this printer, though, has nothing to do with print quality and everything to do with operating costs. . because it's monochrome, toner costs are reasonable. The 5900DW ships with the standard 3,000 page cartridge.However,theBrother Printer TN880 Super High Yield Toneris a better choice for a refill.
If you need faster printing or more capacity and more robust duty cycles the 6700DW is a great choice. For the average small office, though, the 5900DW is an excellent choice. In short, the 5900DW prints fast, the output looks great, it networks very well, and is economical to operate. Highly recommended.
Ken Shaw on Amazon
7 years ago
05/10/2016, 20:05 PM
Excellent, fast, affordable Black and White Laser printer with Excellent security features to protect your business assets.
The Brother Business Laser comes ready to use. How often does some electronic device, especially a complicated one, come so easy to use so fast? Very rare. It is a good business size, not compact but fits on a good desk. The printer comes with a full cartridge instead of a "buyers" one that is barely full. So you can add paper and start using it right away. Setup is very easy. Printing is fast and clear, as a laser printer should be. Quiet and fast. With all the connection features we all want, including cloud printing and scanning to your phone. What a world! It also has something very very important: Advanced security features. The MFC-L5800DW features a number of critical business-focused security features, including:
Active Directory Support: Provides network user authentication which stores print jobs that only can be released to print with a user ID and password
Secure Function Lock: Gives administrators the ability to restrict usage and machine functions for up to 200 users or groups
Secure Print: Claim secure print jobs using only a confidential PIN
Support for Critical Network Security Protocols: Including Enterprise Security (802.1x), IPSec and SSL/TLS
Setting Lock: Prevent setting changes in high traffic areas and a lock-slot can provide physical protection for your machine
This is VERY important today. This provides the security you need to prevent access to your secure files. Which is everything these days. The paper loads easily and the printing is crisp. I do wish it had wireless 802.11 AC, but N will do. Still pretty fast for wireless printing. Overall, Brother, who has made many excellent office products, comes up with a decent and affordable workhorse black and white laser printer for all small business needs.
Avid Reader on Amazon
7 years ago
05/08/2016, 09:31 AM
A printer/fax/scanner, and copier that will exceed your expectations for all of your home office needs!
I recently received the Brother MFCL5900DW Business Laser All-in-One Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax Machine. The machine comes fully assembled when it arrived. All I had to do to get started was take it out of the box, remove the tape and packing materials, add paper, and plug it in. The machine came with a quick start guide as well as a users manual and a CD with the printer drivers included. I could not use the CD since I have the HP Sprout Computer and it does not have a CD drive so I went to the Brother website and quickly found the drivers download and downloaded to my computer. Once downloaded, I then tried to use the instructions from the computer to set up the WIFI but that didn't work, but Brother had provided an alternate set of instructions to set up the WIFI directly from the screen on the Brother machine. I used the WIFI instructions on the Brother screen on the machine which found my router and the SSID and I put in the passcode and within seconds the machine connected to the WIFI. Pretty simple!! I then set up the machine with the date, time, and my fax number using the quick start guide instructions. From start to finish, excluding the print drivers download (which is really slow due to my internet connection!), the whole set up process took about 15 minutes! The printer came with a high capacity black print cartridge which is supposed to last for like 8,000 copies or printouts! I proceeded to print with the machine and it quietly and quickly printed the requested pages. Very crisp! I also tried the scan function, scanning directly from the machine to my pc and it worked flawlessly. The machine has a small color screen that you can easily walk through the various functions as well as access the web for some specific printing/fax/scan Apps which are really cool! Overall, this machine is pretty awesome and I believe it makes a great home office printer for all of your print/scan/fax, and copy needs! I would highly recommend this machine! The only thing I haven't tried yet is to fax something but based on all of the other functions I have tried, I have confidence that I will not have an issue! Therefore, I am giving this 5 stars for the highest rating for this machine!
G. Ware Cornell Jr. on Amazon
7 years ago
05/08/2016, 08:33 AM
A Best Buy for Small Law Offices
When I was growing up Brother produced compact sewing machines which could not compete with the mighty products manufactured by Singer. It ventured into typewriters where its little machines were swallowed up in markets dominated by IBM, Olivetti, and Remington. It was in my mind a junior varsity player in a varsity game.
In the late eighties who I set up my own law practice I found, to my surprise, the two best laser printers on the market were the mighty HP Laser Jet II and a nearly identical one sporting the Brother brand. Though I opted for the HP model then I realized that Brother was a star player in the game and that its contributions on the field were no longer limited to JV status.
And so for a number of years I have preferred Brother printers above all others. The MFCL5900DW all in one is an example. We use it in the office because it is extremely fast, holds a lot of paper, prints double sided documents and functions as a backup scanner and backup copier for small jobs. We don't fax with it, at least directly because we use an online fax service.
Copies are clear, clean and crisp. I have never seen a trash mark on print, copy or scan jobs. We access it remotely via both Wi-fi in the office and AirPrint which allows my iPad and iPhone to print to it.
For a small law office, this All-in-One hits all the marks for office productivity.
CuppaTea on Amazon
7 years ago
04/19/2016, 01:05 AM
Great multifunction device for small businesses and home offices
This is a great multifunction device for a small business or home office. It's got pretty much all the functions you would need for most purposes - dual sided printing and scanning, copying, and faxing capabilities. Plus, it's network-enabled and has wifi connectivity. Printing and scanning speeds are very respectable, and print quality is on par for a black and white laser printer. The document feeder on top allows for feeding in multiple pages (up to about 15-20 sheets easily). The machine is rather large, but not unusually so.
I particularly like the color touchscreen, which significantly reduces the number of buttons on the front, and makes it easy to enter wifi SSIDs and other alphanumeric characters. The only downside is that the replacement toner for this machine costs more for the same number of printed sheets than previous Brother MFC machines. Not sure why this is the case, but it may be something you want to factor in when determining the overall cost of ownership. Overall, though, this is another winner from Brother.
Michael on Amazon
7 years ago
04/16/2016, 07:22 AM
Quick, cheap supplies, easy to setup
I got both the MFCL5800DW and the MFCL5900DW. They look pretty much exactly the same. There's only one major difference--the 5900 scans/copies/faxes both sides of a sheet of paper, but the 5800 only does single-sided scan/copy/fax. Both are color scanners, but black-and-white printers. Both do two-sided printing, but the document feeder in the 5900 also does two-sided scanning. A lot of offices don't use duplex printing often, so duplex scanning is even more a waste. If this is you, save $60 and get the 5800. If duplex scanning is something you need, get the 5900. Also, the 5900 does gigabit wired networking where the 5800 only does 10/100. Both have the same speed B/G/N wireless and both support USB (even though it's silly for this size printer).
With both the 5800 and the 5900, Brother seems to be making a bigger push into the medium business market. With features like Active Directory support, setting lock, and pin printing, it's trying to make itself a viable choice in a it managed business environment. I still don't think of Brother as having enterprise reliability, so I still think of these as small business printers. You use them for as long as they last (hopefully 3+ years) and you toss them when they start to have issues that aren't fixed with consumables.
But the reason to use Brother printers is because they're so cheap to run. An 8000 page cartridge is $110 and a 30,000 page drum is $135. Anything HP in this price range has a 2,000-4,000 page cartridge and drum in one for $100-$150. You can use third party toner in Brother printers very easily, but I wouldn't risk it. I've seen the fuser in a lot of Brother printers go bad early because of third party toner. The quality of third party toner isn't always to par.
Unpacking and setting up the printer was easy for someone who's unpacked a printer before. The step by step instructions seem good for those who haven't. If you follow the disk, it will walk you through installing the network part of the printer, but I just setup the wireless on the printer itself. Wired networking is faster than wireless, so set it up wired if you can. The disk is an easy install. You can also download the latest installer from the website. If you're just installing it as a printer/copier, and don't care about scanning, I was able to install this printer without the disk just searching for the printer in windows. I read someone else had trouble registering the printer, but I didn't register so I can't tell you if there's a problem.
The build quality of the 5800 and 5900 seems fine. The 42 page per minute printing is quick. The 300 page paper capacity is too small. It really should hold 550 pages so you can add a ream of paper every-time it gets low. The copy scan document feeder can handle 70 pages which is plenty. There are plenty of ways to setup scanning from direct to computer scanning or scanning to a server share. The touch screen is easy to navigate and number pad is nice for typing fax numbers.
So far it's working perfectly. And I'm pretty sure it's going to work perfectly for some time. It's a good small business/home office printer. If you don't need color, either the 5800 or the 5900 are great bangs for the buck.
Pierce on Amazon
7 years ago
04/14/2016, 08:53 AM
State of the Art Laser Printer
This is everything I could ask for in a laser printer. The unboxing and setup was easy, just follow the enclosed instructions. This machine prints smooth and clean and I really like the duplexing. Printing on both sides of the sheet of paper saves paper.
I chose to connect this printer to my computer via WiFi. The color touchscreen makes it easy to see choices and make selections. The WPS connector is easy and instant. I also tried setting up manually, and it worked fine, as well.
The paper tray holds 70 sheets and will also handle legal size.
The toner unit including will print 3,000 pages, and a larger toner cartridge is available that does up to 8,000 sheets.
At 42 ppm this is a fast laser printer.
The scanner is great.
I have no comment on faxes...I mean, faxes?
This is probably as good as it gets for laser printers in this class right now.
One caveat, I did have trouble connecting with the WPS button at first. I had to move the printer to the next room in close proximity to my router to do the setup. But everything was fine after that.
Highly recommended.
SanjeevP on Amazon
7 years ago
04/09/2016, 07:56 AM
Fast & Cost Effective Multifunction Machine for a Small Office
Two most distinctive qualities of the printer are speed and color screen. It sure is a fast network printer. A reasonable size color screen makes it easy to use the various functions of this machine and to change settings. I am still experimenting with the network scanning part but rest of the functions - printer, fax, copier - work well. The machine is not heavy.
Although 70 page document feeder is convenient, the scanning speed is slow - but may be the settings need to be tweaked. It is a very complex machine if you want to use all the functions like forwarding faxes to computer or to ftp or cloud; changing scan settings, changing network settings etc. Some of the settings are easier to change from the web page of the machine which you can find from the ip address of the machine.
Printing cost is very reasonable: 8000 page capacity cartridge TN-850 is available for $113 on Amazon as of now - 1.41. Cents per page. And if you buy non Brother cartridges, the cost will be even less.
If you are looking for black and white multifunction machine, then this is probably the best as of now.