The Brother MFC-L2720DW is very similar to the Brother MFC-L2700DW. This model is only slightly more advanced than the model we reviewed earlier but that slight advancement does give it a slightly more nuanced audience base. Largely, the differences between these two close cousins revolve around capacities. The Brother MFC-L2720DW boasts of greater capacities in inbuilt memory and even print speed.
The Brother MFC-L2720DW is a monochrome laser all in one printer. This means that it performs the major four functions – printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. In addition to this, the MFC-L2720DW also boasts of web connect features where it can directly interface with third party online solutions. What this means is that you can scan to websites and email attachments, if required. With respect to capacities, it seems that the Brother MFC-L2720DW is positioned as a personal use printer wherein heavy duty printing is possible or a micro workgroup printer with low to medium duty printing needs.
Strengths of OKI MC562DNW
It is very rare for a personal or micro use laser printer to offer extra features, especially if that printer doesn’t print in colour. However, as is typical of this Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Brother has bucked the trend. The Brother MFC-L2720DW offers very decent print speed, particularly if you compare it to its competitors in the same class. It is rated to print at 30 pages per minute (ppm) which is a very good print speed for personal and small workgroups.
It isn’t just print speed that the Brother MFC-L2720DW does well in, though. The device also offers the automatic duplexing feature, unlike many of its competitors. Automatic duplexing, in case this is your first potential purchase, is automatically printing on both sides of the page. It has significant savings potential. Furthermore, the Brother MFC-L2720DW also outpaces its competitors when it comes to its connectivity options. As a modern laser device, the Brother MFC-L2720DW not only offers wireless connectivity but also Wi-Fi direct. These connectivity options are critical in today’s world of smartphones and mobile connectivity. What these options will do is make it possible for you to use the device straight from your mobile device whether it is a smartphone or a tablet.
For example, with Wi-Fi Direct, you’ll be able to scan to and print from third party online storage service providers. Names on the compatible panel include OneDrive, Evernote, Google Drive, and Dropbox. Apart from this, the Brother MFC-L2720DW is, of course, compatible with Google Cloud Print and AirPrint also. The conventional connectivity options such as Ethernet and high-speed USB 2.0 are also available for use.
The Brother MFC-L2720DW is also cost effective in both, the short term and the long term. You can probably get this printer for something near the early 200s provided you’re able to leverage some deals. As it is, this device will probably retail at $250. In the long term, though, you can save a lot with the L2720DW. Estimates show that this device will give you a page for six cents if you choose to use OEM cartridges. You can reduce that per-page cost to about five cents by choosing to use generic cartridges. The end result is the same so it might be better to go with the latter.
Weaknesses of OKI MC562DNW
The biggest drawback of the Brother MFC-L2720DW is its output quality. In simple words, it is not something you’d want to write home about. The overall output quality of this machine is in the lower reaches of the average range in the segment, even though it is formally rated to print up to a maximum resolution of 2400 x 600. Generally, overall output quality suffers because of graphics and images print quality. That is the case with the Brother MFC-L2720DW too but the text quality isn’t all that great here either which brings down the overall print quality even further.
We’re including paper handling of this device in our ‘weaknesses’ section mainly because optional upgrades are unavailable. When it comes to standard paper handling capacity, the Brother MFC-L2720DW is bang on par with its 250-sheet paper tray, 35-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) and the single sheet manual feed. The fact that you can’t opt for an additional paper tray is a major oversight on the part of the OEM, we feel.
Key Features of OKI MC562DNW
The Brother MFC-L2720DW has a small footprint and is lightweight too. It weighs 10.7 Kg and measures 409mm in width, 399mm in depth and 317mmm in height. The device also comes with 64MB of inbuilt memory. This is slightly on the lower side of the accepted spectrum but it is still manageable. Further, the OEM recommends maximum prints of 2,000 sheets per month. If you’re in a hurry, you can also operate the Brother MFC-L2720DW without a desktop or mobile device through its touchscreen enabled control panel.
The TFT touchscreen on the L2720DW measures about 68mm and is quite intuitive. The first print out times of the Brother MFC-L2720DW are a little on the long side. From the Ready Mode, this device will take about 8.5 seconds to generate the first print while in Sleep Mode this time will shoot up to 17.5 seconds. If you’re worried about the noise during a print task, don’t because the Brother MFC-L2720DW is a fairly quiet device. Generally, budget devices tend to exceed the 60 dBA mark while printing. This is a quite loud. In normal circumstances, the L2720DW doesn’t exceed the 50 dBA mark. Moreover, there’s a quiet mode available too.
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