Brother HL-1040 Printer Review
The Brother HL-1040 is a compact monochrome laser printer that is particularly well-suited for college students and home users. Its print speeds are a little slow, at only 10 pages per minute, but it offers high-quality monochrome laser prints at a very affordable price point. Brother HL-1040 toner is also inexpensive, unlike its older siblings, the Brother HL-3040 toner and Brother HL-4040 toner.
Surprisingly compact, the machine measures 9.7 inches by 15.4 inches by 14.4 inches and weighs 37 pounds. The 600 dpi printing engine provides sharp print quality, especially for text. The printer can handle a wide variety of media types, including labels, envelopes and transparencies, among others. It has a straight paper path, which is ideal for printing on thicker media such as card stock without curling or paper jams. Only Windows machines are supported, so Mac users will need to look elsewhere.
Brother HL-1040 toner cartridges have a capacity of 2,200 pages, which makes for a very low cost per page. Buyers can save even more money by using third-party compatible Brother HL-1040 toner cartridges instead of the more expensive OEM printer toner. Since toners are the biggest ongoing expense of any printer, it pays to save as much money as possible. Toners are very easy to replace through a panel on the back of the machine.
Consumer reviews of the Brother HL-1040 are very positive. Users praise its low price and fast print speeds. They also like its reliability and sharp prints. A few mention the lack of color printing, but this would add to the cost.
Overall, the Brother HL-1040 is a strong printer for those with limited space. Its printing speeds are not the fastest, but its consistent high-quality print output and the low cost of Brother HL-1040 toner make it an excellent value.