Brother MFC-8700 Toner Cartridges

Brother MFC-8700 Printer Review

The Brother MFC-8700 is a multifunction monochrome laser printer designed for the small or medium office environment. It has larger than average paper capacity and the ability to print video frames from a video device. Slow fax speeds may be a problem for some users.

The MFC-8700 has the ability to print, scan, copy, and fax. It handles all of these functions very well, and even has a few bonus features. The unit has a 50-sheet automatic document feeder for scanning multiple pages at once, but it lacks a flatbed scanning surface, meaning it cannot scan documents that won't fit in the feeder.

Faxing is perhaps the Brother MFC-8700's weak point. Its main downside is slow faxing speeds. At 14.4 kbps, its faxing speed is well behind the average of 36.6 kbps speeds offered by most competing units.

The MFC-8700 has a very unique feature, which is the ability to print out video frames. Users can connect a VCR or camcorder to the printer, and print frames of video. This is a feature that will probably have very limited use, but it is an interesting bonus.

Brother MFC-8700 toner cartridges have a capacity of 3,000 pages, but high-yield versions are available, which have a capacity of 6,000 pages. Using third-party compatible cartridges instead of the more expensive branded Brother MFC-8700 toner cartridges can save users even more money, as it results in a lower cost per page.

Print speed is good, but a little slower than some competing models, at 12 pages per minute. Print quality is a mixed bag. Text is sharp and detailed, but loses some clarity at small font sizes. Graphics quality is below average, showing some banding in gradients.

Overall, the Brother MFC-8700 is a good multifunction device, but its higher price doesn't result in more value, especially when paying for features with limited appeal, such as video frame printing.