Expert Verdict
The reason for not calling the Brother HL-L8260CDW a beginner printer is simply because it has features that outstrip printers in the class and is also priced slightly on the higher side. We would categorise this machine as a nearly entry-level device because it is better and more economical than most enterprise-class devices. Basically, this printer is a colour laser single-function printer as it is specifically manufactured to fulfil business needs. In fact, its feature set is such that it saves the bill for not only micro and small-sized offices but even for medium-sized businesses. The HL-L8260CDW is an easy-to-use machine and has all the core features you would need for your business. This printer comes with four Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges and includes colours - black, cyan, magenta and yellow. The Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridge installation is easy.
Inside the Brother HL-L8260CDW, you’ll find an 800 MHz processor and 256MB RAM. It does not enable expansion of either of these components but it is not really needed even if you operate the HL-L8260CDW machine at its maximum capacity. Because of these components, the first-print-out times of this device are decent. They add up to maximum first-print-out times of 15 seconds from the ‘Ready’ mode and around 35 seconds from the ‘Sleep’ mode. What we liked more about this printer is that it has a front-facing USB port. This means that you can walk up to the Brother HL-L8260CDW and without any hassle plug in your flash drive, and begin printing.
If you are looking for something scalable, this printer fares well from our perspective. When it comes to scalability, our focal point is paper handling capacity and the HL-L8260CDW fits well in that category. The Brother HL-L8260CDW boasts a paper handling capacity of 300 sheets, divided between a 50-sheet multipurpose tray and a 250-sheet main paper tray. Not only this, this capacity can be expanded greatly. You can take it to as high as 1050 sheets by including three more paper trays with 250-sheet capacities. The paper handling capability of this device is supported by OEM recommended monthly volume range of about 1,000 - 3,000 pages. The print speed of the Brother HL-L8260CDW also supports its volume handling capabilities. This capacity is not ground-breaking but it is more than good enough to support a fully scaled printer.
With the Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges, this printer prints at the speed of 31 pages per minute, no matter whether you print colour or monochrome documents. The Brother HL-L8260CDW boasts good output text as well as graphics, thanks to good quality Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges. Unfortunately, you can not expect the same excellence when it comes to printing photos but this shouldn’t surprise you as the HL-L8260CDW is, after all, a laser printer. Brother has provided full mobile printing support with this device including compatibility with iPrint&Scan mobile app, Mopria, Cortado Workplace, Apple AirPrint, and Google Cloud Print. Another feature that you’ll find interesting in the Brother HL-L8260CDW is automatic duplexing. Automatic duplexing is a feature that enables printing on both sides of the paper. It is an excellent feature especially if you plan to print in bulk because it will help cut the paper costs.
There are a couple of problems that should have been addressed before delivering it to customers. The first thing is the running costs, the replacement Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges are very costly. But it does differ depending on the type of cartridge you use. If you are using original Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges, then the costs will definitely be higher and if you use compatible cartridges instead, you will benefit a lot. Compatible cartridges work 33% more efficiently than genuine ones and run longer than them.
Review
The Brother HL-L8260CDW printer is a coloured laser printer with 256MB memory, 800MHz processor, and 2-line LCD display. It measures 41.0cm x 48.6cm x 31.3cm and 21.8 Kg which may look odd on your office desk. Yet, it is an ideal choice for providing business quality prints with 4 separate Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges. The printer has a standard input tray with a capacity of 250 sheets and an output tray with a capacity of 150 sheets. This eco-friendly, reliable printer has a fast printing speed of 31ppm for coloured and monochrome prints, irrespective of the media type used.
The printer is truly flexible, as it offers multiple connectivities. With IEEE 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity, the printing is no more trouble for users. Moreover, the printer is versatile with AirPrint, Brother Print Service plugin, Android Print Service Plugin, Google Cloud Print 2.0, iPrint&Scan, Mopria and Wi-Fi Direct so that a user can print directly from their smart devices in one go.
Advantages
- Optimum printing speed
- High input capacity
- Supports ADF
- Allows wireless printing
- Mobile printing option is also available by leveraging various apps
- Works well with multiple operating systems including series of Mac and Windows and Linux
- Business quality prints with 4 separate Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges
- Secured printing option
Disadvantages
- High running cost
- Low photo quality
- Cannot scan, copy and fax the documents
Cartridge Requirements
Brother HL-L8260CDW Toner Cartridges include:
- TN421B toner cartridge
- TN421C toner cartridge
- TN421M toner cartridge
- TN421Y toner cartridge
Conclusion
The Brother HL-L8260CDW printer uses laser technology to provide professional quality prints perfect for business presentations. The printer has an array of connectivity options which makes printing tasks easy from wherever you are. With good printing speed, this printer stands out amongst the other Brother machines in the series.
I have noticed vertical bands appearing on my printouts. How should I resolve this issue?
There may be multiple reasons as to why this problem occurred. Perform the following steps in order to fix this problem:
Step 1: Clean the corona wire inside the drum unit.
- Open the front cover of your Brother HL-L8260CDW printer and pull the drum unit till it stops into place, using the green handle.
- Remove the toner cartridges from the drum unit. Push the cartridge away to unlock and then pull the cartridge up.
- Use the green tab in the drum unit to clean the corona wire by moving the tab from left to right. Repeat this for all the corona wires.
- Make sure to place the tab back into its original position in order to avoid poor print quality.
- Install all your Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges again and slide the drum unit back inside.
- Close the front cover and print a test page to check the quality.
- If you are still noticing bands on the printout, continue reading ahead.
Step 2: It might be possible that your Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges are damaged.
- Remove the toner cartridge from the unit.
- Inspect the cartridge for any damages, scratches, etc.
- In case you notice that the cartridge is damaged, replace it immediately by following the replacement procedure.
Step 3: Compare the colour of the printout with the colour chart available online, to figure out which cartridge is causing the issue.
- Download the chart from Brother online support.
- Compare your printout with the chart and replace the toner cartridge that is causing the issue.
Step 4: Make sure that you are using only high-quality Brother HL-L8260CDW toner cartridges with your printer to attain good quality results. Usage of low-quality compatibles increase the chances of damaging your printer.
Step 5: If the problem is still not resolved, please call customer care for the support.