Brother's MFC-1810 is a budget multifunction printer (MFP) based on the entry-level HL-1110 mono laser printer. Like the HL-1110, this is a no-frills product with only a single paper input tray, no automatic duplex (double-sided) printing and no network support. It does, however, provide useful features such as a built-in fax machine and a 10-page automatic document feeder (ADF).
The MFC-1810 doesn't feel cheap, but at this price there are inevitable compromises. The hinges for the scanner lid are sturdy, but they don't extend upwards to let the lid close flat on thicker originals. The paper input tray is a basic, 150-page item with no cover, so dust could build up on the top sheet over idle periods.
More significantly, the printer’s paper guides adjust only between A4 and letter widths, ruling out alternative paper sizes including A5. The short paper output tray is completed by a two-part paper stop which folds into place, but you need to lift the scanner bed out of the way to get it up or down.
The MFC-1810 is swift, reaching 17.4 pages per minute (ppm) when printing text, and 16.2ppm in our more demanding mixed graphics test. Print quality of text was good, but less so for graphics. There was some banding despite well-judged exposure, and some fairly crude half-toning patterns visible in lighter areas. Photos had the same issues, but generally looked better.
Brother's clear, simple print driver is easy to use
The MFC-1810's scanner was slightly slow at low resolutions, taking 17 seconds to produce a preview or 18 seconds to scan an A4 page at 150 or 300 dots per inch (dpi). It was more competitive at higher resolutions, though, with a 1,200dpi photo scan taking just 28 seconds. The results were more than good enough for everyday office work and archiving. Our only criticism is that colours were a touch over-saturated. By default, photocopies were a touch too dark.
The TWAIN scan interface offers only preset resolutions, but the choice includes all the ones we'd want
One thing we aren’t keen on, is the MFC-1810’s running costs. Each page will cost 2.7p even if you never have to replace the drum, while inclusive running costs are 3.2p per page.
With a decent set of features and swift, reasonably good results, this is an impressive MFP for anyone looking to set up a home office on a very tight budget. It's unfortunate that its print costs are so high. Anyone expecting to print in high volumes should consider spending more on a better printer with lower costs, such as the Kyocera FS-C2026MFP+ , or an inkjet alternative such as Epson WorkForce WF-3540DTWF .
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Basic Specifications |
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Rating |
**** |
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Maximum native print resolution |
600x600dpi |
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Max optical resolution |
600x1,200dpi |
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Output bit depth |
24-bit |
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Quoted Speeds |
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Quoted speed, mono A4 |
20ppm |
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Tested Print Speeds |
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Time for two greyscale 10x8in photos 1.1 |
27s |
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Time for six greyscale 6x4in photos 1.0 |
20s |
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Physical and Environmental |
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Standard printer interfaces |
USB |
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Optional printer interfaces |
none |
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Size |
255x385x340mm |
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Weight |
8.2kg |
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Noise (in normal use) |
51dB(A) |
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Paper Handling |
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Maximum paper size |
A4/legal |
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Maximum paper weight |
105gsm |
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Standard paper inputs |
1 |
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Standard paper input capacity |
150 |
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Maximum paper inputs |
1 |
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Maximum paper input capacity |
150 |
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Duplex (code, cost if option) |
Yes |
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General |
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Printer technology |
mono laser |
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Language(s) |
host-based |
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Supported operating systems |
Windows XP or later, Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, Linux, CUPS, LPD/LPRng |
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Maximum printer memory |
16MB |
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Other laser features and options |
Two line mono LCD |
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Buying Information |
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Price |
£108 |
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Consumable parts and prices |
£27.43 |
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Price of 2nd paper cassette |
N/A |
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Warranty |
one year RTB |
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Supplier |
http://www.printerbase.co.uk |
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Details |
www.brother.co.uk |
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Tested Scan Speeds |
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Full scan area preview |
17s |
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A4 document at 150dpi |
18s |
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A4 document at 300dpi |
18s |
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6x4in photo at 600dpi |
26s |
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6x4in photo at 1200dpi |
28s |
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Tested Copy Speeds |
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Time for single A4 mono copy 1.0 |
22s |
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Time for 10 A4 copies using feeder 2.0 |
1m 8s |
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Copy Features |
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Maximum number of copies |
99 |
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Fax Features |
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Fax memory (maximum mono pages) |
400 |
Basic Specifications
Quoted Speeds
Tested Print Speeds
Physical and Environmental
Paper Handling
General
Buying Information
Tested Scan Speeds
Tested Copy Speeds
Copy Features
Fax Features
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