Brother MFC 8460N – Advanced and Affordable Multifunction
Printer
The Brother MFC 8460N is a high-performance multifunction printer unit.
It has five functions: printing, copying, faxing, scanning and PC
faxing. This unit produces high quality results across its range of
functions, so while it has a relatively high price tag attached, it
provides good value for money if you’re a small business person or
working from home. The model is no longer in production, but you can
pick one up at a discount online.
Top Features of the MFC 8460N
Brother MFC 8460N
One of the stand-out features of this machine is the LCD screen. The
printer has a 5-line LCD panel which allows you to easily keep track of
settings and functions.
It shares many of the functions and features of
Brother’s similar 8860DN, with a legal-size document glass that
provides flexibility for scanning, printing, copying or faxing
important legal documents.
It also features a 250-sheet paper tray, which once again is adjustable
to suit different document sizes – plus, there’s an extra 250-sheet
tray available and a 50-sheet multi-purpose tray. In terms of sheer
carrying capacity for paper, there are few other multifunctions on the
market that can compare to this unit.
Like the 8860DN, this model also uses efficient toner technology so you
get more out of your toner cartridges. This means replacing toner less
often, which in turn means less hassle and less expenditure for you.
This helps lower the overall cost of ownership of this printer, which
is essential to keep in mind when purchasing business equipment,
especially if you’re a start-up or bootstrapping entrepreneur.
Downsides of the MFC 8460N
One of the obvious downsides of the 8460N is its price. Second-hand,
you can pick one up for $100, but then you have to worry about the
possibility of a breakdown. A new unit costs upwards of $500. This is
an expenditure that many small businesses can’t justify, although if
printing, scanning and copying are central to your business this
machine will end up saving you money.
Aside from that, there appear to be a few design flaws in this machine
which mean it can’t quite deliver the quality expected in some
respects.
For instance, the machine tends to cause creases when
printing envelopes, making it more or less useless for that function –
something you might want to know before you buy if you run a direct
mail business, for instance.
Of course, it also lacks one major feature of other similar models:
duplex printing. But this feature often isn’t worth the money unless
you really need it.
Consumer Response to the Brother MFC 8460N
The MFC 8460N has had a very mixed response from the public. On the
plus side, many users find the installation and software easy to deal
with compared to other brands such as HP. It’s also been praised for
the speed at which it executes all its functions.
However, there are quite a few valid consumer criticisms of this
product as well. One of these relates to the firmware used to control
the scanner function of the machine, which is less user-friendly and
flexible than that found on other Brother multifunctions.