I've wanted a new printer for a while but am fed up of paying more for print cartridges than the printer itself so I have ordered and just received a Brother HL-2040 Laser Printer.
We use Brother printers at work so I thought I would try a home version.
I'm running Windows XP so turned ... Read review
Advantages: Good clear prints, fast, efficient Disadvantages: Noise
...ordered and just received a Brother HL-2040 Laser Printer.
We use Brother printers at work so I thought I would try a home version.
I'm running Windows XP so turned to the relevant page in the manual.
The manual has a sort of spider diagram on the front making it very easy to find the pages you want based on your operating system and connection method weather that be USB, parallel or ethernet.
Installation ...software and drivers before plugging in the cable.
The drivers are on CD and launch automatically.
The screen is very east to follow and it's literally only a few clicks until the whole thing is ready to go.
When it was all installed the printer was ready to go, there was no need to reboot the PC which is always a bonus.
Toner
*~*~*~
The printer comes with a starter toner which has ... more
I've wanted a new printer for a while but am fed up of paying more for print cartridges than the printer itself so I have ordered and just received a Brother HL-2040 Laser Printer.
We use Brother printers at work so I thought I would try a home version.
I'm running Windows XP so turned to the relevant page in the manual. The manual has a sort of spider diagram on the front making it very easy to find the pages you want based on your operating system and connection method weather that be USB, parallel or ethernet.
Installation *~*~*~*~*~* Windows XP requires you to install the software and drivers before plugging in the cable. The drivers are on CD and launch automatically. The screen is very east to follow and it's literally only a few clicks until the whole thing is ready to go.
When it was all installed the printer was ready to go, there was no need to reboot the PC which is always a bonus.
Toner *~*~*~
The printer comes with a starter toner which has about 1000 prints worth of toner in it (5% coverage of paper) and it also comes with a drum which needs to be replaced after about 12000 prints.
There are full instructions on how to install cartidges and drums and it literally took me seconds to put them in.
Connections *~*~*~*~*~*~*
The printer can be connected with a parallel connection, a USB connection or can be connected straight to a network with an Ethernet cable. (No cables are included) I connected my printer up with a USB cable - USB AB - and then switched it on. The computer recognised it straight away and I was ready to print.
Built into the printer is a test page that will print as soon as it is powered up. Once something is sent to the printer from the PC, this is lost from memory. I printed the test page and was pleased with the print out.
Print Quality *~*~*~*~*~*~* It is a mono printer so no colour but the quality was very nice. The ink is consistent across tha page, text is clear and print speed is quick.
I then fired up Word and printed a letter with a picture attached. For a black and white printer the picture was surprisingly good quality and the text was as the demo was.
The resolution is 2400 x 600 dpi
Noise *~*~*~* When the printer is standing idle you can hardly hear a thing but when it fires up it is quite noisy. It's not really a printer you would use at night if people are asleep on the same floor as you.
How much can I send to the printer in one go? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The printer has a built in 8MB memory - sufficient for home and small office use, no problem.
Paper *~*~*~
The printer takes most kinds of paper which you inform the printer of via the program you are printing from. The tray holds 250 sheets which is plenty for home use.
Specs *~*~*~*
No, not glasses, but what it can do!
* Up to 20ppm Monochrome printing speed * First print in under 10 seconds * Up to 2400 x 600dpi resolution * 96Mhz processor * 8MB Memory * GDI emulation * Network Optional * Up to 250 sheet paper capacity * 1 Year on-site warranty (upon Registration)
The printer is not that big either for what it is.
It weighs about 5.5KG and is 16.5cm High, 36.1cm deep and 37.1cm wide.
Price *~*~*
I paid £68.00 from Misco.com but for some reason it is up to £103 today! Staples have the printer in store for £119.99 and this is about the same as PC world, Curries and Dixons. Toner is anything from £38 upwards and drums are a little more. A cable - USB will cost you a fiver from Misco and other websites but a lot more from a shop on the high street.
So far I've printed letters and a few images and have been satistisfied. The reason I bought this printer was to print course work for my degree and it is going to be up to the job.
Advantages: Small, Cheap Disadvantages: Errrr not many really.
...in the past.
Also Brother claim their toner cartridges can do 1,500 sheets, I think they are wrong. I've gotten through 1.5boxes of paper (3700ish sheets) on the free toner that came with it.
Its basic specs are;
*Max. Print Speed - 20pages per minute
*Max. Print Resolution - 2400x600dpi
*Interface - Parallel or USB
*Memory - 8MB
*And a little single sheet feeder which I have never used, but it looks like it works.
This is a great product ... ...well with all print jobs sent to it. To be honest it just doesn't muck about. Its also very quiet and has a sleep mode for when its not in use which makes it silent and light free.
One thing I should say about laser printers is that the toner is carsenogenic. Meaning that it can give you cancer. However only in very high doses. It would be wise not to have this or any laser printer on your desk especially if your going to use it alot. Its good to ...
Jon_Farrimond 13.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Brother HL 2040
Advantages: Small size and footprint on desk Disadvantages: tendancy to 'curl' paper
...to replace them we thought brother hads got it right by reducing the size to the 2040. How wrong we were. To say we are disappointed with the quality of the production (the printing itself is fine the paper gets curled up) is an understatement! Then there is the toner cartridge, this appears to give you about a 5 page warning of when its going to run out! There also appears to be no consistaency on how long they will last.
Finally there appears ... ...used us, this could mean that usable cartridges are being discarded, and at between £30 - £35 thats too much.
We have had the brother technicians out three times now and even they don't appear to like this model.
My advice dont buy it keep looking, we are! ...
jrowleyuk 05.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Brother HL 2040
Advantages: Easy to use Disadvantages: USB connection
I was despirate to buy a new printer as cartridges where costing me a fortune and so laser was the way forward. I am a student so I was on a budget and I saw this printer was priced well and bit the bullet. I am very surprised by it actually. It is a little temporamentle to set up with the USB especially if you are still running 1.1.....but after that it is plain sailing. I have had it over a year now and am still using the free cartridge that has ... ...printing slightl;y to excess and still it is going strong. It prints very fast and the quality (when st to high - photo) is exceptional. This is definately one to consider when you want a printer. The free cartridge lasts for what seems like ever and it is so easy to use ..... plug it in (finally set it up) and you are away. It was be a litle hot sometimes that conerns me but it hasn't had anything happen to it. I liked it so much I bought a second ...
cja5 03.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Brother HL 2040
Picture quality
Printing speed
Colour sensitivity
Ease of use
Value For Money
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Advantages: Affordable, good quality, Disadvantages: USB connection only
wanted one that printed in good quality, and didn't take ages to spool. Not that I'm fussy or anything!
After a lot of indecision, and going round in circles comparing printers I plumped for the BrotherHL-2030. It also has its bigger 'brothers' (sorry pun unintended at time of writing) the HL-2040 and HL-2070, but I didn't think the 2040 offered much more for the money, and whilst I would have ideally liked a network printer it was out of my budget.
So - to the main point of this review - what is it like???
*** Appearance ***
It comes packaged well, in a sturdy box, with the instructions, and driver CDs easily accessible. The printer itself is I think very attractive, in a plain (grey) get-on-with-the-job way. It is very small, official dimensions list it as being W 371mm, D 361mm, H 166mm. And it has an integrated paper ...
natty250 17.01.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Brother HL 2030
"Compatible with Windows 7" software and devices carry Microsoft’s assurance that these products have passed tests for compatibility and reliability with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7.
Consumables Included
1 x toner cartridge ( black ) - up to 1500 pages
1 x drum - up to 12000 pages
Power
Power Device
Power supply - internal
Power Consumption Operational
450 Watt
Power Consumption Stand by / Sleep
70 Watt
Software / system requirements
OS Required
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional , Red Hat Linux, Microsoft Windows 95 / NT Workstation 4.0, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, SuSe Linux, Microsoft Windows XP, Linux Mandrake, Debian Linux, Apple MacOS X 10.2.4 or later, Microsoft Windows 98/98 Second Edition, Apple MacOS 9.1 - 9.2.x
System Requirements Details
Windows 95/98 - Intel486 - 66 MHz - RAM 8 MB - HD 40 MB
Windows 98 SE - Intel486 - 66 MHz - RAM 8 MB - HD 40 MB
Windows NT 4.0 - Pentium - 75 MHz - RAM 16 MB - HD 50 MB
Windows 2000 Pro - Pentium - 133 MHz - RAM 64 MB - HD 50 MB
Windows ME - Pentium - 150 MHz - RAM 32 MB - HD 50 MB
Windows XP - Pentium - 300 MHz - RAM 128 MB - HD 50 MB
MacOS 9.1/9.2 - RAM 32 MB - HD 50 MB
MacOS X 10.2.4 or later - RAM 128 MB - HD 50 MB
Environmental standards
EPA Energy Star Compliant
Yes
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature
10 °C
Max Operating Temperature
32 °C
Humidity Range Operating
20 - 80%
Sound Emission (Idle)
30 dB, 30 dBA
Sound Emission (Operating)
51 dB, 51 dBA
Manufacturer's product description
With the thoughtful and space saving design, the HL-2040 should be at home in any modern office environment. High-speed printing facilitates peace of mind when deadlines have to be met.
