11.4.2018

I'm impressed by this printer. Very smooth to get up and running.*** Installation ***When it arrived, it was in a huge box and fairly heavy, but not too heavy for one person to lift. Actually getting it out of the box and onto a table is surprisingly easy. The trick is to first open the top of the box and remove any literature, then lift the entire box to table height (e.g. onto another table or space alongside where you want to install it) and then look at the sides of the box to find four plastic clips. Squeeze the clips and they can be pulled out. These clips hold the sides of the box to the base of the box, so once they are removed, the entire top and four sides of the box lifts off. Then,it is really easy to lift the unit, a small amount to place it into the desired position - this is entirely possible to do without assistance.Next, follow the supplied sheet instructions to remove the packing paper and clips. There are various bits of translucent blue tape that are not marked on the sheet, so visually inspect everywhere and remove that too. Don't remove the black tape on the ink cassettes! That is not ever supposed to be removed.For the main tray (at the bottom), you can use paper up to 105gsm, so I used 100gsm HP Color Laser Paper (this isn't the recommended paper, but it works well so far, and is a very white paper, not gloss, but smooth). Also, I purchased 120gsm paper to use for the flip-out tray. The paper recommended by Brother for that is Xerox 120gsm A4 Colotech Plus Gloss Coated. The 120gsm paper must not be used in the lower tray. I will probably print and stick labels on the printer to remind me about that.After this, plug it into the mains, and switch it on from the front panel. It has a nice fairly responsive touchscreen display, and nice quality plastic buttons alongside it too. The entire printer feels really well made - impressive considering how low cost it is.*** Configuration ***This was super-easy - it can be done entirely from the front panel. The menu is straightforward, and from there you can set the date and time, and also enter in your wireless LAN password (it works with 2.4GHz WLAN, but not 5GHz unfortunately, but that would be expecting too much at this price point I think). Then, navigate in the menu to the firmware update option, and let it update and reboot itself - just takes a few minutes, very quick! And now the printer is good to go. On the PC, you can download the full suite of software from the Brother website, during installation it will find the IP address of the printer (provided you're on the same Wireless LAN during the installation phase - afterwards it doesn't matter) and everything just works to be honest. It looks like a regular printer to Windows (I used Windows 10) and the print quality is very good. The paper is ejected out of the black area of the printer, and sits there. No need for crazy flaps open everywhere to support the paper, like on cheapy small inkjet printers - it is civilized with this printer!Note that if you don't want to use WLAN, then Ethernet or USB is possible too - I didn't feel the need to use these.*** Mobile Apps ***The printer works with Apple and Android. I had Android, so I installed 'Brother iPrint&Scan'. It allows me to be able to print docs and photos that are on my phone, as well as fax (who does that these days : ). It seems basic but competent enough. I won't use it much, I'm always near a laptop anyway.*** Other Features ***There are too many features I have not begun to explore with this printer, such as the copier capability and fax capabilty (it comes with an RJ11 cable for that) - these are accoutrements for me, and not as important - they may be more important to others.*** Power Saving ***This printer just manages its own power - no need to physically press any button. It will self-wake (it stays connected to the wireless LAN) and warm up quickly when it needs to print. It only consumes 1.4W during its self-sleep mode.*** Extras to Purchase ***Although everything needed is in the box (apart from paper), you may wish to purchase a few extra things:1. A mains extension cable, or a longer IEC C13 cable than the one supplied which is rather short.2. Paper, and paper storage - I decided to use this type of thing to store my paper: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MCQOWAG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K8T0IQO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (they stack)3. Some plastic wallet to hold the reference manual and CDROM (which I didn't use) and stick it to the side of the printer without blocking any vent.*** Summary ***I'm glad I chose a printer from a famous brand like Brother. They've had decades of practice getting their technology right, and nothing seeks flaky in the menu/software and the construction feels pretty good to - obviously it is built to a price-point, but you'd be hard pressed to notice. The plastic has a high quality texture, the machine doesn't creak! it looks smart and I'm hoping it will provide many years of good service.

20.4.2018

This printer comes in a large box and is quite hefty. It can be unpacked with one person but I would advise two. The packaging it comes in really does the job of protecting it you need to read the instructions to find out where all the little bits of tape and plastic clips are that will stop it working. I fell victim to not doing this. once it is completely unpackaged and stripped of protection setting it up was really easy. it is almost plug and play. I did have to do a firmware update straight away as I was haviong issues with it sending an error message when printing multiple pages. I also currently have an issue with printing on two sides, it flips over the short edge not the long edge no matter what setting it is put on.

31.12.2018

I got fed up with ink jet cartridges only lasting a month or two of light printing and then costing a fortune to replace. It was cheaper to buy new ink jet printers some times, and then there was the challenge of finding the right cartridges. I think I went through 4 printers in two years, so even though the up front cost was high, I bit the bullet and bought this monster. It is not small, but isn't overwhelmingly large. Sits perfectly on top of a small file cabinet. I didn't have any issues at all setting it up (though there are a lot of taped pieces to find). It took a little bit to let it self-update to all the latest versions and then we were off and printing. Quality is phenomenal.

14.10.2017

I've had this for a couple of weeks now and it's working just as expected. OK, so i'm not a heavy print user and have done some basic testing and printed some of my regular documents all without issue. I have setup Google Cloud print and can now print from my Android phone almost anywhere - especially useful for printing tickets etc without having to use the computer connected to the printer.It is quite a big unit in terms of height (i think to accommodate the colour toner cartridges) and a slightly larger footprint compared to the B&W laser printer it has replaced. Speed of printing is good and not too noisy either. Print quality is good and the colours are also good. I'm not expecting to print photos,

6.11.2018

My old Epson stopped working with a weird internal error message that I couldn't fix. That put me off Epson so I went for this boy. Print quality is far better than my old printer in that the colours are much more vivid and true. Loved the duplex facility too (save a tree !) which was easy to set up. I haven't had to change toners yet so don't know how fiddly that is. One small gripe is that it seemed to have stopped working until I found a tiny piece of plastic had fallen into the edge of the paper tray and it would not close flush (you couldn't see this with the naked eye). Also; when the printer goes into standby mode it will NOT power up when you send something to it,

1.11.2017

We have owned this printer for the past few weeks now and can vouch for the printers effectiveness. Very easy to connect to PC's using either driver downloads from Brother or via the included disc.Print quality is excellent, with vivid colour and sharp text. We required a printer with duplex scanning and printing, and this model matches our requirements superbly. Choosing a printer with all of these features is a minefield, and it took a while to pick a unit. We are very happy with the Brother L8690CDW.This printer includes more settings than we need at the moment but as the business grows no doubt we will utilise them in the future.The only downside is the weight at 36kg.

12.5.2018

We're very happy with this printer.Be warned, it's fairly big and heavy if you're thinking of using it at home. The package weighs almost 30kg and the dimensions are 52.6 x 53.9 x 43.5 cm.The instructions are clear and easy to follow. It's best to read them before attempting to do anything with the printer to make sure you do things in the right order.It's surprisingly easy to set up and configure. It's very user-friendly thanks to the big touchscreen. It prints quickly and the quality and clarity are excellent.This printer is excellent for printing full page colour photos, with bold, distinctive colours.The printer has a tonne of useful features, many of which we haven't had an opportunity to test out yet.It's solid and well built.

7.1.2020

Having had a network inkjet printer for the last 4 years (and one previous to that) and as my kids have become teenagers and are wanting to print stuff for school etc I was spending half my life being a printer tech, replacing ink cartridges every 5 minutes, explaining why print heads get blocked and generally pulling my hair out when the printer wouldn't work for some reason. I also run a small business, so printing is important for me too, so I bought one of these and wished I had done it years ago. Is the photo printing as good as an inkjet? Not when the inkjet is printing on decent photo paper, but using cheap ordinary paper the Brother is as good as, if not better than an inkjet.

14.12.2018

After cashback, I paid a little over £100 for this colour laser printer. Which is a bargain price! Even at over £200 it is quite good value I think. It is massive and heavy. Over 18" high. The colour resolution is not as high as an injet printer and photos, for instance, don't have good contrast. But solid colours eg lettering is reproduced well. I use it for occasional colour printing, where an inkjet might dry up. It can be networked directly through an rj45 connector, but I use it via wi-fi. It is recognised by Windows so you don't actually need the setup CD and also automatically by ipads. It will probably also work automatically with Apple/Mac computers. I think there are genetic toners available for this printer.

23.1.2019

I purchased this printer after returning an HP colour laser printer that took ages to print. I decided to try Brother and I have to say I am not disappointed. I did read a lot of reviews before purchasing. Also, when I purchased the printer it was on sale with a cashback promotion. I am a Postgraduate student and I do print a lot of documents as I find them easier to read than on-screen documents. The print quality is very good as well as the print speed. You can print from your phone and there are various other options for printing. I have not used the fax, but the scanning does a good job as well. I believe the original cartridges are expensive, but I believe you can use other brands.

8.1.2020

Printer arrived day earlier than predicted, well done amazon - printer arrived safely.Once you get passed all the packaging and the orange tabs all around the cartridges it was fairly easy to setup - the menu system is simple entering the wifi password was easy enough and well it just worked - something to be aware it appears to only work on 2.4 networks.Printer feels very sturdy and well put together, we have a brother printer at work and its served us well so for our need should be spot on, plus the current cashback offer via brother this is just a bargain.Something you need to consider is positioning of the printer you need access to the rear panel that drops down and front also - not something I had really thought about not a real issue,

17.5.2018

We have recently upgraded from the previous model to this one and, apart from being slower at receiving the print messages from my computer (may be my computer), it is proving to be a good workhorse. It is being used in a surveyor's office so is in constant use printing out reports and photos and the quality of the print and photos is far superior to that of its predecessor. I would also add that the cartridges also last a lot longer too. The only problem I have found is feeding large envelopes through the feeder - it is not happy with this and when it does accept it, tends to smudge the print. I will re-read the manual on this and see if it's me rather than the printer.

29.6.2019

This is a beast of a machine, but I really wanted a colour laser all-in-one. When I purchased it, Brother were offering £100 cash-back, so it ended up costing less than £200, which was a bit of a bargain.Prints are good and sharp, but you won't get lab-quality photographs printed with this. However, I was well aware of this before I bought it. It does a reasonable job of photos onto plain paper, as well as business graphics and text.The software (I use the Windows software) allows you to print and scan across your local network reliably. I can also print from, and scan to, my iPad and Android phone using the Brother app.Overall, I'm very happy with this printer.

11.2.2019

Very good laser printer, works wirelessly from iPhones, iPads, MacBook Pros. I've had no setup problems at all, it worked with minimal setup aggro. Once on-line, iPhone app advises you of any firmware updates, which you can apply very easily.Used for documents for home office and school homework. Starts printing within seconds of sending the print job. Don't expect great photo prints though, it's a laser printer.The only negative is that you shouldn't expect to receive the cashback very quickly. I bought this printer in September 18, in December I phoned to chase. In Feb 19 still no cashback. I chased again and received the cashback in Apr 19. Hassle.

1.4.2018

Great printer with fast output. Quick to return to standby mode - meaning the small office I have it in doesn't get fumigated each time its used.Fast scanning too.Printer needed a firmware upgrade as soon as I got it. A little fiddly as to which process to do that, but got it figured out in the end.So far, its been working well with my Mac's. I don't intend to use it heavily, so for me this printer is just fine. Beware though, its costlier to run than some other brands if you are a heavy user. I'm delighted that I no longer have to spend a fortune replacing ink cartridges every few months just because they've evaporated.Pleased with my purchase.

Brother MFC-L8690CDW - Reviews

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