Brother MFC-L8930CDW review
A colour laser MFP whose scanner is the reason to buy it.
A business colour laser all-in-one with duplex print, scan and copy at up to 33ppm, single-pass two-sided scanning up to 104ipm, an 80-page feeder and dual-band wireless with gigabit ethernet.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Print and copy speed | Up to 33 pages per minute |
| Scanning | High-speed two-sided scanning up to 104 images per minute |
| Document feeder | 80-page automatic document feeder, legal-size glass |
| Toner included | Brother Genuine 3,000-page black and 1,800-page colour standard yield |
| Connectivity | Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless, plus gigabit ethernet |
| Duplex | Two-sided printing |
Specifications above come from Brother's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- 104 images per minute in single-pass duplex is a document scanner specification attached to a printer, and it turns digitising a filing cabinet from a project into an afternoon.
- An 80-page feeder means you load a stack and walk away rather than babysitting it.
- Dual-band wireless with 5GHz support, which in a busy office is the difference between a printer that responds and one that stalls on a congested 2.4GHz band.
- Gigabit ethernet as well, so the machine can be wired where it matters.
- Standard-yield toner included in both black and colour, so it is productive immediately.
Where it falls short
- The included toner is standard yield rather than high yield, so the first replacement is sooner than the box implies and the real running cost starts then.
- Four colour cartridges, and colour laser cost per page is dominated by them. Our toner yield estimator is the honest way to find out what your mix costs.
- If you rarely scan, the feeder and the scanning speed are the main things you are paying for, and a cheaper colour MFP prints the same documents.
- Colour laser is not photo printing, and a business graphics engine is not a photo engine.
- It has the footprint of a serious office machine, so plan the surface and the clearance for the feeder to open. Our printer stand versus desk space comparison is worth reading first.
What owners report
Owner reports on Brother's business colour MFPs are consistently positive about the scanner, which is what people mention first, and about toner cost relative to competitors, which is Brother's long-standing reputation. Both hold up under scrutiny of the published specifications.
The recurring caution is the standard-yield toner in the box. Owners repeatedly note that the first replacement arrives sooner than expected and that switching to high or super high-yield cartridges is where the running cost actually settles.
Who it suits
- Offices that digitise paper as well as producing it.
- Practices with legal-size documents and two-sided originals.
- Anyone on a congested wireless network who needs 5GHz.
Who should skip it
- Low-volume offices printing mostly black, who should read our mono versus colour laser comparison and probably buy mono.
- Anyone who scans a page a week, where the feeder is unused capital.
- Photo printing, which needs an inkjet.
Alternatives worth considering
31ppm colour laser-quality output with a full MFP feature set and Brother's standard, high and super high-yield toner tiers. Less scanner, less money, same printing for most offices.
Check price on AmazonThe equivalent HP machine, with Wolf Pro Security in hardware and firmware and Wi-Fi Direct. Choose on ecosystem and toner pricing rather than on features, because the two are closely matched. Our Epson versus Brother comparison covers the brand-level differences.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
What does 104 ipm scanning actually mean?
Images per minute, counting each side of a page as one image. Single-pass duplex scanners capture both sides simultaneously, so 104ipm is roughly 52 double-sided pages a minute. For anyone digitising files or handling two-sided contracts, that is the specification that determines whether scanning is a task or a chore.
Is Brother toner cheaper than HP?
Brother's toner has generally been priced lower per page than HP's equivalents, and Brother offers standard, high and super high-yield tiers, which lets you choose your cost per page rather than accept it. Always check the current price of the specific high-yield cartridge, because that number rather than the printer price is what you live with.
Do I need dual-band wireless on a printer?
In a busy office, yes. The 2.4GHz band is crowded with everything from microwaves to neighbouring networks, and 5GHz is usually far cleaner. If the printer can be wired, gigabit ethernet is better still and removes the question.
Single-pass duplex or flip scanning: does it matter?
For a stack of two-sided documents, enormously. Single-pass captures both sides in one movement; a flip mechanism runs each sheet through twice and is slower and more prone to misfeeds. Our duplex scanning versus single-sided comparison covers the practical time difference.
Is the toner in the box enough to start?
It gets you going: Brother includes standard-yield 3,000-page black and 1,800-page colour cartridges. That is genuinely useful and it is not high yield, so plan the first replacement sooner than you would with a machine shipped with high-yield supplies, and price the high-yield version when you do.
Keep reading
- Duplex vs single-sided scanning
- Epson vs Brother compared
- Flatbed vs sheetfed scanner
- Brother MFC-L3780CDW review
- HP M479fdw review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.