The Brother HL-L9310CDW

Last week, Brother International Corporation announced a new family of A4 color laser printers and MFPs designed for “a full range of office, workgroup and larger-volume print environments.” The new single-function printers include the HL-L8260CDW, HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT and HL-L9310CDW, and the multifunction models are the MFC-L8610CDW, MFC-L8900CDW and MFC-L9570CDW. Shelly Radler, senior product marketing manager for Brother International, says, “The new Brother business-centric color laser printers and all-in-ones are a continuation of our commitment to deliver innovation to businesses of all sizes.”

The New Lineup

Ms. Radler tells us that the HL-L8260CDW, HL-L8360CDW and HL-L8360CDWT printers replace the HL-L8250CDN, HL-L8350CDW and HL-L8350CDWT from May 2014 (see “Brother Refreshes Color Laser Lineup for SMBs”). The multifunction MFC-L8610CDW and MFC-L8900CDW replace the MFC-L8600CDW and MFC-L8850CDW, which were also introduced in May 2014. These five new models will be available through online resellers, office superstores and Brother authorized resellers.

In contrast, the HL-L9310CDW and MFC-L9570CDW will be sold exclusively through Brother Authorized Partner Program (BAPP) resellers, as well as direct market resellers, dealers and office superstore contract resellers. Ms. Radler says that the HL-L9310CDW and MFC-L9570CDW replace the HL-L9200CDWT and MFC-L9550CDW, which were launched in June 2014.

 

Brother’s New Color Laser Printers
Model	HL-L8260CDW	HL-L8360CDW	HL-L8360CDWT	HL-L9310CDW
Product Type	A4 color laser printers
MSRP	$529.99	$649.99	$799.99	$949.99
Estimated Street Price	$329.99	$399.99	$499.99	$599.99
Availability	end of March 2017
Letter-Size Print Speed (black/color)	33/33 ppm
Max. Monthly Duty Cycle	40,000 pages	60,000 pages		80,000 pages
Max. Print Resolution	2,400 × 600 dpi
Paper Input (standard/max.)	300/1,050 sheets	300/1,300 sheets	800/1,300 sheets	300/2,830 sheets
Max. Paper Size	8.5 × 14 inches
Automatic Duplex	yes
Interfaces	USB 2.0, front USB host port, Gigabit Ethernet, wireless, Wi-Fi Direct
Display	2-line mono LCD	2.7-inch color touch screen
PDL Support	PCL 6, BR-Script3, IBM Proprinter, Epson FX, PDF v 1.7, XPS v 1.0
Mobile Printing Features	Brother iPrint&Scan app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print 2.0, Mopria, Cortado Workplace	same as HL-L8260CDW + NFC
New Supplies	yes
Best CPP (black/color)	2.54¢/ 12.66¢	2.03¢/10.56¢	2.03¢/10.56¢	1.70¢/7.86¢
Source: Actionable Intelligence

 

Brother’s New Color Laser MFPs
Model	MFC-L8610CDW	MFC-L8900CDW	MFC-L9570CDW
Product Type	A4 color laser MFPs
Functions	print, copy, scan, fax
MSRP	$849.99	$949.99	$1,249.99
Estimated Street Price	$529.99	$599.99	$799.99
Availability	end of April 2017
Letter-Size Print Speed (black/color)	33/33 ppm
Max. Monthly Duty Cycle	40,000 pages	60,000 pages	80,000 pages
Max. Print Resolution	2,400 × 600 dpi
Paper Input (standard/max.)	300/1,050 sheets	300/1,300 sheets	300/2,830 sheets
Max. Paper Size	8.5 × 14 inches
Automatic Duplex	yes; print only	yes; print/copy/scan/fax
Automatic Document Feeder	50-sheet ADF	70-sheet duplexing ADF	80-sheet duplexing ADF
Interfaces	USB 2.0, front USB host port, Gigabit Ethernet, wireless, Wi-Fi Direct
Display	3.7-inch color touch screen	5-inch color touch screen	7-inch tablet-like color touch screen
PDL Support	PCL 6, BR-Script3, IBM Proprinter, Epson FX, PDF v 1.7, XPS v 1.0
Mobile Printing Features	Brother iPrint&Scan app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print 2.0, Mopria, Cortado Workplace	same as MFC-L8610CDW + NFC
New Supplies	yes
Best CPP (black/color)	2.54¢/ 12.66¢	2.03¢/10.56¢	1.70¢/7.86¢
Source: Actionable Intelligence

According to Ms. Radler, the new family of devices are based on an enhanced version of the Brother-developed color laser engine employed in the predecessor models. All the new models offer print speeds of 33 ppm in black and color and produce output at a top resolution of 2,400 × 600 dpi. The previous devices offered the same print resolution but could print at a maximum speed of 32 ppm in black and color.

Ms. Radler highlights several improvements from one generation to the next. She says, “The new models have a more robust business-class design with an updated user interface and improved print quality.” According to Ms. Radler, the series uses new polymerized toner technology for vivid output with sharp definition and smooth graphics. Brother has also enhanced the color profile software to select more vivid colors than the previous generation software.

Brother has improved the displays from one generation to the next, with all of the printers except for the HL-L8260CDW now featuring a 2.7-inch color touch screen (versus the 2-line LCD on the predecessor models),the MFC-L8900DW featuring a 5-inch color touch screen and the MFC-L9570CDW boasting a 7-inch tablet-like color touch screen (versus the smaller touch screens on the previous models). Ms. Radler notes that the new 5-inch and 7-inch touch screens deliver easy menu navigation and the option of creating up to 64 customized shortcuts to simplify complex and frequently used tasks. She adds, “Icons can be added to or removed from the touch-screen display and tabs can be named and customized to further tailor the look of the screen for enhanced workflow.” Ms. Radler says that all the new touch screens provide easy access to the Brother Web Connect interface to directly print from and scan to popular business cloud services.

Brother is also promoting some security improvements with its new color laser lineup. All the devices offer Secure Function Lock, which enables administrators to restrict usage, limit machine functions on a group or per user basis and limit color printing to control costs. The OEM also notes that most of the devices support LDAP, Active Directory and have an integrated NFC card reader that provides walk‐up authorization to release print jobs and to access machine functions using a compatible NFC card or badge.

Other enhancements include improved paper handling and more expandable paper capacity, built-in NFC for mobile printing and scanning and improved connectivity, including enhanced mobile device print/scan capabilities.

Last but not least, Brother asserts that the MFC-L9570CDW, which can scan at up to 52 images per minute (ipm) simplex and up to 104 ipm duplex, has the fastest scanning speeds in its class.

As noted above, the HL-L9310CDW and MFC-L9570CDW, which Brother calls its Workhorse series models, are designated for the dealer channel, and, as such, have some features that differentiate them from their retail/reseller-oriented siblings. Such features include the bigger touch screen and access to the Brother Web Connect interface on the MFC-L9570CDW. Both units are compatible with an optional floor-standing tower tray that boosts paper capacity to 2,830 sheets. These two units also take different, higher-yield consumables than the retailer/reseller models, providing them with lower cost-per-page (CPP) figures and a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

Specifications for the HL-L8260CDW, HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT, HL-L9310CDW, MFC-L8620CDW, MFC-L8900CDW and MFC-L9570CDW are shown below. Estimated street prices for HL-L8260CDW, HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT and HL-L9310CDW are $329.99, $399.99, $499.99, and $599.99, respectively. Estimated street prices on the MFC-L8620CDW, MFC-L8900CDW and MFC-L9570CDW are $529.99, $599.99, and $799.99, respectively. The MFPs will not be available until the end of April. The printers will begin shipping later in March.

Lots of New Consumables

Ms. Radler says that all the consumables for the HL-L8260CDW, HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT, HL-L9310CDW, MFC-L8610CDW, MFC-L8900CDW and MFC-L9570CDW are new, aside from a waste-toner pack leveraged from the previous series. She points out that Brother has improved both yields and CPP figures from one generation to the next.
 

Supplies and Compatibility for New Brother Color Laser Printers and MFPs
Part	Part Number	Page Yield*	MSRP	HL-L8260CDW, MFC-L8610CDW	HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT, MFC-L8900CDW	HL-L9310CDW, MFC-L9570CDW
Standard-Yield Toner Cartridges
black toner cartridge	TN-431BK	3,000	$79.99	X	X
cyan toner cartridge	TN-431C	1,800	$79.99	X	X
magenta toner cartridge	TN-431M	1,800	$79.99	X	X
yellow toner cartridge	TN-431Y	1,800	$79.99	X	X
CPP (including standard-yield toners and other consumables): 3.34¢ black, 16.67¢ color
High-Yield Toner Cartridges
black toner cartridge	TN-433BK	4,500	$83.99	X	X
cyan toner cartridge	TN-433C	4,000	$134.99	X	X
magenta toner cartridge	TN-433M	4,000	$134.99	X	X
yellow toner cartridge	TN-433Y	4,000	$134.99	X	X
CPP (including high-yield toners and other consumables): 2.54¢ black, 12.66¢ color
Super-High-Yield Toner Cartridges
black toner cartridge	TN-436BK	6,500	$87.99		X	X
cyan toner cartridge	TN-436C	6,500	$184.99		X	X
magenta toner cartridge	TN-436M	6,500	$184.99		X	X
yellow toner cartridge	TN-436Y	6,500	$184.99		X	X
CPP for HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT, MFC-L8900CDW (including super-high-yield toners and other consumables): 2.03¢ black, 10.56¢ color CPP for HL-L9310CDW and MFC-L9570CDW (including super-high-yield toners and other consumables): 1.83¢ black, 10.36¢ color
Ultra-High-Yield Toner Cartridges
black toner cartridge	TN-439BK	9,000	$109.99			X
cyan toner cartridge	TN-439C	9,000	$184.99			X
magenta toner cartridge	TN-439M	9,000	$184.99			X
yellow toner cartridge	TN-439Y	9,000	$184.99			X
CPP (including ultra-high-yield toners and other consumables): 1.70¢ black, 7.86¢ color
Other Consumables
drum unit set	DR-431CL	30,000	$149.99	X	X
drum unit set	DR-433CL	50,000	$149.99			X
belt unit	BU330CL	50,000	$59.99	X	X	X
waste-toner pack	WT320CL	50,000	$26.49	X	X	X
*Toner yields are in accordance with the ISO/EC 19798 standard
CPP figures are based vendors' prices for cartridges divided by the vendor's rated yields. No multipack pricing is used.
Source: Actionable Intelligence

The entry-level models in this series - the HL-L8260CDW and MFC-L8610CDW - are compatible with the TN-421 series of standard-yield toner cartridges, which are rated at 3,000 pages for black and 1,800 pages for each color, as well as the TN-433 series of high-yield cartridges, which yield 4,500 pages for black and 4,000 pages apiece for color. The HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT and MFC-L8900CDW can use these same cartridges, along with the TN-436 series super-high-yield cartridges, which are rated at 6,500 pages for all four colors. All five of these color lasers use the DR-431CL drum set, which is rated at 30,000 pages; the BU330CL belt unit, which is rated at 50,000 pages and the WT320CL waste-toner pack, which is also rated at 50,000 pages.

With the standard-yield TN-433 cartridges installed and including the drum set and other consumables, CPP on these five models is 3.34 cents in black and 16.87 cents in color. The HL-L8260CDW and MFC-L8610CDW have best possible CPP figures of 2.54 cents in black and 12.65 cents in color with the TN-433 high-yield cartridges installed. Because they support the TN-436 cartridges, best possible CPP on the HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT and MFC-L8900CDW is lower still at 2.03 cents in black and 10.56 cents in color.

In contrast, the previous HL-L8250CDN, HL-L8350CDW, HL-L8350CDWT, MFC-L8600CDW and MFC- L8850CDW could use standard-yield cartridges (the TN-331 series), which were rated at 2,500 pages for black and 1,500 pages apiece for color; or high-yield cartridges (the TN-336 series), which deliver 4,000 pages for black and 3,500 pages for color. These models also used a drum set with a lower yield of 25,000 pages, a belt unit rated at 50,000 pages and the same 50,000 waste-toner unit employed in the new models. With the high-yield cartridges installed and including the drums, the belt and waste toner, best CPP on the previous machines is 3.0 cents in black and 13.71 cents in color.

Comparing the CPP figures delivered by the new models with TN-4330-series cartridges installed to that delivered by the old models using the TN-336 series, Brother has lowered page costs by 15.3 percent in black and 7.7 percent in color. When comparing CPP with the TN-436-series cartridges installed to the previous TN-336-series cartridges, Brother has lower page costs by 32.3 percent in black and 23.0 percent in color.

As for the dealer-oriented HL-L9310CDW and MFC-L9570CDW, these models can take the same TN-436 super-high-yield toner cartridges employed in their siblings, but they can also use a new ultra-high-yield cartridges series, the TN-439 cartridges, which are rated at 9,000 pages each for all four colors. These Workhorse models employ the same belt and waste-toner pack as their siblings, but they use a different drum set, the DR-433CL, which is rated at 50,000 pages. Because of the different drum unit, CPP when using the TN-436 cartridges is slightly lower on the HL-L9310CDW and MFC-L9570CDW than on the HL-L8360CDW, HL-L8360CDWT and MFC-L8900CDW—1.83 cents in black and 10.36 cents in color. With the TN-439 ultra-high-yield cartridges installed, the HL-L9310CDW and MFC-L9570CDW offer very competitive per-page costs of 1.70 cents in black and 7.86 cents in color.

In comparison, the previous HL-L9200CDWT and MFC-L9550CDWT used toner cartridges with lower yields of 6,000 pages for all four colors and the same drum set, belt unit, and waste-tone pack employed in the HL-L8250CDN, HL-L8350CDW, HL-L8350CDWT, MFC-L8600CDW and MFC- L8850CDW. Unfortunately, when Brother launched the HL-L9200CDWT and MFC-L9550CDWT, it did not share MSRPs for supplies, so we cannot compare CPP from one generation to the next. However, with the new TN-439-series toner cartridges boasting 50 percent higher yields over the toner cartridges used in the predecessor models, Brother had room to improve CPP significantly.

On-Trend Products

Brother’s new color laser lineup illustrates how features once characteristic of higher-end A3 MFPs—big tablet-like touch screens, the ability to set up customized workflows, cloud scanning capabilities, ADFs that allow for superfast scanning of even duplexed pages, lots of paper input, various types of connectivity, security features and high-yield consumables—are steadily migrating down to A4 format machines and ever lower price points.

As printer vendors like Brother are enhancing their lineup of products for higher print volume environments, copier vendors are doing the opposite, rolling out a growing number of lower-priced A4 machines. This means that competition at the higher-speed, higher-volume segments of the A4 market is increasing. But Brother is betting that its next-generation color lasers have the right combination of features to win over business customers.

Whether you’ve been a customer for decades or you’re learning about us for the first time, Static Control is the industry’s trusted cartridge supplier you can depend on. If you’re ready to expand your product offering with Static Control, let us know.