Brother MFC-J265W Printer Review

This printer has the standard set of features I have come to expect from Brother machines in that it is a colour inkjet printer, scanner, copier and has a built-in media card centre. The big features of the printer are its wireless capabilities and the built-in fax machine. To be honest if the fax machine isn't a key feature for you I would recommend looking around for another Brother printer like a DCP-J315W or a DCP-195C.

Everything you need to get set up wireless (ink, software and power cable) is included in the box and it is as simple to set up as any other wireless printer. If however you wanted to connect the printer to an individual computer you will need to purchase a USB A-B cable and connect it via a port tucked in under the scanner bed.

The MFC-J265W has a very low profile but a slightly larger footprint due to its laser printer style paper tray instead of the top feeding paper the majority of manufacturers opt for. This compact design does not some without its setbacks however as the paper has to turn 180 degrees inside the printer meaning a maximum paper thickness of 220gsm can be used.

With a maximum printing speed of 27/33ppm (pages per minute) this is a pretty speedy machine and although if it will be used for printing photos in high quality you will find it slows the machine down substantially. The maximum resolution for prints is 6,000 x 1,200 dpi (dots per inch) and only uses four different coloured inks so it is not really intended for photographers who expect high-resolution or 6+ inks.

With a fax modem speed of 14,400 bps and 40 alphabetically sorted speed dial locations the fax should not disappoint. In addition the scanner is has a maximum resolution of 19,200 x 19,200dpi the same quality can be expected from the scanner/copier.

The cartridges used by the printer are exceptionally large for a modern inkjet and contain 29ml for the black and 20ml for each of the 3 colours. If you should decide to use compatible cartridges in the printer you will find it very cheap to run as here at Refresh Cartridges we sell them for as little as 1.87 a cartridge. Also as the cartridges are completely unchipped you can use them without your printer constantly reminding you that you are not using the manufacturers own.

In conclusion the Brother MFC-J265W is an ideal printer for a small office due to its high print speeds, low running cost, scanning copying and fax functionality. However as mentioned previously if a built-in fax machine is not essential for you then you may wish to check out some other printers in Brothers inkjet range. Whilst the build quality is excellent if you need a machine that will be printing almost solidly during the working day it is unfortunately no replacement for a laser printer.