Brother HL-L2300D Mono Laser Printer Review: Durability and Light Weight

Among Brother’s new range of laser printers, the HL-L2300D is an affordable, compact and reliable printer. Priced at merely $118 in retail stores, it is a steal deal for those looking for cheap, double side laser prints. It is small and compact, measuring no bigger than 30 cm in width. Like all Brother printers, it features a simple black and grey design characteristic of most business printers offered by Brother. 

Specifications

• Dimensions: 14 x 14.2 x 7.2 inches
• Weight: 15.21 pounds
• Maximum speed: 26 – 27 pages per minute
• Interface: USB 2.0
• Printing technology: Laser
• Printing output type: Monochrome
• Recommended monthly volume: 250 – 2,000 pages
• Monthly maximum duty cycle: 10,000 pages
• Total media capacity: 250 sheets
• Output tray capacity: 100 sheets
• Automatic duplexing: Yes
• Power consumption (operational): 455 watts
• Built-in display: Status LCD

Features

Resolution and Printing: The printer offers 26ppm print speed and is equipped with 8 MB RAM for delivering fast and efficient printing. The resolution offered is 2400 x 600 dpi. The tray can hold a maximum of 250 sheets along with another single sheet feed for shorter sizes like envelopes, labels and thicker paper. The best value you get out of this printer is the automatic 2-sided printing.

Simplistic Design: The Brother HL – L2300D features a simple, no-nonsense design featuring black and grey. Even the buttons are kept to a minimum. There is one power button and another green one marked “Go” to get started printing. It also includes four status lights.

Software and Connectivity: All the printer’s functions and administration are supplied via the software installed during setup. It is compatible with all types of operating systems including Windows XP and above as well as Mac OS X from 10.7.5. The installation is quick, simple and straightforward. The main drawback is that, unlike other more expensive printers offered by Brother, this does not give you wireless connectivity options. So, you’ll not be able to print directly using AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, or any of the other storage clouds. The printer does not have an Ethernet port. So, USB is the only way to connect and print and since the device does not include a USB cable in the box, you’ll have to get your own cable.

Output quality: After you complete installation, you get a variety of printing options, including the toner save mode as well as reduced paper curling. You can select the default print output quality of 600 dpi or choose, instead, 300 dpi or HQ1200 mode capable of delivering up to 2400 x 600 dpi. You also have the option to choose between single and double-sided printing.

Performance Analysis

Brother HL-L2300D offers an impressive performance, proved in tests. For instance, a four page document consisting of a mix of graphics and text took merely 17 seconds to print out. For an affordable printer at this price, the speed is truly impressive. The printer also started printing after a mere 3 second lag after initiating print. Another four page report consisting only of text was printed and churned out in about 15 seconds.

The printer claims a speed of 26 pages per minute, and tests revealed that the claim was genuine – it could print out at least 25 pages per minute consistently. For the speed offered, one would assume that the print quality would only be average. But, the printer impresses in that aspect, too. The text was crisp and bright and the graphics were also decently reproduced with no banding or inconsistencies. It was only slightly lighter when “toner save” mode was chosen instead of the regular option.

The printer is also capable of offering quiet printing with virtually no noise even when churning out large volumes. It is also a major achiever in saving energy. The printer powers itself down when it is idle and quickly activates itself back without any lag when powered back on.

Key Features

• Fast printing: With a print speed of 27 ppm, it offers fast printing and high productivity.
• Two-sided printing: There is no need for manual intervention with this printer for two side printing. The manual feed slot and rear paper exit provide a smooth paper path for easy printing and excellent quality.
• Document and image quality: Offering a print resolution of 2400 x 600 dpi, HL-L2300D offers high quality output, be it text documents or images and illustrations. His makes it a great choice for home-based businesses offering one or both (content and graphics). Brother TN 2330 and TN 2350 offer excellent black and white print quality.
• Convenient Paper Size Handling: The printer is equipped for handling all your printing needs, be it A4 size paper or envelope sizes. This is possible via the 250-sheet paper tray.
• Toner Save mode: The printer is a boon for people looking for high print volume from their Toner cartridges. This printer comes with a toner save mode that uses less toner to save money and reduce the number of replacements.
• Save Paper: Brother HL-L2300D offers automatic two-sided printing that is perfect for printing on both sides and saving paper and hassles of manually doing it.
• Smooth paper path: The manual feed slot as well as the rear paper exit features a straight-through paper movement so that your printed material never gets stuck in the way. So, you get clear and crisp documents, every single time.
• 24/7 Support:Get free online, phone or live chat support from Brother on troubleshooting problems for your printer, throughout the life of the product. It also comes with a one year warranty.

Why buy the Brother HL-L2300D Printer?

The Brother HL-L2300D monochrome laser printer is compact enough to fit on your desk and has the only major limitation of offering connectivity solely through USB. This is a perfect choice for casual use, home-based business, or small scale businesses that involves a lot of document printing. The 250-sheet tray, one-sheet manual feed, and built-in duplex printing is perfect even for heavy duty printing needs. If you do not have a problem with the lack of wireless connectivity and don’t need color prints, this is an excellent printer that offers a good combination of speed, paper handling, excellent print quality, higher toner life, and compact size, all packed in one.

Pros

"Low running costs"  Pcmag

"Automatic double-sided printing " TechRadar

"Affordable" TechRadar

Cons

"No wireless connectivity – only USB" Pcmag

"No printing from mobile" Pcmag

The Brother HL-L2300D is small, compact, and cheap and offers quick and double-sided printing. Anybody looking for an affordable mono laser printer will find this good value for money. It comes with TN 2330 and 2350 cartridges and toner save mode for maximum value.