Review: Brother Business Color Laser Printer, HL-L8360CDW – Delivers swift printing speed and high-quality outputs

Explore the robust features and impressive speed of the Brother HL l 8360 CDW Printer... Read more

Specifications

Brand	Brother
Connectivity Technology	Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet
Printing Technology	Laser
Special Feature	Touchscreen, Direct print from Cloud Services, NFC, super high-yield replacement cartridges, USB Host for printing from your USB flash memory drive
Color	White
Model Name	HLL8360CDW
Printer Output	Color
Maximum Print Speed (Color)	33 ppm
Max Printspeed Monochrome	33 ppm
Operating System	Linux, Windows, Mac

Introduction

As a tech enthusiast who’s constantly staying in tune with the latest developments in the industry, I’ve noticed a particular product that’s been making some noise – the latest printer from Brother. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “A printer? Isn’t that a bit… outdated?” You might be surprised. Although our obsession with digital ostensibly stretches further every day, the humble printer still holds an essential place, especially within the realm of small, medium, and large businesses.

People may not be printing out their holiday snaps from their smartphones much, but when it comes to business activities, a good printer is just as important as it ever was. This is what drew my attention to Brother’s new model. So, like any curious tech-head, I thought to myself, “Does this new model justify the good old printer’s place in our modern technological landscape?” That’s exactly what I set out to find out. Let’s delve right in, shall we?

Welcoming Readers and Overview of Printer Review

Firstly, let me offer you a warm welcome to this review piece. Browsing through these lines, you can expect a thorough examination and dissection of Brother’s new model printer. Here, every feature will be put to the test, be it speed, interface, print quality, or even the little things like cartridge efficiency and paper handling. And with my detailed, unbiased approach, we’ll be able to see if the company’s innovative features are driving the printer industry forward.

Importance of Printers in Today’s Digital Age

The digital age, while robust in its potpourri of technological advancements, still emphasizes the need for traditional resources, like a reliable printer. However, we need to ask ourselves: “What makes a printer good in this day and age?” Impressively fast print speed? The ability to print wirelessly? Or perhaps a combination of several factors? Let’s not forget the unchanging requirements – high-quality printing, ease of use, and robustness. So, whether you’re sitting in a bustling office or cozy at home, join me as we turn a critical eye to Brother’s latest printer in this in-depth review and see whether it makes the cut.

Features of Brother HL l 8360 CDW Printer

• Full-color laser printer that prints 31 pages per minute
• Supports USB, wireless and gigabit wired networking
• Offers mobile printing through iPrint&Scan, Google Cloud Print, and Apple AirPrint

Step into the world of high-efficiency printing with the new Brother HL l 8360 CDW – a powerhouse that keenly adapts to the demands of modern businesses. Break the boundaries of mere functionality and step into multi-purpose usage – this printer is more than just a basic office tool.

Detailed Specifications and Initial Impressions

At first glance, the Brother HL l 8360 CDW stands out with its sleek design and compact form. Looks don’t just serve this printer, though, as its robust build indicates durability. Going beyond mere aesthetics, what makes this printer genuinely commendable are its advanced features.

The HL l 8360 CDW is a full-color laser printer that spurs out an impressive output, boasting an ability to print up to 31 pages per minute in color or mono. The highlight, an centimeter color LCD touch-screen , exudes convenience for easy navigation.

Examining Printer’s Interface and Functionality

The device also guarantees a hassle-free paper loading experience with a solid 300 sheet standard paper input feature. And let’s not forget about connectivity, the printer supports USB, wireless and gigabit wired networking, making it a breeze to connect and print.

Highlighting Wireless and Mobile Printing Facilities

One of the standout features that makes this printer a versatile choice is its support for mobile printing solutions like iPrint&Scan , Google Cloud Print , and Apple AirPrint . Whether you’re printing from a laptop or a smartphone, the Brother HL l 8360 CDW has got you covered.

From its strategic design to its adaptive features, this printer doesn’t just profess efficiency – it demonstrates it. As we delve deeper into its features and put them to the test, it’ll be interesting to see how it stands up to its claims. A compelling printer, indeed!

In-depth Analysis of Printer Setup

• Printer features impressive yields on toner cartridges
• Tray’s expandability enhances media management
• Convenient paper type configurability through software

The process of setting up the Brother HL l 8360 CDW Printer was pretty straightforward. This part of my experience focuses on not just the printer’s setup, but also some intricate features that come with it. I found much value in understanding the details of printer components, like the toner cartridges and the accommodating tray.

The Toner Cartridges and Their Yield

What first grabs my attention is that the printer is already equipped with toner cartridges right out of the box. The yield on the black cartridge is impressive at 3,000 , while the color cartridges (cyan, magenta, and yellow) offer a less but still noteworthy 1,800 yield. When you require to replace the toner cartridges, Brother offers a choice between selecting standard or high yield cartridges, which adds an appreciative feature offering greater flexibility depending on individual usage needs.

Overview of Printer Tray and Its Expandability

Your luxurious experience with a printer is incomplete without getting your hands on the tray’s sweet slide. Anyway, jokes apart, the ease with which the paper tray at the bottom slides out left me quite pleased. It’s simple and hassle-free, which makes for a hassle-free printing experience. But the unique selling point, in my opinion, is the tray’s expandability. With the option to significantly expand the system by adding additional paper trays, this printer becomes very handy for managing different media types. Each tray can house a unique media type, which creates a hub of flexibility for your varied printing needs.

The Convenience of Paper Type Configurability

The convenience demonstrated by the printer extends beyond its physical aspects, entering the realm of software as well. The inbuilt menu system is easy to navigate and well-designed, allowing you to specify exactly what type of paper and media you’ve loaded in each tray. This feature becomes a major pro for users who deal with various media and paper types.

To put it in a nutshell, the setup phase is a breeze with Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer. The thought that went into designing this product is quite evident in the user-friendly features and flexibility it offers right from the setup stage. From handling the toner cartridges to working with different trays for different needs, the printer genuinely impresses.

Testing the Printer

• Printer delivers claimed speed with slight dips
• Photo printing good but not equivalent to dedicated photo printer
• Some settings may need personalization for optimal results

Now that we’ve grasped the ins and outs of the Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer, let’s dive straight into the actual testing phase. This part is vital to understand how the printer performs beyond in-paper specifications and its real-world functionality.

Speed Test on Multi-Page Document Printing

Starting with speed testing, I printed out a multi-page document to gauge the printer’s claim of delivering up to 31 pages per minute. While assessing, it was crucial to remain impartial and identify not just the pros but the cons too.

Results? Impressive! The printer was steadfast in delivering the initially claimed speed. However, for a fair review, it’s worth noting that as the pages start accumulating, there might be a slight dip in speed, understandably due to continuous usage. So, if you’re in for a printing marathon, be prepared for minimal fluctuation in speed.

Evaluating Photo Print Quality

Note: The Brother HL l 8360 CDW is a document printer, and though it’s not specifically designed for photo printing, it does offer this functionality. So, it’s only fair to test this too!

• Test 1: Using standard 80gsm paper, I printed different photos – with differing color variants and contrast levels. Were the results equivalent to a dedicated photo printer? No, and they shouldn’t be. However, the outcome was highly acceptable, with good color representation and a fair amount of detail.
• Test 2: Venturing into a bit of “funky business” as I tried printing a more vivacious image with bold colors and deep contrasts. Without doubt, the printer outperformed my expectations here. The level of detail and color rendering was commendable, considering it isn’t purpose-built to be a photo printer.

In summary, the Brother HL l 8360 CDW’s printing quality and speed got high scores on my list. Whereas, the printer’s ability to print photos was surprisingly satisfying. However, to give a balanced overview, it is essential to state that you may need to tweak some settings according to your personalized preferences or job requirements for optimal results.

Live Q&A Session

• Live Q&A session provided insights on Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer
• Users interested in wireless, mobile and photo printing capabilities
• Feedback plays a critical role in understanding user needs

In an endeavor to deliver a thorough, honest, and insightful review, I participated in a live Q&A session. The goal of this interactive session was to answer queries about the Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer, based on my hands-on experience with it.

Navigating Live Chat Questions and Feedback

The live chat was buzzing with questions, comments, and suggestions. The participants expressed a keen interest in the wireless printing capabilities, toner yield, and particularly, the ability for mobile printing. In response, I shared my own experiences such as the ease of setting up the printer for mobile printing and the impressive yield of the toner cartridges.

There was a notable concern regarding the printer’s photo printing abilities. While reiterating that this particular model is not specialized for photo printing, I exhibited a few photo prints during the live discussion to show its impressive performance considering it is designed primarily for document printing.

Encouraging Readers to Engage via Comments Section

Direct interaction with the users plays a pivotal role in understanding their needs and concerns. To facilitate this, I encouraged users who were unable to join the live session to put their thoughts, queries, and observations in the comments section. By keeping the conversation going and listening to user experiences, we can develop a comprehensive understanding of the printer that isn’t limited to a single perspective.

Engagement is crucial, and an open-ended review elicits broader insights. So, whether you’re a prospective buyer with queries or a current user with valuable experiences to share, please know that your opinions matter greatly and contribute significantly to this review process.

Printer Performance Review

• Brother HL l 8360 CDW provides remarkable print quality
• Impressive printing speed of 31 pages per minute
• Produces great detail in text and photo prints

In this portion of the review, we put the Brother HL l 8360 CDW to the ultimate test to evaluate its performance. From printing speed to output quality, we’ve delved deep into how the printer measures up.

Analyzing Business Document and Photo Print Quality

Our first task was to print a set of standard business documents. These contained a mix of different font weights, sizes and included a few images as well. To our delight, the printer excelled in this task. The prints were crisp, clean and the distinction between different font weights was remarkably clear.

Moreover, the printer aced the photo print test as well. However, it was reiterated that photo printing isn’t the primary function of this printer. Despite this slight deviation from its design, the photo prints were solid, with vivid colors and fine details.

Discussing Details and Variants in Print Output

A significant take-away from our tests was the impressive level of detail produced by the printer, specifically throughout the text and on the photos. The ink distribution was uniform, leading to clear, smooth prints and the color reproduction was spot on.

Note:

It’s worth mentioning the type of paper used during testing could affect the final outcome. We used standard 80-gram paper. However, using a higher quality paper could potentially increase the quality of the final print.

Understanding Print Speed and Efficiency

Well, when it comes to speed, this printer proudly stands amongst the best such as offering a blazing speed of up to 31 pages per minute, which we can vouch for based on our tests. Therefore, in a demanding business environment, you won’t be left waiting long for your prints.

Final Thoughts in this section:

Impressive print speed coupled with remarkable print quality establishes the Brother HL l 8360 CDW as a standout printer. From a performance standpoint, it holds it’s ground firmly, providing excellent text and image detail and a user-friendly interface for easy navigation.

Flexibility and Usability of the Printer

• Printer provides flexibility with multiple paper tray configurations
• User-friendly touchscreen navigation with clear, large icons
• Diverse connectivity options including wireless and USB

The most noticeable and impressive aspect of this printer is the flexibility it provides. The inclusion of multiple paper tray configurations speaks volumes about the printer’s adaptability.

Pros of Multiple Paper Tray Configurability

Starting with multiple paper tray configurability , I found that it significantly enhances flexibility in a dynamic business environment. For example, having a separate tray for different kinds of paper adds convenience. You can load one tray with standard 80 gram paper, another one with higher quality 100 gram paper, or even have one pre-loaded with pre-printed forms or laser labels. This would be an indispensable feature for small to medium-sized business settings or anyone working in a document-heavy environment.

Evaluating Touchscreen Navigation and Connectivity Options

Next, the touchscreen was very easy to navigate with clear, large icons. I found the settings quite easy to alter, making it a breeze to switch from wired to wireless configurations or change paper settings. Adjusting the angle of the screen was also a vital feature that helped avoid reflections or direct light, optimizing usability.

Moving toward connectivity , having options like wired Gigabit Ethernet and Wireless were definitely advantageous. The printer also supports multiple mobile printing methods including Google Cloud Print and Apple Air Print, providing the ability to print from a smartphone or tablet and accommodating today’s modern, multi-device workflows.

Furthermore, there’s a USB port at the front, making it possible to print directly from a USB stick, another flexible feature that I highly appreciated.

On the critical side, while the printer offers high flexibility, novice users might face a steep learning curve in figuring out how to properly utilize and configure the multiple trays and connectivity options. But once mastered, these features would definitely accelerate productivity while maximizing convenience.

In conclusion, this printer’s flexibility and usability are top-notch, suitable for a wide range of users and work environments. Its multiple paper trays, touchscreen navigation, and diverse connectivity options underscore a focus on user experience and productivity.

Final Verdict and Pricing Info

Having discussed the numerous features, specifications, and capabilities of Brother HL l 8360 CDW in detail, it’s time to delve into the final verdict and actual value of this printer.

The Final Verdict

Essentially, my experience with this printer has been rather satisfying. The ease of use, the navigating options offered by the touchscreen, and a wide range of printing capabilities convinced me of its potential. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that perfect versatility is a tough game in the world of printers. While the Brother HL l 8360 CDW brilliantly handles business documents and presentations, it is not, understandably, a specialized photo printer. Subsequently, if your requirements principally include high-quality photo prints, you might want to consider a dedicated photo printer. Conversely, if you are seeking a resilient and efficient printer capable of handling diverse printing needs, this model is certainly worth considering.

Pricing and Value

When it comes to the pricing details, the cost of the Brother HL l 8360 CDW comes across as competitive, a pleasant surprise considering its ample offerings. It might be beneficial to compare prices from different retailers to score a deal that best fits your budget.

Note: It is always beneficial to factor in the costs associated with the maintenance and replacement of the cartridges. The yield on the black cartridge is estimated at 3,000 prints while cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges are expected to yield about 1,800 prints each. Depending on your printing needs, this should be evaluated while considering the overall value of the printer.

Product Sponsor Acknowledgement and Invitation

Lastly, I would like to convey my appreciation for having the opportunity to review the Brother HL l 8360 CDW. My sincere thanks to the product sponsor for providing this printer to review. I hope the review has addressed all your queries and served its purpose of creating an understanding of its offerings. As always, it’s crucial to evaluate your unique requirements before making a purchase decision.

I look forward to sharing more product insights and reviews in the future, guiding you through each aspect, helping you make informed purchasing decisions. Stay tuned!

Should you buy the Brother Business Color Laser Printer, HL-L8360CDW?

Buy it if…

You require high-speed printing

With a remarkable speed of up to 31 pages per minute, this printer is perfect for businesses needing high volume printing.

You need varied media printing options

The printer offers significant flexibility with its multiple paper tray configurability, facilitating different media types.

You value connectivity and ease of use

The printer’s user-friendly touchscreen, and convenient wireless printing options, including USB, iPrint, Google Cloud Print, and Apple Air Print, enhance the overall user experience.

Don’t buy it if…

You primarily need a photo printer

Although this printer can handle photo printing, it is primarily designed for document printing, and might not be the best option if your main requirement is high-quality photo prints.

You’re a single user or a small team

While the Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer performs brilliantly in an office scenario with its modifiable trays and settings, it might be an overkill for a single user or a smaller team.

You’re on a strict budget

While the price is competitive for its features and performance, it might not be the best choice for those on a tight budget, particularly those who don’t require high volume or varied media printing.

FAQ

What is the maximum page printing speed of the Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer?

The printer can print up to 31 pages per minute in color or mono.

What are the significant features of the Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer?

It is a full-color laser printer with a 6.8 cm color LCD touchscreen. It has a 300 sheet standard paper input, USB, wireless, and Gigabit wired networking. Also, it supports I print and scan, Google Cloud Print, and Apple air print.

What type of cartridges Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer use and what is their yield?

The printer uses toner cartridges that are supplied inside the box, 3,000 yield on the black toner cartridge, and 1,800 on the cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridges.

Is Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer suitable for printing photos?

While it isn’t a dedicated photo printer, it does a really good job of printing out photos, providing good color renditions and detail.

Can Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer handle different paper weights and qualities?

Yes, the printer is very flexible and can handle different types of media and paper, from standard 80 gm to higher quality 100 gm paper.

Is Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer easy to use?

Yes, it’s user-friendly, with a touchscreen interface for easy navigation and configuration.

What type of connectivity does the Brother HL l 8360 CDW printer support?

The printer supports wired Gigabit Ethernet and Wireless connectivity. Additionally, you can also print from a USB stick.

Can we update the printer with additional paper trays?

Yes, you can add additional paper trays to the printer and have different media types in each tray.