Design flaw leads to excessive noise
Pros:
Fast, easy to use, feature-laden
Cons:
Design flaw produces excessive noise, Brother refuses to satisfactorily address
The Bottom Line:
Obvious design/manufacturing flaw leads to an unacceptable rattle observed in three separate machines; can not reasonably expected to provide reliable service in the long run
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Having previously purchased an MFC 8820 and and MFC 8840 I felt comfortable with adding this machine as the third unit for the office. As with the other two units setup and configuration was simple and straightforward and it took only a few minutes to have the machine up and running, serving up multiple computers across the network.
There is a minor issue with several machines only being able to pull three scan jobs from the machine before their WIA service needs to be restarted but this issue is still being researched to determine if it is a driver problem or something within Windows XP itself.
The major issue is a very loud and annoying rattle coming from within the mechanism just inside the rear access door. The noise is loudest when paper is being fed through the rollers, but when the machine is powered off and back on again the noise is still quite loud as it completes its self check. Pulling the drum/toner unit from the machine proves that the noise is coming from the mechanism of the printing paper path as opposed to the scan path or the drum.
The noise was evident when the first machine was taken out of the box. Brother's tech support was able to clearly hear the noise over the phone and immediately sent out a replacement unit. The replacement unit also exhibited the noise right out of the box and was likewise sent back for a replacement. The third unit was as quiet as the 8820 and 8840 units have always been for about three weeks and then the noise started up. This time, however, the tech support person and her manager indicate that Brother has reclassified the noise as "normal operation" for the machine and refuse to address the issue beyond telling me that I can take it to a local service center at my expense.
There has never been another printer - ANY other printer - that makes a noise like this as part of normal operation. I have used and repaired printers from HP, Canon, Xerox, Minolta, Brother, QMS, and several other brands and this is not a normal noise, is very loud and very annoying. Furthermore, it can be expected that there will be a part failure at some point. Not today, and probably not even next month, but at some point there -will- be a failure related to this noise.
That the identical noise has been observed in three separate machines from the exact same location - with one issue surfacing after a couple of weeks of use - is clear indication of a design and/or manufacturing defect. That Brother refuses to take responsibility is very disturbing. These units should be recalled or FRPs supplied depending on how difficult of a fix it is.
I can not recommend this model to anybody. It is best to stick with the 8840N instead.
