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Brother HL-5140 Laser Printer

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At a Glance
Prints text and simple graphics
Interfaces with Apple computers
Windows compatible

Performance
Print quality: text/graphics	Very good/Good
Speed	Very good
Rated speeds	21 pages per minute
Tested speeds	12.8 ppm text; 7.9 ppm graphics
Ease of use	Good
Features	Very good
Maximum resolution	2400-by-600-dpi monochrome
Maximum paper size	Legal
Standard input capacity	250 pages input, two trays
Paper feed options	Straight-through paper path, manual feed slot
RAM: Standard/Maximum (MB)	16/144
Interfaces	Parallel and USB 2.0; optional ethernet
Drivers included	Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000 Pro, Windows XP, Macintosh
Supplies included in the box	Black toner
Size (width/depth/height) and weight	15.0 by 15.1 by 9.9 inches; 23 pounds
Support policy score	Good
Support policies	One-year warranty, 10.5-hour weekday toll-free tech support

What You Should Know about the HL-5140 Laser Printer

Monochrome Laser Printers Offer Reliability, Value, Variety to Business Users

A monochrome laser printer such as this one is a business basic. While color inkjet and color laser printers involve more complexity and invite higher print costs, monochrome laser printers are reliable, their toner is cheap, and they come in any size, speed, or price range you'd like. Plain-text printing is its forte; it can't manage anything beyond extremely simple graphics.

A monochrome laser prints by using a laser and rotating mirrors to beam an image indirectly onto a photoconducting drum; attracting toner to that image; and then melting the toner at high temperature to transfer the image to paper.

Reviewed by: Jonestoday

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: none

Weaknesses: breaks down

Overall Evaluation: This printer worked fine for one toner cartridge, then it died. The feed mechanism sounds like a garbage truck. It's a disposable printer, use for one toner cartridge then throw away.
Reviewed by: sdkid

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Fast, Cheap, Efficient

Weaknesses: Cost of replacement parts. The main drum (rated for 20,000 pages) costs almost as much as a new printer on sale---I bet they don't sell many drums.

Overall Evaluation: This will be a short and sweet review, mostly because this is an awesome little printer. I purchased a 5040 (the previous model) for my home use almost 3 years ago. Because of the excellent performance of that unit, I purchased 25 (yes--25) of the 5140 printers to use in classrooms at a middle school. That was almost 2 years ago now, and we have not had ONE single failure of any 5140 printer. That is pretty impressive considering the usage endured by these machines in some of these classes. Additionally, I NEVER have problems with drivers (unlike the HP inkjets these replaced) causing errors. These printers JUST work, and I can say that not from the experience of ONE printer for several months, but from installing and maintaining 25 of these printers. I rarely even get reports of paper jams from teachers. Purchasing these is a no-brainer. Just Buy it!