BROTHER MFC-7340 DRUM

Brother MFC-7340 Review

Overview:

With print, copy, scan, and fax abilities incorporated into a relatively affordable machine, the Brother MFC-7340 is a great all around unit that can provide a wide range of paper handling functionality without putting a huge dent in your wallet. The device includes a welcome 35 page automatic document feeder as well as a slew of fax options, making it user friendly as well as cost efficient.

Pros:

Multifunctionality is a cost effective way to incorporate many office appliances into a small office at one low price. The Brother MFC-7340 is an excellent example of this technology and, as a whole, is a very well rounded piece of hardware. The unit’s print resolution is commendable, topping out at 2400 x 600 dots per inch.

Connectability for the Brother MFC-7340 comes in the form of a sing USB port, as the unit is not network ready. While the device is suited only for a single host PC, this helps to keep the price of the printer down. That being said, it does include a robust 35 page built in automatic document feeder that could easily be suited for a much higher end unit.

With a built in ADF, users can load entire stacks of paper for faxing, copying, and scanning and the Brother MFC-7340 itself will process them automatically; allowing users to spend their valuable time elsewhere. The unit’s maximum monthly duty cycle of 10,000 pages, while conservative, is perfect for a single user or non-demanding office setup, though Brother does recommend a mere 250 to 2,000 pages of print per month for optimal performance and maximum lifespan of the unit.

The copy machine, while fairly stripped down, is capable of executing all the basic functions expected in a Brother machine, along with resizing options in ratios of 25% to 400%. As a scanner, the Brother MFC-7340, again, is not outstanding in any notable way, but gets the job done. Optical scans can be done at resolutions of 600 x 2400 dots per inch while interpolated scans can top out as high as 19,200 x 19,200 dots per inch.

Cons:

Unfortunately the Brother MFC-7340 prints at a top speed of only 21 pages per minute, placing it fairly low on the totem pole when it comes to raw performance. This device is great for covering all one’s paper handling bases, but is not suitable for offices with very high print volume demands due to its sluggish speed.

The device also lacks expandability options. For example, the unit cannot have its paper storage capacity improved with additional paper trays like almost all other multifunctional devices can. The standard paper storage capacity of 250 sheets, while acceptable, is not sufficient for certain work demands. Memory is locked at 16 MBs and there is no additional memory slot for added memory.

Lastly, the device’s 14.4 kbps fax modem is almost insulting. In a world of Super G3 fax speeds, this ancient fax technology will certainly leave users of the Brother MFC-7340 in the dust when it comes to fax transmission and reception.