Customer Reviews
Great functionality for the value; budget some time for the instructions
I must say that I'm quite pleased with this multifunction machine, which I bought when my ancient, single-function inkjet finally threw in the towel recently. I read reviews of about 50 multifunction machines in the major PC mags and sites before settling on this one. I wanted all four features (copy, scan, print, fax) in a reliable machine for the lowest price, and this was the professionals' consensus. I have the factory-remanufactured version, also available from Amazon for over $100 less -- those are just fine, and after the rebate, the price is irresistible.
On major benefit of this model is the flatbed, which allows you to copy and scan anything, not just standard letter- or legal-sized pages (in other words, only things that will go through a document feeder). The laser printer is sharp and fast; I've had no jams. Remember to "fan" new reams of paper as a standard practice; static electricity is the most common, and avoidable, cause of paper jams. The copy/fax quality i fine. Some people say that the scanning is a little weak, but unless you need truly professional-quality graphics, it's quite adequate for casual use.
I've knocked off 3/4 of a star for the setup. Actually, it's not that bad, but you are going to need to actually read certain portions of the full manual; you probably won't get away with just the Quick Setup Guide. Setting up the fax to work with a connected answering machine was, honestly, moderately complex. I had to read that *entire* section in the manual (BTW, you'll find what you need on pages 1-13 to 1-22). Once I read it, though, it did tell me exactly what I needed to know, and exactly what I needed to change about my setup. You *MUST* connect the answering machine to the MFC-8440; you can't connect it to another phone jack somewhere else in your house. Also, you'll probably need to decrease the number of rings on your phone, and you may need to include a 3-5 second pause at the beginning of your outgoing message.
It's worth your time to look up whatever you're trying to do in the manual, rather than just guessing. Try to resist the initial reaction of that being a "bad thing" -- a (good) manual actually benefits you. For example, there are quite a few optional settings that I find very beneficial and convenient, but you might never notice them if you don't actually take the 10 minutes to really *read* Chapter 4. I'm a technical writer and very critical of documentation, and I have to admit that this manual is very clearly written, and rather well done overall.
For the sake of honesty, I must also tell you that Brother MFCs do sometimes take a bit more than their fair share of power (on startup only); I've docked them the last quarter-star for that. As I expected from reading reviews, my bedroom lights *do* flicker very briefly when a print job first starts up. Although it only lasts a half-second, it can be a little weird.
A few last tips: Do turn on the sleep mode to conserve energy and preserve the life of the scanner lamp. Do visit the Brother website immediately after setup, and periodically thereafter, for driver updates. And finally...how it hurts my penny-pinching heart to say this...buy original Brother toner cartridges. Factory-remanufactured is probably okay, but definitely no refilled ones. I have just read *too* many reviews that talk about the accidents that can happen with those. Even a small leak of toner inside the machine can ruin it. And although (new) "compatible" cartridges might not leak, pray that nothing ever goes wrong, because using them voids your warranty. If you do some smart comparison shopping, buying new, original cartridges isn't too bad, especially if it extends the life of a major piece of equipment like this. Like so many other things these days -- like books and music -- you'll pay way too much if you buy them in a retail store. Look for online sales, and check Amazon Marketplace or many of the other auction sites.
I use this machine on a wireless home network including one Windows ME HP desktop (I know, yuck; I'll replace it when the hard drive dies) and one good Windows XP Compaq laptop. I have no trouble printing from either, and I have no interference on my phone; I have only one DSL line in the entire house. I'm sure this machine could support a home business, and probably a very small office; it is a glorious luxury for regular home use, which is my lot. Overall, I'm delighted with my EMFC-8440 and feel good about the purchase. I would definitely recommend it to you.
Disappointed
It's a good machine for what is does, however, it does not count the pages it scans in to be faxed so you have to wait until after the fax has gone through and check the confirmation page to determine if all pages were scanned and sent. Also, it does not have the capability to print out a confirmation page for each incoming fax so unless the sender puts the number of pages on a cover sheet, you have no way of determining whether you received the entire transmission.
Too many surprises
I agree with others the Brother Technical Support is virtually nonexisting. My MFC8440 works great as a printer and dedicated fax. It does not work with TAD the same way as my previous MFC8300 (the best machine I ever had). This is the first great disappointment because setting does not allow change that. PC fax works properly as well. However, PC fax software can not be used by serious business user. It is very limited. Total disappointment is the scanner. Software can not find it. I tried all possible connections: direct printer port, direct USB, network. Tech support lady told me the only version equipped with optional Brother network card will allow me to use scanner. I did not buy it. Summarizing: you can get better product from other manufacturers.
