InkTax

Brother HL-L2460DW: the real cost per page

$4.33black /100pg
$160printer price
$51.96ink /year @100pp
Wi-Fi
Ethernet

58th of 97 printers by black-and-white cost per page

Brother HL-L2460DW: Cost Per Page And How It Stacks Up

The Brother HL-L2460DW is a print-only mono laser — no copy, no scan — that manages 36 ppm with auto-duplex and Wi-Fi, all for $160. Its black cost per page comes in at $4.33 per 100 pages, the figure that actually drives what this machine costs to run over its life.

HP's LaserJet M209d comes in at $159, almost matching the Brother's price, but it has no Wi-Fi and no Ethernet — a real limitation for anyone who wants to print without a cable. Its sibling, the LaserJet M209dw, adds both for $199 and runs at $4.37 per 100 pages, a notch above the Brother's $4.33.

HP's LaserJet MFP M234dw goes a step further, adding copy and scan for $239 while holding that same $4.37 per 100 pages. That premium buys a multifunction machine; the Brother stays print-only, cheaper up front and cheaper to run.

The TN830XL cartridge behind the Brother's black rate costs $98 for a rated 3,000 pages, and the running figure also folds in wear from the $158 drum, good for 15,000 pages before it needs replacing.

That $4.33 rate also turns up on three Brother siblings — the $120 HL-L2400D, the $120 HL-L2405W and the $220 HL-L2480DW, the last of which adds copy, scan and a touchscreen.

Among the 23 mono laser printers InkTax tracks, the Brother ties for 7th on black cost per page, a mark shared by eight models. The running-cost floor in that class belongs to the HP LaserJet Pro 4006dw, at $2.23 per 100 pages, though its $400 price and touchscreen put it in a different tier.

Black cartridges

CartridgeSKUPrice ISO yield/100pg
black cheapest TN830XL $98.29 street 3,000 pages $3.28
black TN830 $60.99 street 1,200 pages $5.08
drum DR830 $157.99 street 15,000 pages $1.05

specs: brother-usa.com