Hands-On Test Report, Photos, and Video: Another Outstanding A3 All-in-One from Brother, the INKvestment MFC-J5920dw

Cost per Page and Total Cost of Ownership

At 1.0¢ and 4.4¢ respectively with the XXL ink cartridges, black and color Cost per Page (CPP) is lower than that of any toner-based or non CISS-equipped desktop printer that we’ve ever tested. At virtually all monthly print volumes, black and color supply costs, as well as Total Cost of Ownership, are very low, making the MFC-J5920dw more economical to operate than a vast majority of ink- and toner-based printers, MFPs and All-in-Ones. Additionally, maximum energy consumption at 31 watts is a fraction of that of toner-based color printers and All-in-Ones, which consume upwards of 350 watts during operation.

Recommendations

The Brother MFC-J5920dw is one of the handful of inkjet All-in-Ones that can print on A3/11″x17″ media, and like its larger MFC-J6925dw sibling, it’s suitable to serve as the only All-in-One in homes or offices that need A3/11″x17″ duplex printing, but don’t  require A3/11″x17″ scanning and copying.

In testing, we found that it also has innovative features and innovative design. For example, it features ten (10) local user accounts that administrators can use to limit users’ access to functions (such as color printing and access to media/USB ports), and administrators can also set print quotas for users. However, as is the case with every printer, MFP, and All-in-One that we’ve tested, it’s not perfect – it’s dye-based CYM inks yielded to exposure to water, resulting in smudging – but fortunately its pigment-based black ink didn’t smudge, making the printer usable for shipping-address and envelope-printing applications.

Don’t be put off by the $299.99 purchase price that is considerably more than that of its closest competitor, as the MFC-J5920dw’s Cost per ISO Page is less that half that of said competitor. This means that the premium that you pay up front will be recouped as quickly as you print – however, your print volume must be large enough to recoup the higher price tab. In summary, this All-in-One is more than suitable as the only printer/All-in-One for use in any home, office or micro-workgroup in companies that don’t require network-user authentication or A3/11″x17″ scan and copy.

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