For years, the printer industry has operated on a simple, cynical truth: sell the hardware cheap, make a fortune on the consumables. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the battle between inkjet and laser printers. But when it comes to Brother, a brand often lauded for its value and reliability, the choice isn’t always clear-cut. Is their laser technology truly the budget champion, or do their innovative INKvestment Tank inkjets offer a compelling alternative? We dug into the numbers, analyzing real-world costs to uncover the truth.
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The Printer Purchase: Initial Investment vs. Hidden Costs
The first price tag you see on a printer is rarely the whole story. It’s the bait, designed to draw you in. Generally, inkjet printers, particularly basic models, carry a lower upfront cost than their laser counterparts. This has been a cornerstone of the industry’s profitability model for decades: lure customers with an affordable device, then lock them into expensive proprietary consumables.
Brother offers a range of entry-level inkjet printers that fit this mold. A compact model like the Brother MFC-J1205W, an all-in-one for casual home use, can often be found for under $150. Its laser equivalent, even a monochrome-only model like the Brother HL-L2370DW (a popular choice for home offices), typically starts above $150 and often closer to $200. If you’re looking at color laser, the initial investment jumps significantly, with models like the Brother HL-L3270CDW often retailing for $300 or more.
The perception, then, is that inkjet is cheaper. And on day one, it often is. But this initial saving can quickly evaporate when you factor in what printers actually do: print pages. This is where the true cost of ownership begins to manifest, and where the lines between laser and inkjet become blurred, especially with Brother’s specific innovations.
The Consumables Conundrum: Ink vs. Toner, Cartridge by Cartridge
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This is the battleground where most consumers feel the pinch. Ink cartridges, with their often meager yields and eye-watering prices, are the primary driver of printer manufacturers’ profits. Toner cartridges for laser printers generally offer a better cost-per-page, but they aren’t without their own complexities.
At InkLedger, our methodology for assessing consumable costs is rigorous. Every cartridge tested is purchased at retail across three sellers; we never accept manufacturer samples from OEM or third-party brands. Each cartridge then prints a 200-page real-document workload (mixed text, photo, color) before we calculate the cost per page. Retailer pricing is re-checked every Monday for at least 90 days post-publish
