# Brother laser printer 56 Hacker News commenters recommended Brother laser printer and 21 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 12 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 10 years (17 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Recommended for low running costs, long life with little maintenance, and good Linux support. Some users struggle with Wi-Fi setup and with drivers on newer systems. ## Why people recommend it - Low running costs, accessible toner (6 comments): "cheap indestructible monochrome Brother laser printer. I only print a few pages per month these days" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48659396)) "It didn't cost much, has never needed maintenance, and the toner lasts a long time." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49987388)) "Brother is awesome because of how accessible the hardware and toner ecosystem is" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50290402)) - Lasts years with little maintenance (5 comments): "I've had my Brother laser printer for 10 years, and I've only changed the toner once" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48805020)) "It didn't cost much, has never needed maintenance, and the toner lasts a long time." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49987388)) "has run for about 10 years without any hitches or even basic maintenance" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50290081)) - Works well with Linux and CUPS (4 comments): "I have had good experiences with Brother laserjet printers and CUPS over wifi with my Linux laptops." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48272982)) "connecting a new Brother printer was the most painless thing I've ever done on Linux" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45987076)) "it's Linux / CUPS compatible and without a broken proprietary rasterizer" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46567167)) - Dependable, no-nonsense hardware (5 comments): "they seem to be the only brand that's not actively trying to screw their customers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48801726)) "Prints fast like a champ. It's one of the most no-BS devices I've ever owned." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50001723)) "Brother was the least broken despite still not being perfect." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46567358)) ## What people warn about - Wi-Fi and network setup problems (3 comments): "I could never get AirPrint to reliably work until I switched over to using Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46568408)) "Try entering a long wifi-password via the 1-line lcd and 2 buttons on the printer, what a nightmare." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47547173)) "it seemed like it wanted me to enter the wifi password with a d-pad" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47010997)) - Vendor restrictions on cartridges and access (4 comments): "Didn't Brother start pulling this same stuff? I recall hearing something along those lines and blocking mine from talking to the Internet." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47379203)) "I just block its LAN access to prevent the manufacturer from acting like HP" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47228233)) "often ships their printers with the USB port hidden behind a sticker" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48438141)) - Driver problems on newer systems (3 comments): "I upgraded the printer driver some months ago (on macOS) and Hey, Presto! No more functioning printer." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46224131)) "my current Brother laser doesn't have drivers that Windows will allow to be installed anymore" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45798194)) "Their Linux driver is a mess of perl+binary blobs with a completely bizarre architecture" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49411421)) - Picture printing quality lags (2 comments): "lacks the photo printing quality that the Canon had" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50290515)) "the Brother I bought has inferior picture printing quality" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48120377)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [OpenPrinter](https://hackerapproved.com/p/openprinter.md): 14 recommend - [HP LaserJet](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hp-laserjet.md): 10 recommend - [Epson EcoTank printer](https://hackerapproved.com/p/epson-ecotank-printer.md): 10 recommend - [Brother inkjet printer](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brother-inkjet-printer.md): 6 recommend ## Where to get it - [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Brother+black+and+white+laser+printer&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link) - [Official site](https://www.brother-usa.com/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Brother laser printer", https://hackerapproved.com/p/brother-laser-printer/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).