🖨️ Review: The Brother Work Smart MFC-J1360DW Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer
The modern home office demands a printer that is not just a workhorse but a smart, streamlined companion. The Brother Work Smart MFC-J1360DW Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer aims to be just that, packing print, copy, scan, and even fax functionality into a relatively compact machine. Coupled with its advanced features like automatic duplex printing, cloud connectivity, and the enticing offer of a Refresh Subscription Trial, the MFC-J1360DW positions itself as a strong contender for individuals and small home offices.
This in-depth review explores the printer's design, performance, feature set, and the value proposition of its integrated ink service.
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| Review: The Brother Work Smart MFC-J1360DW Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer |
Design and User Experience
The MFC-J1360DW adheres to a practical, space-saving design typical of Brother's Work Smart series. Its footprint is modest (approximately 15.4" W x 7.2" H x 13.5" D), making it easy to fit onto a desk or shelf.
Key Interface: The 1.8” Color Display
The primary control panel features a 1.8” Color Display. While it is not a modern touchscreen, the presence of a color screen and surrounding navigation buttons provides clear menu navigation for setup, copying, and accessing cloud services. Users generally find the initial setup, particularly with the help of the Brother Mobile Connect app, to be quick and straightforward. The app extends the printer’s capabilities, allowing for printing, scanning, and device management directly from a mobile device.
Paper Handling for Productivity
For a printer in this category, the paper handling features are robust.
150-Sheet Paper Tray: A decent capacity that minimizes frequent refills for a home office environment.
20-Sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF): This is a significant productivity booster, allowing users to scan or copy multi-page documents without manually feeding each sheet. Note that the ADF supports single-sided scanning.
Automatic Duplex Printing: A crucial feature for saving paper and giving documents a professional look, the MFC-J1360DW supports automatic two-sided (duplex) printing up to Letter size.
Performance: Speed and Quality
As an inkjet printer, the MFC-J1360DW strikes a good balance between speed and quality for everyday tasks.
Print Speed
The printer offers competitive speeds for its class:
Black: Up to 16 pages per minute (ppm)
Color: Up to 9 pages per minute (ppm)
While not a blistering pace, these speeds are more than adequate for moderate home and home office printing volumes, making quick work of reports and daily documents.
Print and Scan Quality
Brother inkjet technology is designed to deliver crisp, reliable results:
Document Quality: Text documents are produced with bold, rich blacks and sharp clarity, suitable for business reports and school work.
Color Quality: Color prints are vibrant, making it capable of handling presentations, charts, and casual photos. Maximum print resolution is up to 1200 x 6000 dpi (Windows), ensuring fine detail.
Scanning: The flatbed scanner and ADF both offer high-resolution capabilities (1200 x 2400 dpi optical for the flatbed), essential for archiving important documents and photos.
Connectivity and Smart Features
The "Smart" in "Work Smart" is evident in the MFC-J1360DW's extensive connectivity options.
Wireless Connectivity: Supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, the printer integrates seamlessly into most modern home networks. It also supports Wi-Fi Direct, allowing direct connection from a mobile device without a router.
Mobile and Cloud Integration: The printer is compatible with Apple AirPrint® and Mopria™, ensuring easy mobile printing. A key differentiator is its Cloud App Connections, which allow direct printing from and scanning to popular services like Google Drive™, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive via the 1.8” display. This significantly improves workflow by bypassing the need for a PC intermediary.
Page Gauge: A valuable software feature, the Page Gauge helps users monitor ink usage directly, reducing the anxiety of unexpectedly running out of ink mid-project.
The Brother Refresh Subscription & LC501 Series Inks
A notable component of this model is its eligibility for the Brother Refresh Subscription Trial. This ink subscription service is designed to automate the ink ordering process, potentially offering built-in savings.
Ink System and Cartridges (LC501 Series)
The printer uses four individual Brother Genuine LC501 Series Ink Cartridges (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow). This individual cartridge system is economically advantageous, as users only replace the color that runs out.
Standard Yield (LC501): Black yields up to approximately 250 pages; color cartridges yield up to 200 pages each.
High Yield (LC501XL): High-yield options are available, offering a significantly higher page count (e.g., up to 500 pages for black), which is typically more cost-effective for frequent printing.
Refresh Subscription Trial
The inclusion of a trial for the Refresh Subscription is a major selling point. The service monitors ink levels and automatically ships replacement Brother Genuine Ink cartridges before the user runs out.
The Value: For busy users who dread running to the store for ink, this hands-off approach ensures uninterrupted printing. While the long-term cost depends on the chosen subscription plan (based on pages per month), the trial allows customers to test the convenience and calculate if the service provides a net saving for their specific printing volume.
The Verdict
The Brother Work Smart MFC-J1360DW is a feature-rich, versatile, and well-designed all-in-one printer ideal for students, families, and professionals working from home.
Pros:
Automatic Duplex Printing: Saves paper and time on two-sided jobs.
20-Sheet ADF: Greatly streamlines copying and scanning of multi-page documents.
Excellent Connectivity: Strong Wi-Fi (2.4/5GHz), mobile app support, and direct Cloud integration enhance flexibility.
Page Gauge: Reduces ink-related surprises with a clear usage monitor.
Individual Ink Cartridges (LC501): Better value as you only replace the color that is empty.
Refresh Subscription Trial: Offers the potential for hassle-free, automatic ink delivery.
Cons:
Non-Touchscreen Display: The 1.8” screen requires button navigation, which can feel dated compared to competitors with full touchscreens.
Single-Pass ADF: The ADF only scans one side, requiring manual flipping for two-sided documents (though it prints two-sided automatically).
Ink Cost (Without Subscription): Like many inkjet models, the cost of replacement genuine LC501 cartridges can be substantial if not using the high-yield options or the Refresh subscription.
Overall, the Brother MFC-J1360DW successfully lives up to its "Work Smart" moniker. It’s a reliable multifunction machine that prioritizes productivity features like the ADF and auto-duplexing, making it a compelling choice for anyone seeking a comprehensive and smartly connected printer for their home or small office.