A compact machine that produces some nice images but has minor quality problems in other areas.

The MFC-8860DN is a jack of all trades and has a number of excellent features - above all it is capable of almost anything including printing, scanning, faxing and copying.

The MFC-7840W improves on its cheaper counterparts with the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity. However, the extra $100 compared to the MFC-7440N hardly seems justified. This multifunction makes a good printer, but its scanning quality isn't great.

The Brother MFC-7440N is a capable mono laser multifunction that suffers from several flaws which may impact on its use in offices. It costs $100 more than the MFC-7340, but the addition of the Ethernet port is a boon for productivity.

The MFC-7340 has a number of flaws and missing features that make it problematic for office use. No duplex, no Ethernet and an inadequate paper output tray are its key failures, but it delivers good quality printing and it is cost efficient.

Lots of office-oriented features, quick performance, and high-quality printing make the MFC-8840DN a great workhorse for busy offices.

The Brother MFC-5840CN is good value for a networked MFP, but slow speeds and middling print quality limit its usefulness in an office setting.

Small, inexpensive and well performing, the DCP110C is recommended if you are after a basic machine for very good quality document printing and adequate photo output. It also has a built-in memory card reader.

The focus of the Brother HL-2140 is clear, and as a good little text churner this laser packs the goods. Use it extensively and, in the long-term, you'll end up paying considerable amounts. But for the typical family, this is an excellent complement to a quality inkjet and thus an ideal way to arm your home with strong text to go along with great colour graphics.

The MFC-685CW is a burger with the lot, with wireless connectivity thrown in for good measure. Its print quality for documents is adequate, and its scanning capability is good, but it's not a good choice for photo prints.

At its price point we feel an LCD interface should have been a given. However, the Brother MFC-9440CN is a robust and durable machine that delivers quality output at good speeds.

The Brother DCP-350C gives slow but top-quality photo prints. Graphics are less impressive, but the Brother DCP-350C is a great scanner and provides so-so copying.