The story began when my OkiData B4350 indicated that it needed its drum unit replaced. I initially did some searching for a new drum unit but eventually decided to go with a new printer after realizing that it had been three years since my last printer purchase. After reading some reviews in pcmagazine.com, I settled on the Brother HL-5370DW.

I couldn’t believe the features you get for $239. Wireless networking and ethernet networking are built-in! The Brother HL-5370DW printer also boasts 32 pages per minute printing speed as opposed to the 23 pages per minute that the Okidata pushed out. Resolution is greater – 1200×1200 as opposed to 1200×600 and paper capacity is 50 sheets more at 300 pages with the standard paper tray.

And let me tell you, duplex printing rocks! However, to perform duplex printing the Brother first prints on one side of the page and then pulls the paper back into the printer and then prints out the second side and then spits out the finished product. I wonder how this feature will hold up over time as it requires a bit of extra work on the part of the printer.

In terms of paper savings, duplex printing is the bomb. So far, I haven’t found any courts that refuse to accept filings that are printed on both sides of the page. Duplex printing also cuts down on your mailing costs. By printing in duplex, you’ve reduced your mailing weight by about half. Your postage costs are reduced and you generally don’t have to buy the larger mailing envelopes to accommodate dozens of pages more.

My only complaint is that the Brother HL-5370DW printer is hard on lightweight envelopes. It generally seals them shut as you are printing addresses on them. I ended up buying a new drum unit for the Okidata printer mainly for the purpose of printing envelopes. It also provides backup in case the Brother HL-5370DW printer goes down. I imagine higher quality envelopes may work better with the Brother HL-5370DW printer but I’m not sure if I want the added expense.