Main trade-off
Brother MFC-T580DW
No document feeder. Every physical original needs individual placement.
Head-to-head
Brother T580DW vs T780DW: A lower body or less original handling?
The short answer
Choose T780DW for recurring stacks of suitable one-sided forms. Its 20-sheet feeder removes individual flatbed placement, and its 1.8-inch color display is more visual than T580DW’s one-line panel. Choose T580DW when originals are usually individual photos or pages and the lower 5.8-inch body matters. T780DW is 7.2 inches high. Both need lid clearance, both print duplex automatically and neither automatically scans the backs of a stack.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
The feeder earns its space when forms arrive in small piles
A household that receives a dozen suitable one-sided school or office forms can put the stack in T780DW’s 20-sheet feeder instead of placing each sheet on T580DW’s glass. That changes the number of handling steps when another task keeps interrupting. If the originals have content on the back, T780DW still needs a manual second pass and an order check. It is a useful reduction in individual placement, not automatic both-side archiving or a promise of error-free scanning.
What this is based on
Small recurring form stacks plus interrupted household work crossed with flatbed-only versus 20-sheet single-sided feeding. The inference separates placement steps from duplex scanning and retains file verification.
Main trade-off
Brother MFC-T780DW
The feeder is single-sided and the body is 1.4 inches taller before lid and original clearance.
Brother MFC-T580DW
- Choose it for
- Keep a lower closed body for a mostly digital-printing and occasional-flatbed routine.
- Retain the same 16 black ISO rate, automatic duplex and 150-sheet main input.
- Main trade-off
- No document feeder. Every physical original needs individual placement.
Brother MFC-T780DW
- Choose it for
- Feed up to 20 suitable one-sided originals without placing each on the glass.
- Use a 1.8-inch color display for the documented on-printer workflow.
- Main trade-off
- The feeder is single-sided and the body is 1.4 inches taller before lid and original clearance.
About this comparison
Brother MFC-T580DW vs T780DW for a small shared desk, school forms and family photos. See when the feeder helps and when both need the scanner glass.
These adjacent refillable Brother models share 16 black ISO ipm, automatic duplex printing and the same main input and output capacities. The useful upgrade is original handling and controls, balanced against the taller body and the kinds of material that still need the glass.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Recurring small one-sided document stacks
T780DW removes individual glass placement for supported originals.
- Brother MFC-T580DW
- Caution
- Brother MFC-T780DW
- Better fit
Lower body needed under a shelf
T580DW is 1.4 inches lower, with lid clearance still required.
- Brother MFC-T580DW
- Better fit
- Brother MFC-T780DW
- Caution
Mostly digital PDFs and occasional single originals
Core print handling and black ISO rate match.
- Brother MFC-T580DW
- Good
- Brother MFC-T780DW
- Good
Automatic scanning of both sides
Neither provides that function.
- Brother MFC-T580DW
- Caution
- Brother MFC-T780DW
- Caution
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
The feeder earns its space when forms arrive in small piles
A household that receives a dozen suitable one-sided school or office forms can put the stack in T780DW’s 20-sheet feeder instead of placing each sheet on T580DW’s glass. That changes the number of handling steps when another task keeps interrupting. If the originals have content on the back, T780DW still needs a manual second pass and an order check. It is a useful reduction in individual placement, not automatic both-side archiving or a promise of error-free scanning.
How we reached this conclusion
Small recurring form stacks plus interrupted household work crossed with flatbed-only versus 20-sheet single-sided feeding. The inference separates placement steps from duplex scanning and retains file verification.
A lower shelf can make the simpler model useful, but only after checking the lid
The two bodies share a listed 15.4-inch width and 13.5-inch depth, while T780DW rises from 5.8 to 7.2 inches high. That 1.4-inch difference can matter under a shelf. It does not mean a bay only 5.8 inches high is a usable scanning location for T580DW: the lid still has to open and paper still needs a clear path. Test the actual reach and working position. No personal comfort or accessibility benefit follows from the dimensions alone.
How we reached this conclusion
A printer under a shelf plus occasional flatbed use crossed with equal base dimensions and different height. 7.2 minus 5.8 equals 1.4 inches, with operating and reach clearance unresolved until measured.
The upgrade does not make a long print job or photo archive unattended
Both printers have a 150-sheet main input, 50-sheet output and one-sheet manual feed. A long plain-paper job still needs collection within that output rating, while a run of supported special sheets through the bypass still needs one-sheet attention. For a photo archive, check the original-handling rules and use the glass for unsuitable feeder material. T780DW’s extra function targets ordinary document stacks. Buy it for that recurring task rather than expect every family paper job to need less attention.
How we reached this conclusion
Long print batches plus occasional special media and photo archiving crossed with unchanged output/manual-feed capacities and the limited role of a document feeder. No broad unattended-operation claim.
Choice A
Brother, MFCT580DW
Brother MFC-T580DW
Keep a lower closed body for a mostly digital-printing and occasional-flatbed routine.
- Best matched use
- Keep a lower closed body for a mostly digital-printing and occasional-flatbed routine.
Checked facts
- Original handling: Flatbed only.
- Closed body: 15.4 by 13.5 by 5.8 inches.
- Shared printing limits: 150 input, 50 output, one-sheet manual feed.
- Printing and panel: 16 black ISO ipm, automatic duplex, one-line LCD.
Choice B
Brother, MFCT780DW
Brother MFC-T780DW
Feed up to 20 suitable one-sided originals without placing each on the glass.
- Best matched use
- Feed up to 20 suitable one-sided originals without placing each on the glass.
Checked facts
- Original handling: 20-sheet single-sided feeder plus flatbed.
- Closed body: 15.4 by 13.5 by 7.2 inches.
- Shared printing limits: 150 input, 50 output, one-sheet manual feed.
- Printing and panel: 16 black ISO ipm, automatic duplex, 1.8-inch color display.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Brother MFC-T580DW | Brother MFC-T780DW | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original handling | Flatbed only. | 20-sheet single-sided feeder plus flatbed. | The upgrade helps suitable loose documents rather than every object placed near a scanner. |
| Closed body | 15.4 by 13.5 by 5.8 inches. | 15.4 by 13.5 by 7.2 inches. | Width and listed depth match, while height increases 1.4 inches. Neither figure covers open-lid use. |
| Shared printing limits | 150 input, 50 output, one-sheet manual feed. | 150 input, 50 output, one-sheet manual feed. | The feeder upgrade does not increase the print batch or turn the bypass into a second stack. |
| Printing and panel | 16 black ISO ipm, automatic duplex, one-line LCD. | 16 black ISO ipm, automatic duplex, 1.8-inch color display. | Choose for interaction and originals rather than an assumed black-speed upgrade. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Brother MFC-T580DW
- A regular packet creates repeated visits to the glass even when the print side needs little attention.
If you choose Brother MFC-T780DW
- Photos, delicate originals and unsupported materials can still require the glass. Do not buy a feeder expecting to send the family photo collection through it.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Originals usually arrive as suitable loose stacks
Choose Brother MFC-T780DW. The feeder addresses that repeated handling job.
The lower closed body matters and originals are usually individual
Choose Brother MFC-T580DW. T580DW retains the shared printing functions in a lower body.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
A household wants to reduce scanning interruptions without assigning more shelf space to a feature that rarely handles its originals.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No matched scanning speed or reliability test.
- Unit dimensions are not complete installation clearances.
- A lower body does not establish physical comfort or a health benefit.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current ink-tank printers comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brother MFC-T580DW |
|
| |
| Brother MFC-T780DW |
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Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Brother MFC-T580DW
Keep a lower closed body for a mostly digital-printing and occasional-flatbed routine.
Retain the same 16 black ISO rate, automatic duplex and 150-sheet main input.
See price & reviews on AmazonBrother MFC-T780DW
Feed up to 20 suitable one-sided originals without placing each on the glass.
Use a 1.8-inch color display for the documented on-printer workflow.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.