Main trade-off
Epson EcoTank ET-4950
One paper cassette means a stock change when another medium is needed. There is no USB memory-stick socket.
Head-to-head
Epson ET-4950 vs Brother MFC-T980DW: Scan backs or swap paper less?
The short answer
Choose ET-4950 for automatic scanning of both sides of suitable Letter or A4 forms. Choose MFC-T980DW for two separate paper sources or compatible JPEG printing from a USB stick. Brother still needs a manual pass for document backs. Epson has one cassette and no USB memory-stick socket. Legal originals lose Epson’s duplex-scan advantage, and a PDF on a stick needs another printing route on either model.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
The back of the form matters when you keep getting called away
A school form or work record may carry the signature on its back. If scanning it happens between other household tasks, Epson can capture both sides of suitable Letter or A4 originals without waiting for you to turn the stack. Brother feeds up to 20 suitable originals but scans one side, leaving the backs and page order as another job. Favor Epson when those two-sided records recur, then inspect the saved file before putting the originals away. If most pages are one-sided, Brother’s feeder may already cover the task. If the originals are Legal, Epson also needs manual back-side handling, so this reason to choose it disappears.
What this is based on
Interrupted document archiving combines useful content on both sides with the time available to handle originals. The choice follows scan direction and supported size, without predicting scan duration or error rates.
Main trade-off
Brother MFC-T980DW
Its 20-sheet document feeder scans one side at a time. Direct USB printing is JPEG only.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950
- Choose it for
- Capture both sides of suitable Letter or A4 forms without manually turning the originals. Legal scanning remains single-sided.
- Use the 30-sheet Letter/A4 feeder for ordinary forms while keeping one main paper type loaded. Inspect the finished scan.
- Main trade-off
- One paper cassette means a stock change when another medium is needed. There is no USB memory-stick socket.
Brother MFC-T980DW
- Choose it for
- Keep plain work paper and another supported medium in separate trays. Select the correct source, size and type for each job.
- Print compatible JPEG files from a compatible USB stick without setting up the visitor’s device. This direct-print route does not accept PDFs.
- Main trade-off
- Its 20-sheet document feeder scans one side at a time. Direct USB printing is JPEG only.
About this comparison
Epson ET-4950 vs Brother MFC-T980DW for shared forms and family projects. Compare duplex scanning, the next paper change and JPEG-only USB handoffs.
Both are refillable-tank all-in-ones with fax, Ethernet and automatic two-sided printing. A shared home printer also has to handle incoming forms, the paper left by the previous person and files brought from another device.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Two-sided Letter forms keep interrupting other tasks
Epson captures both sides of suitable Letter/A4 originals automatically. Brother requires a manual pass for the backs.
- Epson EcoTank ET-4950
- Better fit
- Brother MFC-T980DW
- Caution
An evening photo job is followed by someone else’s work pages
Brother can keep supported papers in separate sources. Both users still need the correct source, size and type settings.
- Epson EcoTank ET-4950
- Caution
- Brother MFC-T980DW
- Better fit
A visitor brings a compatible JPEG on a compatible USB stick
Brother prints the supported image through its front host port. Epson needs a computer or another supported print route.
- Epson EcoTank ET-4950
- Caution
- Brother MFC-T980DW
- Better fit
The originals are two-sided Legal and the visitor’s file is a PDF
Neither removes the manual handling of Legal backs or prints that PDF directly from a USB stick. Plan both jobs separately.
- Epson EcoTank ET-4950
- Caution
- Brother MFC-T980DW
- Caution
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
The back of the form matters when you keep getting called away
A school form or work record may carry the signature on its back. If scanning it happens between other household tasks, Epson can capture both sides of suitable Letter or A4 originals without waiting for you to turn the stack. Brother feeds up to 20 suitable originals but scans one side, leaving the backs and page order as another job. Favor Epson when those two-sided records recur, then inspect the saved file before putting the originals away. If most pages are one-sided, Brother’s feeder may already cover the task. If the originals are Legal, Epson also needs manual back-side handling, so this reason to choose it disappears.
How we reached this conclusion
Interrupted document archiving combines useful content on both sides with the time available to handle originals. The choice follows scan direction and supported size, without predicting scan duration or error rates.
Finish the project without leaving tomorrow’s paper change to someone else
A supported photo-paper job in the evening can leave the next person unloading the tray before printing ordinary work pages. Brother provides a main tray and a separate multipurpose tray, so plain paper can stay loaded while the other source holds a supported second medium. Epson’s single cassette requires the stock change and a return to the ordinary paper setting. Brother is useful when that switch genuinely recurs, provided everyone selects the right source, size and type. Its two trays do not correct a forgotten setting. If the household almost always prints on the same plain paper, the second source solves little and Epson’s scanning advantage may matter more.
How we reached this conclusion
One person changes media for an evening task and another uses the printer next morning. Separate sources remove a stock swap under supported-media conditions, while the settings check remains.
Agree on the file before someone arrives with a memory stick
Someone helping with a family project can bring a compatible JPEG on a USB stick and print it through Brother’s front port without configuring their device for the household printer. Epson’s USB connection is for a computer, so the file needs another supported route before it can print. That favors Brother when this particular handoff is frequent and the stick and image are compatible. The advantage ends if the visitor brings a PDF: Brother specifies JPEG-only direct printing, and the host socket does not change that restriction. Agree on the file and route beforehand, check any work-device rules, and remove the stick and finished pages before the next person uses the printer.
How we reached this conclusion
A visiting source device is unavailable or unconfigured, while a permitted removable-storage handoff is possible. The conclusion depends on direct-print file support and complete connector topology. It makes no USB scan-format claim.
Choice A
Epson, C11CL40201
Epson EcoTank ET-4950
Capture both sides of suitable Letter or A4 forms without manually turning the originals. Legal scanning remains single-sided.
- Best matched use
- Capture both sides of suitable Letter or A4 forms without manually turning the originals. Legal scanning remains single-sided.
Checked facts
- Both sides of an original: Automatic Letter/A4 duplex scanning with a 30-sheet feeder. Legal is single-sided, maximum ten originals.
- Paper ready for the next person: One cassette, holding up to 250 supported plain-paper sheets.
- A file brought on a USB stick: Rear computer USB-B and network connections, without a USB host socket in the complete layout.
- Finished sheets between household jobs: 30-sheet plain-paper output.
Choice B
Brother, MFCT980DW
Brother MFC-T980DW
Keep plain work paper and another supported medium in separate trays. Select the correct source, size and type for each job.
- Best matched use
- Keep plain work paper and another supported medium in separate trays. Select the correct source, size and type for each job.
Checked facts
- Both sides of an original: 20-sheet single-sided feeder, with Duplex Scanning explicitly listed as No.
- Paper ready for the next person: 150-sheet main tray plus a separate 80-sheet multipurpose tray, with media-specific limits.
- A file brought on a USB stick: Front USB host supports direct printing of compatible JPEG files.
- Finished sheets between household jobs: 50-sheet output, rated using 20 lb paper.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Epson EcoTank ET-4950 | Brother MFC-T980DW | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both sides of an original | Automatic Letter/A4 duplex scanning with a 30-sheet feeder. Legal is single-sided, maximum ten originals. | 20-sheet single-sided feeder, with Duplex Scanning explicitly listed as No. | Epson removes a manual turn for suitable Letter/A4 forms. Legal paperwork does not receive that advantage. |
| Paper ready for the next person | One cassette, holding up to 250 supported plain-paper sheets. | 150-sheet main tray plus a separate 80-sheet multipurpose tray, with media-specific limits. | Brother can leave two supported papers in separate sources. Correct stock, source and settings are still required. |
| A file brought on a USB stick | Rear computer USB-B and network connections, without a USB host socket in the complete layout. | Front USB host supports direct printing of compatible JPEG files. | Brother can accept the supported image directly. A PDF still needs another route, so check the file before choosing around the port. |
| Finished sheets between household jobs | 30-sheet plain-paper output. | 50-sheet output, rated using 20 lb paper. | Neither output tray holds everything a full input tray can supply. Collect finished work before the next person adds another job. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Epson EcoTank ET-4950
- After a photo or envelope job, restore ordinary paper and its settings for the next person. USB files need a compatible computer, phone or other supported print route.
If you choose Brother MFC-T980DW
- Document backs need a manual second pass and an order check. Two paper trays still leave source and media settings to the person printing.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
The recurring chore is turning two-sided Letter/A4 originals and paper changes are rare
Choose Epson EcoTank ET-4950. Epson’s automatic duplex scanning addresses that chore. Keep the original-size restriction and inspect the saved result.
Originals are mostly one-sided and we often change media or receive compatible JPEGs on USB
Choose Brother MFC-T980DW. Brother’s second source and front USB host address those separate interruptions. Confirm media settings, stick compatibility and the JPEG-only limit.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
Epson removes the manual turn for suitable two-sided originals. Brother keeps two papers in separate sources and accepts compatible JPEG files directly from a USB stick.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No comparative print quality, scan speed, ink cost or reliability result is claimed.
- The automatic scanning advantage applies to suitable Letter/A4 originals. Legal and 8.5 by 13 inch originals are single-sided on Epson.
- Brother’s direct USB advantage is limited to compatible JPEG files and storage. No direct PDF printing or unverified scan-to-USB format is promised.
- Separate trays do not establish compatibility with arbitrary craft stock or eliminate driver and control-panel settings.
- Both provide Ethernet, fax and automatic duplex printing, with their own connection, paper and setup requirements. Those shared functions do not decide this pair.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank ET-4950 |
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| Brother MFC-T980DW |
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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.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950
Capture both sides of suitable Letter or A4 forms without manually turning the originals. Legal scanning remains single-sided.
Use the 30-sheet Letter/A4 feeder for ordinary forms while keeping one main paper type loaded. Inspect the finished scan.
See price & reviews on AmazonBrother MFC-T980DW
Keep plain work paper and another supported medium in separate trays. Select the correct source, size and type for each job.
Print compatible JPEG files from a compatible USB stick without setting up the visitor’s device. This direct-print route does not accept PDFs.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.