Main trade-off
Brother DCP-L2640DW
No fax and no automatic two-sided scanning. A larger feeder does not remove the need to handle reverse sides.
Head-to-head
Brother DCP-L2640DW vs Canon MF275dw: Brother feeds larger stacks, Canon adds fax
The short answer
Choose DCP-L2640DW for larger single-sided scan batches and fewer print-paper refills. Choose MF275dw when fax is a real requirement or desk depth is tight. Canon is shallower but taller. Neither automatically scans both sides, so a double-sided archive needs manual refeeding whichever you buy.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
A 40-sheet filing pile is a real feeder boundary
If monthly expenses and school forms regularly leave you with roughly 40 one-sided sheets, Brother can hold that suitable stack within its 50-sheet rating. Canon needs at least two loads at 35 sheets. That favors Brother when you keep leaving the desk to handle other jobs. It does not make Brother a hands-off two-sided scanner. For originals printed on both sides, someone still needs to turn or reposition the pages and check the resulting order on either machine.
What this is based on
Minimum loads for 40 suitable one-sided sheets: ceiling(40 / 50) = 1 and ceiling(40 / 35) = 2. Brother rating uses 20 lb paper. Automatic duplex scanning is absent on both.
Main trade-off
Canon MF275dw
Its 35-sheet feeder and 150-sheet print tray create earlier reloads than Brother for suitable single-sided batches.
Brother DCP-L2640DW
- Choose it for
- Frequent loose-paper batches benefit from a 50-sheet feeder and 250-sheet print tray, and you do not need fax.
- Your shelf has enough width and depth for Brother, while its lower body is useful.
- Main trade-off
- No fax and no automatic two-sided scanning. A larger feeder does not remove the need to handle reverse sides.
Canon MF275dw
- Choose it for
- You need fax in the same machine and can accept a 35-sheet one-sided feeder.
- A shallower desk position matters more than the larger Brother trays, with enough space above Canon.
- Main trade-off
- Its 35-sheet feeder and 150-sheet print tray create earlier reloads than Brother for suitable single-sided batches.
About this comparison
Compare DCP-L2640DW and MF275dw for shared work and family paperwork. See when larger feeders help, when fax wins and why shelf shape matters.
Both print, copy and scan loose stacks over a home network. Brother prioritizes larger paper batches. Canon makes room for fax in a narrower and shallower housing, while giving up tray and feeder capacity.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Repeated 40-sheet one-sided paper stacks
Suitable paper fits Brother’s feeder rating in one load. Canon needs at least two.
- Brother DCP-L2640DW
- Better fit
- Canon MF275dw
- Good
A required fax and compatible telephone service
Canon has fax. Brother does not.
- Brother DCP-L2640DW
- Not suitable
- Canon MF275dw
- Better fit
A shallow desk with plenty of height above
Canon’s body is shallower, but access and ventilation still need measuring.
- Brother DCP-L2640DW
- Good
- Canon MF275dw
- Better fit
Scan both sides without handling the backs
Both feeders are one-sided.
- Brother DCP-L2640DW
- Not suitable
- Canon MF275dw
- Not suitable
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
A 40-sheet filing pile is a real feeder boundary
If monthly expenses and school forms regularly leave you with roughly 40 one-sided sheets, Brother can hold that suitable stack within its 50-sheet rating. Canon needs at least two loads at 35 sheets. That favors Brother when you keep leaving the desk to handle other jobs. It does not make Brother a hands-off two-sided scanner. For originals printed on both sides, someone still needs to turn or reposition the pages and check the resulting order on either machine.
How we reached this conclusion
Minimum loads for 40 suitable one-sided sheets: ceiling(40 / 50) = 1 and ceiling(40 / 35) = 2. Brother rating uses 20 lb paper. Automatic duplex scanning is absent on both.
An occasional fax can outweigh frequent larger batches
A home office may print every day but only fax a few times a year. If those few faxes are required and you already have compatible telephone service, Canon can prevent a separate trip or a second service arrangement. Brother’s larger trays cannot replace that function. If your recipients accept a scanned upload instead, fax stops being a reason to choose Canon and Brother’s larger batches become more useful. Check the receiving organization’s accepted route before paying for a feature you might never need.
How we reached this conclusion
Canon includes fax and Brother does not. The receiving organization accepting an upload is a buyer condition, not a claim of equivalent legal acceptance or a guaranteed free alternative.
A shallow desk and a low shelf point to different printers
Canon is 1.1 inches shallower, which can matter on a narrow workstation shared with homework. Brother is 1.9 inches lower, which may matter more below shelving. Those advantages cannot be combined into one claim that a printer is simply more compact. Measure the dimension that blocks your real location, then leave room for the lid, originals, cables and ventilation. If you mainly need the shorter height, Canon’s smaller desk footprint is the wrong shortcut.
How we reached this conclusion
Depth difference 15.7 minus 14.6 = 1.1 inches. Height difference 14.4 minus 12.5 = 1.9 inches. These are body dimensions, not certified installation clearances.
Choice A
Brother, DCP-L2640DW
DCP-L2640DW
Frequent loose-paper batches benefit from a 50-sheet feeder and 250-sheet print tray, and you do not need fax.
- Best matched use
- Frequent loose-paper batches benefit from a 50-sheet feeder and 250-sheet print tray, and you do not need fax.
Checked facts
- Feeding scan originals: 50 sheets at 20 lb paper
- Automatic two-sided scanning: No
- Main print tray: 250 sheets
- Fax: No
Choice B
Canon, MF275dw
MF275dw
You need fax in the same machine and can accept a 35-sheet one-sided feeder.
- Best matched use
- You need fax in the same machine and can accept a 35-sheet one-sided feeder.
Checked facts
- Feeding scan originals: 35-sheet simplex feeder
- Automatic two-sided scanning: No
- Main print tray: 150 sheets
- Fax: Yes
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Brother DCP-L2640DW | Canon MF275dw | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feeding scan originals | 50 sheets at 20 lb paper | 35-sheet simplex feeder | A 40-sheet suitable stack crosses the Canon capacity threshold but remains within Brother’s rating. |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No | No | Both leave manual reverse-side handling in a two-sided filing job. |
| Main print tray | 250 sheets | 150 sheets | Brother holds more input paper, separate from scanner capacity. |
| Fax | No | Yes | A fax requirement can outweigh the larger Brother trays. Confirm telephone-service compatibility. |
| Body width and depth | 16.1 by 15.7 inches | 15.4 by 14.6 inches | Canon is narrower and shallower. Add operating and cable clearance to either footprint. |
| Body height | 12.5 inches | 14.4 inches | Brother is lower despite its larger paper capacities. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Brother DCP-L2640DW
- Its body takes 0.7 inch more width and 1.1 inches more depth than Canon.
If you choose Canon MF275dw
- Its narrower footprint comes with a body 1.9 inches taller than Brother.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Larger one-sided batches matter and fax does not
Choose Brother DCP-L2640DW. Brother reduces input reloads without requiring the taller Canon body.
Required fax is the job that cannot be replaced
Choose Canon MF275dw. Canon provides fax, subject to a compatible line and recipient workflow.
Automatic double-sided scanning is essential
Choose neither. A 50-sheet feeder does not imply duplex scanning.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want fewer paper interruptions in a busy home office, but an occasional required fax can matter more than a larger feeder.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- Minimum-load examples do not predict speed, jams or OCR success.
- No unsupported reliability, print-quality or consumable-cost winner is asserted.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current laser 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 DCP-L2640DW |
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| Canon MF275dw |
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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 DCP-L2640DW
Frequent loose-paper batches benefit from a 50-sheet feeder and 250-sheet print tray, and you do not need fax.
Your shelf has enough width and depth for Brother, while its lower body is useful.
See price & reviews on AmazonCanon MF275dw
You need fax in the same machine and can accept a 35-sheet one-sided feeder.
A shallower desk position matters more than the larger Brother trays, with enough space above Canon.
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