Main trade-off
Brother MFC-L5710DW
The glass is shorter than Legal. Legal-size printing and feeder support do not change that flatbed limit.
Head-to-head
Brother MFC-L5710DW vs MFC-L5915DW: 5915 adds legal glass, rated scan speed stays equal
The short answer
Choose MFC-L5915DW when legal-size originals must lie flat or eligible scan packets regularly contain 51 to 70 sheets. Choose MFC-L5710DW when ordinary packets fit 50 sheets and you need a body 3.1 inches narrower. Both claim the same 60 black or 42 color images per minute for duplex scanning, and both have 350-sheet standard input. The larger model buys glass size and feeder capacity, not a higher stated scan rate.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Legal printing is not the same purchase as a legal flatbed
A home business may print legal-size forms easily but also receive a creased or fragile original that should not enter an automatic feeder. The 5915 can place a legal-size sheet on its 14-inch glass. The 5710 cannot capture that full length on its shorter glass in one placement, even though its feeder accepts legal-length paper. If your legal originals are all suitable loose sheets, the feeder route can remove the reason to buy the wider model.
What this is based on
The US manual gives 5710 glass length 11.8 inches and 5915 14 inches. Both ADF paths accept up to 14 inches. Suitability for the feeder must be assessed separately from length.
Main trade-off
Brother MFC-L5915DW
The body is 19.5 inches wide. Short scan packets do not gain a larger rated scan speed or more standard print paper.
Brother MFC-L5710DW
- Choose it for
- Keep a 3.1-inch narrower body when the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.
- Retain the same stated duplex scan rate as 5915 for supported jobs.
- Main trade-off
- The glass is shorter than Legal. Legal-size printing and feeder support do not change that flatbed limit.
Brother MFC-L5915DW
- Choose it for
- Lay legal-size originals on the documented 14-inch glass instead of forcing unsuitable sheets through a feeder.
- Load eligible 51- to 70-sheet packets once.
- Main trade-off
- The body is 19.5 inches wide. Short scan packets do not gain a larger rated scan speed or more standard print paper.
About this comparison
The MFC-L5915DW adds a legal-size glass and larger feeder, but rated scan speed stays equal. See whether the wider body fixes your actual paperwork problem.
Both are business monochrome all-in-ones with one-pass duplex scanning. They suit the same document-heavy office, with a meaningful choice between desk width, legal-size originals and scan-stack capacity.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Legal-size originals are too fragile for the feeder
5915 has the required legal-length glass. 5710 glass is shorter.
- Brother MFC-L5710DW
- Not suitable
- Brother MFC-L5915DW
- Better fit
Typical two-sided packets contain 30 sheets
Both hold the packet and quote the same duplex scanning rate.
- Brother MFC-L5710DW
- Good
- Brother MFC-L5915DW
- Good
Eligible packets regularly contain 60 sheets
5915 avoids a split that the 50-sheet 5710 feeder requires.
- Brother MFC-L5710DW
- Caution
- Brother MFC-L5915DW
- Better fit
The goal is more standard print paper in less width
Both have 350-sheet input. 5710 is narrower, though neither increases that capacity without extras.
- Brother MFC-L5710DW
- Better fit
- Brother MFC-L5915DW
- Depends
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Legal printing is not the same purchase as a legal flatbed
A home business may print legal-size forms easily but also receive a creased or fragile original that should not enter an automatic feeder. The 5915 can place a legal-size sheet on its 14-inch glass. The 5710 cannot capture that full length on its shorter glass in one placement, even though its feeder accepts legal-length paper. If your legal originals are all suitable loose sheets, the feeder route can remove the reason to buy the wider model.
How we reached this conclusion
The US manual gives 5710 glass length 11.8 inches and 5915 14 inches. Both ADF paths accept up to 14 inches. Suitability for the feeder must be assessed separately from length.
More originals per load does not mean faster scanning within a load
If your usual stack has 20 to 40 sheets, both feeders hold it and both quote the same duplex scan rate. A 5915 upgrade therefore has no documented scan-speed advantage for that routine. Its advantage appears when an eligible packet contains 51 to 70 sheets, because that removes the extra load on 5710. Choose the larger feeder for the stack you actually handle, not because the model number sounds faster.
How we reached this conclusion
Both claim 60 black/42 color duplex ipm. A 60-sheet supported packet needs ceiling(60/50) = 2 loads versus ceiling(60/70) = 1. No total task time is inferred from the rate.
The wider machine does not free you from more paper-refill trips
When a desk is shared with a laptop and homework, the 5710 leaves 3.1 inches more width available than 5915 before clearances. Both standard boxes still provide a 250-sheet main tray and 100-sheet multipurpose tray. If your goal is fewer print-paper refills, buying 5915 alone does not solve it. Consider the correct optional tray configuration, or a larger-input model, rather than paying for a legal flatbed you will not use.
How we reached this conclusion
19.5 - 16.4 = 3.1 inches. Both standard input totals are 250 + 100 = 350 sheets and output is 150. Optional trays require separate cost and height.
Choice A
Brother, MFC-L5710DW
MFC-L5710DW
Keep a 3.1-inch narrower body when the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.
- Best matched use
- Keep a 3.1-inch narrower body when the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.
Checked facts
- An original that must lie flat: MFC-L5710DW glass handles originals up to 11.8 inches long. The ADF supports up to 14 inches.
- Two-sided packet scanning: 50-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute, with advanced features off.
- Shared work surface: Closed body 16.4 x 18.1 x 17.6 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.
- Routine workload: Recommended monthly maximum 5,000 pages.
Choice B
Brother, MFC-L5915DW
MFC-L5915DW
Lay legal-size originals on the documented 14-inch glass instead of forcing unsuitable sheets through a feeder.
- Best matched use
- Lay legal-size originals on the documented 14-inch glass instead of forcing unsuitable sheets through a feeder.
Checked facts
- An original that must lie flat: MFC-L5915DW glass and ADF both support originals up to 14 inches long.
- Two-sided packet scanning: 70-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute.
- Shared work surface: Closed body 19.5 x 18.6 x 19.1 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.
- Routine workload: Recommended monthly maximum 8,000 pages.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Brother MFC-L5710DW | Brother MFC-L5915DW | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| An original that must lie flat | MFC-L5710DW glass handles originals up to 11.8 inches long. The ADF supports up to 14 inches. | MFC-L5915DW glass and ADF both support originals up to 14 inches long. | Legal-size support must be checked separately for printing, feeding and flatbed scanning. |
| Two-sided packet scanning | 50-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute, with advanced features off. | 70-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute. | 5915 holds more sheets, but the quoted scanning rate is equal under the stated modes. |
| Shared work surface | Closed body 16.4 x 18.1 x 17.6 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150. | Closed body 19.5 x 18.6 x 19.1 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150. | The wider scanner may be justified by the originals, not the print-paper supply. |
| Routine workload | Recommended monthly maximum 5,000 pages. | Recommended monthly maximum 8,000 pages. | Sustained output volume is a separate reason to choose the larger model. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Brother MFC-L5710DW
- Heavy print stock above 28 lb bond requires the documented half-speed, straight-output route and rear access.
If you choose Brother MFC-L5915DW
- The larger body still needs space for its lid and paper access. It remains a black-and-white printer.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Packets fit 50 sheets and no original needs legal-size glass
Choose Brother MFC-L5710DW. 5710 covers the task with a narrower body and equal stated scan rate.
Legal glass or a 51- to 70-sheet feeder load removes a real restriction
Choose Brother MFC-L5915DW. Those are the physical capabilities the larger MFP adds.
You need color printed copies of the scanned originals
Choose neither. Both scan color but print in monochrome.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want room for daily work beside the printer, but some originals cannot be fed and the larger glass may be the only reason to accept a wider machine.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No measured image-quality or reliability ranking.
- The manual gives equal printing noise claims, so neither is recommended as quieter here.
- Scan-rate claims exclude advanced processing and are not file-completion times.
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 MFC-L5710DW |
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| Brother MFC-L5915DW |
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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-L5710DW
Keep a 3.1-inch narrower body when the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.
Retain the same stated duplex scan rate as 5915 for supported jobs.
See price & reviews on AmazonBrother MFC-L5915DW
Lay legal-size originals on the documented 14-inch glass instead of forcing unsuitable sheets through a feeder.
Load eligible 51- to 70-sheet packets once.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.