Main trade-off
Brother MFC-L8730CDW
The larger ADF comes with an 18.1-inch-high, 56.5 lb body. It still has a Letter-size glass.
Head-to-head
Brother MFC-L8730CDW vs MFC-L3780CDW: 8730 loads bigger packets, 3780 keeps heavier paper in its drawer
The short answer
Choose MFC-L8730CDW when eligible scan packets regularly contain 51 to 80 sheets. It can load that packet once, while MFC-L3780CDW needs a split. Choose MFC-L3780CDW for shorter packets and a lower, lighter machine, especially if approved 32 lb bond paper should stay in the main tray. The 8730 main tray stops at 28 lb bond, so that stock goes through its multipurpose path.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Sixty two-sided sheets are sixty feeder sheets
If you handle a 60-sheet school, club or client packet between other jobs, the 8730 removes one loading break. Those originals may produce 120 scanned images, but they still occupy 60 feeder positions. The 3780 needs at least two loads. This advantage disappears when your usual packets fit 50 sheets, and neither capacity permits damaged or unsuitable originals.
What this is based on
For 60 supported 20 lb sheets, ceiling(60/80) = 1 load and ceiling(60/50) = 2. Image count is separate from physical-sheet capacity. No time saving or jam-free performance is assumed.
Main trade-off
Brother MFC-L3780CDW
A 51- to 80-sheet scan packet needs more than one feeder load. Its multipurpose tray holds only 30 ordinary sheets.
Brother MFC-L8730CDW
- Choose it for
- Load an eligible 51- to 80-sheet scan packet once, using supported originals.
- Keep up to 50 sheets of supported alternate print stock in the multipurpose tray.
- Main trade-off
- The larger ADF comes with an 18.1-inch-high, 56.5 lb body. It still has a Letter-size glass.
Brother MFC-L3780CDW
- Choose it for
- Keep the printer body 2.3 inches lower when scan packets already fit 50 sheets.
- Use approved 32 lb bond stock in the main tray, within the documented paper rules.
- Main trade-off
- A 51- to 80-sheet scan packet needs more than one feeder load. Its multipurpose tray holds only 30 ordinary sheets.
About this comparison
Compare scan-stack limits, heavier paper and working space. Find when the MFC-L8730CDW avoids a reload and when the MFC-L3780CDW suits the desk better.
Both combine color printing, fax and one-pass duplex scanning for a shared office. The upgrade question is whether your paperwork exceeds the smaller feeder or simply needs a dependable place on a crowded desk.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Two-sided packets usually contain 60 supported sheets
The 8730 holds the packet in one load. The 3780 needs at least two.
- Brother MFC-L8730CDW
- Better fit
- Brother MFC-L3780CDW
- Caution
Approved 32 lb bond is the main everyday print paper
3780 permits that weight in its main tray. 8730 requires the supported multipurpose path.
- Brother MFC-L8730CDW
- Caution
- Brother MFC-L3780CDW
- Better fit
Most scans are below 50 sheets and height is tight
Both scan both sides in one pass. 3780 has a lower body, though the lid still needs space.
- Brother MFC-L8730CDW
- Depends
- Brother MFC-L3780CDW
- Better fit
Routine printing exceeds 4,000 but stays within 5,000 pages monthly
This falls within the 8730 recommended maximum and above the 3780 recommendation.
- Brother MFC-L8730CDW
- Better fit
- Brother MFC-L3780CDW
- Caution
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Sixty two-sided sheets are sixty feeder sheets
If you handle a 60-sheet school, club or client packet between other jobs, the 8730 removes one loading break. Those originals may produce 120 scanned images, but they still occupy 60 feeder positions. The 3780 needs at least two loads. This advantage disappears when your usual packets fit 50 sheets, and neither capacity permits damaged or unsuitable originals.
How we reached this conclusion
For 60 supported 20 lb sheets, ceiling(60/80) = 1 load and ceiling(60/50) = 2. Image count is separate from physical-sheet capacity. No time saving or jam-free performance is assumed.
The upgrade can move heavier paper out of the main tray
Someone printing invoices on plain paper and occasional thicker client handouts may welcome the 8730 multipurpose tray. But if approved 32 lb bond is your everyday stock, the 3780 can keep it in its main tray while the 8730 cannot. On the 8730 it belongs in the supported multipurpose path. That can use the tray you planned to reserve for letterhead, so buy around the two paper types you actually switch between.
How we reached this conclusion
32 lb is inside the 3780 main-tray 16-43 lb range and outside the 8730 main-tray 16-28 lb range. It is inside the 8730 MP range. Media type and printer settings still have to be approved.
Short packets make the extra height harder to justify
At a shared desk, a taller scanner can interfere with a shelf even when its base fits. The 3780 body is 2.3 inches lower and 8.7 lb lighter. If your two-sided packets stay below 50 sheets, both already perform the required one-pass scan, so the 8730 does not remove a reload. Favor the 3780 in that situation, after allowing room to raise its lid and service the printer.
How we reached this conclusion
18.1 - 15.8 = 2.3 inches and 56.5 - 47.8 = 8.7 lb. These are body dimensions and weights, not a measured operating-clearance or ease-of-lifting comparison.
Choice A
Brother, MFC-L8730CDW
MFC-L8730CDW
Load an eligible 51- to 80-sheet scan packet once, using supported originals.
- Best matched use
- Load an eligible 51- to 80-sheet scan packet once, using supported originals.
Checked facts
- A packet you want to load once: 80-sheet single-pass duplex feeder, based on 20 lb paper. Letter-size document glass.
- Heavier everyday handouts: 250-sheet main tray plus 50-sheet multipurpose tray. Main tray accepts 16-28 lb bond, multipurpose 16-43 lb.
- A desk that also holds schoolwork: Closed body 15.9 x 18.6 x 18.1 inches, width x depth x height. Weight 56.5 lb.
- Routine print workload: Recommended up to 5,000 pages per month.
Choice B
Brother, MFC-L3780CDW
MFC-L3780CDW
Keep the printer body 2.3 inches lower when scan packets already fit 50 sheets.
- Best matched use
- Keep the printer body 2.3 inches lower when scan packets already fit 50 sheets.
Checked facts
- A packet you want to load once: 50-sheet single-pass duplex feeder. Flatbed and automatic two-sided scanning are included.
- Heavier everyday handouts: 250-sheet main tray plus 30-sheet multipurpose tray. Main tray accepts 16-43 lb bond.
- A desk that also holds schoolwork: Closed body 16.1 x 18.2 x 15.8 inches, width x depth x height. Weight 47.8 lb.
- Routine print workload: Recommended up to 4,000 pages per month.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Brother MFC-L8730CDW | Brother MFC-L3780CDW | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| A packet you want to load once | 80-sheet single-pass duplex feeder, based on 20 lb paper. Letter-size document glass. | 50-sheet single-pass duplex feeder. Flatbed and automatic two-sided scanning are included. | Count physical sheets, including both sides of each sheet. The useful boundary is 50 versus 80 sheets, not how many scanned images you will get. |
| Heavier everyday handouts | 250-sheet main tray plus 50-sheet multipurpose tray. Main tray accepts 16-28 lb bond, multipurpose 16-43 lb. | 250-sheet main tray plus 30-sheet multipurpose tray. Main tray accepts 16-43 lb bond. | The higher model does not accept heavier paper in every path. Keep the tray-specific limit with the purchase. |
| A desk that also holds schoolwork | Closed body 15.9 x 18.6 x 18.1 inches, width x depth x height. Weight 56.5 lb. | Closed body 16.1 x 18.2 x 15.8 inches, width x depth x height. Weight 47.8 lb. | The 3780 is lower and lighter. The 8730 is slightly narrower, so compare the dimension that actually blocks your setup. |
| Routine print workload | Recommended up to 5,000 pages per month. | Recommended up to 4,000 pages per month. | Use the recommended workload, not the much larger maximum duty-cycle figure. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Brother MFC-L8730CDW
- Optional lower trays cost extra. The standard main tray still holds 250 sheets.
If you choose Brother MFC-L3780CDW
- A smaller body still needs room for the scanner lid, rear access and paper trays. Closed dimensions do not prove shelf fit.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Eligible scan packets often fall between 51 and 80 sheets
Choose Brother MFC-L8730CDW. The larger ADF removes a loading break.
Packets fit 50 sheets and approved 32 lb stock should stay in the main tray
Choose Brother MFC-L3780CDW. 3780 covers the scanning job and the intended paper path.
A legal-size fragile original must lie flat
Choose neither. Do not confuse legal paper printing with a legal-size scanner glass. Choose a documented legal-flatbed model.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want to finish a stack of paperwork before the next interruption, without buying a bulkier printer that makes everyday paper handling harder.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No matched print-quality, scan-quality or noise testing was performed.
- Conflicting color scan-speed figures for 3780 are excluded.
- Optional tray capacity is not included in the standard Amazon package.
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-L8730CDW |
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| Brother MFC-L3780CDW |
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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-L8730CDW
Load an eligible 51- to 80-sheet scan packet once, using supported originals.
Keep up to 50 sheets of supported alternate print stock in the multipurpose tray.
See price & reviews on AmazonBrother MFC-L3780CDW
Keep the printer body 2.3 inches lower when scan packets already fit 50 sheets.
Use approved 32 lb bond stock in the main tray, within the documented paper rules.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.