The most BIFL option is a monochrome laser. No color means no clogs and cheaper toner
Praise
Office & Work
Brother HL-L2460DW Laser Printer
Best Value Monochrome Laser
A compact monochrome laser printer built for small home offices and businesses. Delivers fast, sharp prints at an affordable price with optional toner subscription service.
9 mentions · 6 threadslast mention May 2026ClearPick Score
7.2 / 10
Mixed Reviews
Score informed by 9 owner mentions across 6 Reddit threads · see every quote ↓
4 positive2 mixed3 negative
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Best Value Monochrome Laser
Brother HL-L2460DW Laser Printer
$234.94 CAD est. on Amazon.ca
View on Amazon.ca →Opens Amazon.ca · Affiliate link✅ Ships to Canada
✅ Prime eligible (most orders)
✅ 30-day Amazon returns
✅ No extra cost to you
Every mention, sourced
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
The L2460 is just a printer so it'll be simpler and doesn't have a color LCD so in theory should last longer/be cheaper to run.
Praise
Personally? I hate Wi-Fi with printers. I like the option of clicking the printer icon and having it print, not screwing around with Wi-Fi Connectivity issues that almost always happen for me. My vote: HL-L2460DW.
Praise
I did the same two things the OP did. Turned off Deep Sleep and set Sleep Timer to zero. Sometimes it prints with Wifi submission.. Sometimes it stays on Sleep even if I'm standing right next to it... I'm so tired of battling technology. The amount of time you can spend trying to troubleshoot this CRAP is insane.
Complaint
Having the same issue w printer purchased yesterday. That and other documentation errors already. I'm so tired of companies selling half baked products. But why are printers THE WORST?
Complaint
The speed. This thing spits out pages faster than a politician spits out empty promises. I found myself giggling like a schoolgirl as it churned out page after page of my half-baked report.
Praise
Mine broke when a paper jammed and I (foolishly) forcibly pulled it out. Anyway, the drum (of which the corona wire is a part) was a cheap replacement.
Complaint
The drum unit is the only thing you have to replace besides the toner. Check the price of that part
Mention
I went full Office Space on the Epson I had before this Brother, only to buy this one and run into the password issue. Printing works great, happy for that but, just can't get a full win in the printer game.
Complaint
✅ What Works
- Fast, sharp print quality praised by multiple owners
- Compact footprint and affordable price point
- Low total cost of ownership with cheap toner and no color-related clogs
- Durable build; owners see BIFL potential with monochrome laser design
⚠️ Worth Knowing
- Recurring sleep-mode wakeup bugs that require manual configuration to resolve
- Documentation defects on some new units (password labels, setup issues)
- Drum unit replacement costs add to long-term maintenance budget
ClearPick Verdict
The Brother HL-L2460DW delivers sharp, fast prints and stands out for its compact footprint and exceptional value—owners consistently praise its build quality and low total cost of ownership compared to color alternatives. However, the printer has a documented sleep-mode issue that requires manual configuration to prevent wakeup failures, and some units ship with password and label documentation defects. If you're comfortable with minor troubleshooting and need a reliable workhorse for small offices, the value proposition is strong; if you want a printer that works immediately out of the box without fiddling with settings, consider a simpler model.