Brother DCP-J4120DW frustrations

[miniyazz]

I bought a new printer-scanner the other day, as per title, and it has a number of major flaws that weren't obvious online. This is just a quick post/mini-review to raise awareness..
I bought this mostly for scanning with occasional printing. First thing I see is it refuses to do anything without print cartridges being installed - ok, I can live with that, it's a one-time setup.
Move on to scanning. I can scan to pdf straight to USB stick, one of the reasons I bought it. What I wasn't aware is the firmware is so limiting it won't even allow landscape scanning - portrait only.
Ok, so I thought maybe with the annoying software I try to avoid, hence wanting PC-less scanning. But no. I mean, seriously?

To make matters worse, whenever you connect it to a network it feels the burning desire to print out a copy of the connection properties, wasting paper and ink.

And to top things off, like many scanners it has a handy option to autocrop smaller documents to size. Unfortunately this is worse than useless; after a dramatic failure with a normal document I tested it with a black card with white writing on it and yet it still seems unable to work out where the edge is, cropping half of it off. I mean, did they even bother turning it on before deciding it was ready for production?

Thoroughly disappointing, and because it forced me to install the print cartridges before I could even use the basic functions I have no chance of a refund.

Recommendation: AVOID (like the plague)

[peterb]

Hmm, I have a Brother mu MFC 8860 which is outstandingly good, but it is an older model. Have you installed the Brother Control centre software? It may give you more options.

These devices are sold more as printers with scanners attached, either as budget photocopiers, or printers, so I sort of get why the cartridges would have to be installed, frustrating though it is.

If it within 14 days of purchase and you bought it online, you may still be able to reject it under the distance selling regs, even though the cartridges have been installed, as you weren't able to test it unless they were fitted.

[miniyazz]

Yeah that's the trouble with a lot of these things, they are just a scanner tagged on as an afterthought. And reviews tend to gloss over the scan features as well.
Yes incredibly even the brother control centre has nothing useful regarding landscape. It has a tonne of different sizes of paper to choose from but no option of custom size and everything is portrait..
Bought in store, besides the DSR would really only apply to unopened items as far as I know. Plus I'm in Aus so it doesn't apply :-)

[peterb]

DSR allows you to inspect goods to see if they are fit for purpose, however as you are in Aus and bought in store....

Not a lot I can suggest, unless you can work around by scanning and rotating the scanned document or image.

[miniyazz]

Thanks, it was more of a rant/something to appear on Google to dissuade potential buyers than a hope to fix the issue. Is it worth getting a professional version of Adobe to do that sort of simple pdf manipulation? I imagine that's possible with the full version.. Might be unacceptably expensive of course.

Edit: not that bad, only $300 for standard or $450 for pro :-P