Visit our Business Solutions website >>

Brother MFC-6490CW

alaTest has collected and analyzed 941 reviews of Brother MFC-6490CW. The average rating for this product is 4.1/5, compared to an average rating of 4.0/5 for other Printers for all reviews. People are impressed by the print quality and size. The price and performance also get good opinions, but some have doubts about the ink consumption and durability. The control panel and paper handling get mixed views.

usability, performance, price, size, print quality

reliability, durability, ink consumption

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Printers the Brother MFC-6490CW is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 85/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 941 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (44% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (37% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (8% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (4% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (7% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
  Show positive (81%)Show negative (19%)(Show all)
performance
  Show positive (65%)Show negative (35%)(Show all)
price
  Show positive (75%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)
size
  Show positive (61%)Show negative (39%)(Show all)
print quality
  Show positive (87%)Show negative (13%)(Show all)
reliability
  Show positive (36%)Show negative (64%)(Show all)
multifunction
  Show positive (89%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)
durability
  Show positive (23%)Show negative (77%)(Show all)
design
  Show positive (81%)Show negative (19%)(Show all)
noise
  Show positive (51%)Show negative (49%)(Show all)
paper handling
  Show positive (47%)Show negative (53%)(Show all)
ink consumption
  Show positive (43%)Show negative (57%)(Show all)
connectivity
  Show positive (67%)Show negative (33%)(Show all)
control panel
  Show positive (50%)Show negative (50%)(Show all)
More features

Showing 747 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.
Showing 1 - 115 of 747 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (194)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Brother MFC-6490CW

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 28 user reviews of Brother MFC-6490CW from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 3.7/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Printers on Amazon.co.uk. People really like the print quality and paper handling. The performance and usability are also mentioned favorably. There are some negative reviews about the durability and reliability, and reviews are divided on the design.

price, usability, performance, paper handling, print quality

reliability, durability

71% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

This summary is based on the products: Brother MFC-6490CW A3 Multifunction Printer with Scan/Copy/Fax , Network, Wireless and 3.3 inch Colour LCD • Brother MFC-6490CW A3 Multifunction Printer with Scan/Copy/Fax , Network, Wireless and 3.3 inch Colour LCD

Apr, 2018

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Brother MFC-6490CW

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 77 user reviews of Brother MFC-6490CW from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.7/5 for other Printers on Amazon.com. People really like the multifunction and size. The price and usability are also mentioned favorably, but some have doubts about the noise and reliability. Opinions are divided on the durability.

performance, usability, price, size, multifunction

reliability, noise

82% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

This summary is based on the products: Brother LC65HYCL High-Yield 3-Pack Ink Cartridge, 900 Page-Yield, Cyan Magenta Yellow • Brother LC65HYCL High-Yield 3-Pack Ink Cartridge, 900 Page-Yield, Cyan Magenta Yellow

Apr, 2018

Expert review by : Melissa Riofrio and Susan Silvius, PC World (pcworld.com)

Brother MFC-6490cw All-In-One Printer

 

Brother's color inkjet multifunction printer (MFP), the MFC-6490CW, adds wide-format printing capability to an already long list of functions. Unfortunately, extremely slow performance is the tradeoff.

Wide-format printing and scanning ; Roomy dual input trays; easy to use

Very slow ; Plain-paper prints look fuzzy and drab

Its wide-format capability is nice, but not its slow performance and variable print quality.

Oct, 2009
Read the full review

Editor's Choice!

Expert review by (pcmag.com)

Brother MFC-6490cw

 

Most small offices could make good use, at least occasionally, of an all-in-one (AIO) that prints and scans tabloid size (11 by 17 inches). There's only one reason why almost all stay with models limited to letter and legal size: price. Tabloid-size...

Prints and scans at up to tabloid size (11 by 17 inches). Ample paper capacity. Automatic document feeder

Slow. No duplex option

The Brother MFC-6490CW more than makes up for its slow speed by bringing tabloid-size printing and scanning to small offices on tight budgets.

Read the full review

Expert review by (consumersearch.com)

Tabloid-sized MFP with fax

 

Reviews say the Brother MFC-6490CW is a slowpoke, but it offers one advantage over most other inexpensive multifunction inkjet printers: it can scan and print tabloid-size pages up to 11 inches by 17 inches (legal size is 8.5 inches by 14 inches)....

Prints tabloid-size pages, 50-page automatic document feeder, includes fax, two paper trays, wired, wireless networking

Slow, no duplex printing, no automatic page-size detection, color oversaturated

Nov, 2010
Read the full review

Expert review by : Rebecca Scudder (brighthub.com)

Brother MFC 6490 CW All in One Wireless Printer

 

Bright Hub reviews the Brother MFC 6490 CW, an inexpensive 11” x 17” AIO printer, taking a look at its strengths and weaknesses. It does a good job scanning large prints, and quality monochrome printing on ledger paper. It is also the only machine it...

The Brother MFC 6490 CW does a very good job of scanning, which was our main purpose for the purchase. It has the ability to produce quality black and white graphics on 11 x 17 paper - great for Auto CAD programs and other people who need large...

Dec, 2009
Read the full review

Expert review by : ITP.net (itp.net)

Expert Review

 

Though this all-in-one isn't a speed demon, its A3 printing capabilities, compact footprint, flexible features and solid print quality make it a winner.

May, 2009
Read the full review

Expert review by : Jason Saundalkar (itp.net)

Brother MFC-6490CW

 

The MFC-6490CW is designed for small offices interested in a loaded inkjet all-in-one and after putting Brother's latest to the test, we found it delivers in spades

The only area in which the Brother didn't blow our socks off was with regards to performance. Printing our 20-page monochrome and colour documents in normal quality, the 6490CW managed speeds of 4.2ppm and 3.1ppm respectively. Moving to our more...

May, 2009
Read the full review

GOOD GEAR GUIDE - BEST BUYS

Expert review by : James Hutchinson (goodgearguide.com.au)

Brother MFC-6490CW

 

If A4 paper just isn't big enough, then Brother's MFC-6490CW might just be your next multifunction printer. It isn't the best or fastest A3 printer av...

A3 printing and scanning, quick and detailed scans, fast first-page-out times, comprehensive connectivity, low running cost

Slow printing, photo quality isn't great, no automatic duplex or CD/DVD printing

There are better standalone A3 printers available, but Brother's A3 inkjet multifunction has its merits. A low running cost caps off a decent printer.

Mar, 2009
Read the full review

Expert review by : Trusted Reviews (trustedreviews.com)

Brother MFC-6490CW A3 Multi-Function Printer

 

A3 and A4 printing make Brother's latest MFP a tempting proposition, though it's a shame it can't tell between the two!

Mar, 2012
Read the full review

Expert review by : Melissa Riofrio and Susan Silvius (techadvisor.co.uk)

Brother MFC-6490CW review

 

For £299 (it's cheaper if you shop around) the Brother MFC-6490CW gives you features galore. The integrated scanner takes wide-format media, as do the two input trays, which together take a generous 400 sheets of plain paper.

The Brother MFC-6490CW multifunction printer's wide-format capability is nice, but not its slow performance and variable print quality.

Oct, 2009
Read the full review

Expert review by (expertreviews.co.uk)

Brother MFC-6490CW review

 

There are plenty of all-in-one printer/scanners around, but what almost all have in common is their A4 size.

A bigger Brother. Affordable oversize printing and scanning.

Oct, 2008
Read the full review
1
2
3
4
5

Product Specifications

The Professional Series MFC-6490CW color inkjet All-in-One is perfect for creating impressive everyday business documents such as reports, presentations, spreadsheets, proposals and more! Plus, it offers the ultimate in versatility with up to ledger (11"x17") size print / copy / scan / fax. Making the everyday business documents more impactful and the fine details easier to read. Other powerful features include: wireless networking, large up to 150 sheet paper capacity and up to 50 sheet automatic document feeder.

Copying

Automatic Duplexing: None
Copier resize:25 - 400
Copy speed (normal quality, black, A4):23
Copy speed (normal quality, color, A4):20
Max Copying Resolution B/W:1200 x 1200 dpi
Max Copying Resolution Color:1200 x 1200 dpi
Max Copying Speed B/W:23ppm
Max Copying Speed Color:20ppm
Maximum copy resolution:1200 x 1200
PC free copying: Yes

Dimensions & Weight

Depth:19.2in/5.7in
Height:0.5in/12.7in
Weight:34.4lbs/4.9oz
Width:21.3in

Display

Display:LCD
Display Diagonal:3.3

Document & Media Handling

Max Copy Size:Ledger/A3 (11.7 in x 17 in)
Standard Media Capacity:400sheets

Energy Management

Power consumption (standby):4.5

Fax

Auto reduction: Yes
Auto-redialing: Yes
Fax broadcasting:256
Fax forwarding: Yes
Fax memory:100 / 480
Fax speed dialing (max numbers):100
Fax speed dialing, max numbers:100
Modem Speed:33.6

Fax Machine

Compatibility:Super G3
Max Transmission Speed:33.6Kbps
PC Faxing: Yes

Header

Compatibility:PC
Country Kits:United States
Manufacturer:Brother/Hewlett-Packard
Model:6490CW
Packaged Quantity:1
Product Line:Brother MFC/HP

Input Capacity

Auto document feeder (ADF) input capacity:50
Maximum input capacity:400
Multi-Purpose Tray capacity:250
Standard input capacity:150 / 400

Memory

Standard Memory:64MB

Miscellaneous

Bay Compatibility:Upgrade Bay
Microsoft Certification:Compatible with Windows 7
Vista Certification:Certified for Windows Vista

Networking

Ethernet LAN:Y
Ethernet LAN connection: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes

Office Machine

Copier Type:Digital
Fax Type:Plain paper
Functions:Copier / Fax / Printer / Scanner
Monthly Duty Cycle (max):5000impressions
Printing Output Type:Color
Printing Technology:Ink-jet
Type:Fax / copier / printer / scanner

Other Features

All-in-One Functions:Copy, Fax, Scan
Color all-in-one functions:Copy, Fax, Print, Scan / Copy, Print, Scan
Compatible operating systems:WINDOWS 2000, XP, VISTA \nOS X 10.2.4 +
Dimensions (WxDxH):21.3 x 19.2 x 12.7
Emulations:GDI
Network ready: Yes
Networking features:10/100 BaseTX
Wireless Technology:802.11 b/g / IEEE802.11b/g

Paper Handling

Envelopes sizes:C5, DL
ISO A-series sizes (A0...A9):A3, A4, A5
ISO B-series sizes (B0...B9):B4, B5
Maximum ISO A-series paper size:A3
Media weight (tray 1):64 - 220 gsm
Multi-Purpose Tray media weight:64 - 105
Non-ISO print media sizes:Executive, Folio, Legal, Letter
Standard tray media types:Envelopes, Photo paper, Plain paper

PC Connectivity

PC Connection:Ethernet 10 Base-T / Hi-Speed USB / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g / USB host
PC Connection Availability: Yes

Performance

Copying:Colour copying
Digital sender:N
Faxing:Colour faxing / Mono faxing
Number of print cartridges:4
Print technology:Inkjet
Printing:Colour printing
Scanning:Colour scanning

Ports & interfaces

PictBridge: Yes
Standard interfaces:USB 2.0

Power

Power consumption (average operating):29
Power consumption (standby):4.5

Printing

Max Printing Speed B/W:35ppm
Max Printing Speed B/W (ppm):35ppm
Max Printing Speed Color:28ppm
Max Printing Speed Color (ppm):28ppm
Max Resolution B/W:6000 x 1200 dpi
Max Resolution Color:6000 x 1200 dpi
Maximum Resolution:1200 x 6000 / 6000 x 1200
Print speed (black, normal quality, A4/US Letter):35
Print speed (color, normal quality, A4/US Letter):28

Scanning

Gray scale levels:256
Input color depth:24
Input colour depth:24
Maximum scan resolution:19200 x 19200
Optical scanning resolution:1200 x 2400

Service & Support

Type:1 year warranty

Storage

Card reader integrated: Yes
Internal memory:64
Type:Hard drive

Storage Hard Drive

Capacity:250GB
Hard Drive Type:Removable hard drive
Interface:Serial ATA-300
Interface Type:Serial ATA-300
Spindle Speed:5400rpm

System Requirements

Mac compatibility: Yes

Weight & Dimensions

Weight:34 / 34.4