The catch
Brother HL-L2480DW
You put each side you scan on the flatbed yourself. The touchscreen does nothing to automate a stack of paper.
Side by side
Brother HL-L2480DW vs Canon MF275dw: Brother carries more print paper, and Canon feeds forms
Quick verdict
If you mostly print and only scan a page now and then, the HL-L2480DW fits that routine with its lower body and 250-sheet tray. The MF275dw is the pick for regular batches of loose paperwork or for fax, as long as its taller body fits. The Canon feeds up to 35 suitable sheets but reads one side at a time. Neither handles both sides of a stack automatically.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Under a shelf, the smaller footprint may fit worse
Canon takes up less of the desk, yet its body stands 3.7 inches taller. Put it in a shared bedroom office under a low shelf and that height can count for more than the 0.7 inch of width you save. If printing is your main use, Brother is the better place to start for a low spot. If regular scanning is the reason you are buying, measure the space with the lid open and room to reach the originals. Fitting when closed does not tell you the machine is usable there.
Where this comes from
The height gap is 14.4 minus 10.7 = 3.7 inches. Published body dimensions leave out the room needed for scanning, cabling and ventilation, so no minimum shelf opening is assumed here.
The catch
Canon MF275dw
Its feeder scans only one side, and big single-sided jobs mean refilling the 150-sheet print tray more often.
Brother HL-L2480DW
- Why pick it
- You mostly print, place the odd scan by hand and have room to lift the flatbed lid.
- A lower body with a 250-sheet main tray is the goal, and fax and a document feeder are not needed.
- The catch
- You put each side you scan on the flatbed yourself. The touchscreen does nothing to automate a stack of paper.
Canon MF275dw
- Why pick it
- A 35-sheet feeder is useful because you scan loose paper on a regular basis, and handling reverse sides manually is acceptable.
- Fax matters to you, or a narrower and shallower body does, and there is room for its 14.4-inch height plus access.
- The catch
- Its feeder scans only one side, and big single-sided jobs mean refilling the 150-sheet print tray more often.
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What this page compares
Home paperwork: HL-L2480DW or MF275dw? Compare scans placed by hand, paper refills and the smaller printer that in fact needs a taller shelf.
Both are compact monochrome all-in-ones for a desk that serves work and family alike. Brother devotes more room to blank paper and less to the scanner, while Canon adds a document feeder and fax in a narrower, taller body.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Mostly print jobs, and a low shelf over the desk
The Brother body is lower. Confirm lid access and ventilation instead of treating body height as the full clearance.
- Brother HL-L2480DW
- Better fit
- Canon MF275dw
- Caution
Occasional fax, and loose registration packets
A document feeder and fax come together on Canon. Reverse sides still need manual handling.
- Brother HL-L2480DW
- Caution
- Canon MF275dw
- Better fit
A 200-page packet suitable for duplexing
A full input tray on either printer holds the 100 sheets this example needs. Collecting output is a separate matter.
- Brother HL-L2480DW
- Similar
- Canon MF275dw
- Similar
Scan both sides of a stack of paper automatically
Automatic two-sided scanning of documents is missing from both.
- Brother HL-L2480DW
- Not suitable
- Canon MF275dw
- Not suitable
In practice
Differences you will notice
Under a shelf, the smaller footprint may fit worse
Canon takes up less of the desk, yet its body stands 3.7 inches taller. Put it in a shared bedroom office under a low shelf and that height can count for more than the 0.7 inch of width you save. If printing is your main use, Brother is the better place to start for a low spot. If regular scanning is the reason you are buying, measure the space with the lid open and room to reach the originals. Fitting when closed does not tell you the machine is usable there.
How we worked this out
The height gap is 14.4 minus 10.7 = 3.7 inches. Published body dimensions leave out the room needed for scanning, cabling and ventilation, so no minimum shelf opening is assumed here.
Double-sided printing can cancel out the refill advantage
Say you need to print a 200-page work packet once the children are done with the desk. Printed on a single side, that takes 200 sheets, which means Canon would need a refill even from a full 150-sheet tray, while Brother has enough paper loaded. If the packet can print on both sides, it drops to 100 sheets and either tray holds it. So pick Brother for easier refills only if your real jobs have to stay single-sided. A high page count alone is not a reason to pay for that advantage. You may still have to empty the output trays along the way.
How we worked this out
An illustrative 200-page job that starts with full trays. Single-sided sheets = 200. Duplex sheets = ceiling(200 / 2) = 100. It assumes suitable media and settings. The figures cover input refills only and say nothing about finishing the job unattended.
A feeder spares you loose pages, but not every scan
Take a parent sending off a ten-page registration packet. Canon can pull in suitable loose sheets by itself, whereas on Brother you place all ten by hand. That helps when something else keeps pulling you away. Bound workbooks, delicate keepsakes and awkward originals still go through the flatbed. If those make up almost all of your scans, the feeder just sits there while its taller housing takes up desk space. Either machine also needs hands-on work when you have to capture the back of every sheet.
How we worked this out
Brother lacks an ADF. Canon has a flatbed plus a 35-sheet simplex ADF. The ten loose sheets are just an example that sits within the feeder rating and say nothing about speed or reliability.
Option A
Brother, HL-L2480DW
HL-L2480DW
You mostly print, place the odd scan by hand and have room to lift the flatbed lid.
- Best for
- You mostly print, place the odd scan by hand and have room to lift the flatbed lid.
Facts we checked
- Scanning loose forms: Flatbed only, no document feeder
- Reverse sides of originals: Turn and place each side by hand
- Blank paper loaded for printing: 250 sheets in main tray
- Stored body, width by depth: 16.1 by 15.7 inches
Option B
Canon, MF275dw
MF275dw
A 35-sheet feeder is useful because you scan loose paper on a regular basis, and handling reverse sides manually is acceptable.
- Best for
- A 35-sheet feeder is useful because you scan loose paper on a regular basis, and handling reverse sides manually is acceptable.
Facts we checked
- Scanning loose forms: 35-sheet one-sided feeder and flatbed
- Reverse sides of originals: Manual refeeding or flatbed placement required
- Blank paper loaded for printing: 150 sheets in main tray
- Stored body, width by depth: 15.4 by 14.6 inches
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Brother HL-L2480DW | Canon MF275dw | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scanning loose forms | Flatbed only, no document feeder | 35-sheet one-sided feeder and flatbed | With a stack of loose pages, Brother has you placing each page by hand. Canon can take suitable pages in as a batch. |
| Reverse sides of originals | Turn and place each side by hand | Manual refeeding or flatbed placement required | Printing on both sides automatically does not mean scanning both sides automatically. |
| Blank paper loaded for printing | 250 sheets in main tray | 150 sheets in main tray | Brother takes 100 more sheets, but the gap counts for less if the job can print on both sides. |
| Stored body, width by depth | 16.1 by 15.7 inches | 15.4 by 14.6 inches | Canon covers a smaller rectangle of desk, before cables and operating clearance. |
| Stored body height | 10.7 inches | 14.4 inches | A low shelf can rule Canon out, smaller footprint or not. Both need open space above. |
| Fax and output color | No fax, monochrome printing | Fax, monochrome printing | Canon brings fax. Neither prints in color, even for a school project. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Brother HL-L2480DW
- Compared with Canon, its body is 0.7 inch wider and 1.1 inches deeper. Lower height does not mean a smaller desk footprint.
With Canon MF275dw
- Even before you leave room to load originals or raise the lid, its body is 3.7 inches taller than Brother.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
You scan only now and then and need the lower body
Go with Brother HL-L2480DW. HL-L2480DW keeps more vertical room free and still has a 250-sheet print tray.
You scan loose packets again and again, or you need fax
Go with Canon MF275dw. MF275dw gives you the feeder and fax, but it stands taller and scans one side only.
Two-sided originals need to scan without being refed
Neither model fits. Look for a model that documents automatic duplex scanning.
Decision guide
Before you buy
A printer that tucks under a shelf is what you want, yet you would also like a pile of school and work forms scanned while you do something else. The Brother’s lower body has no document feeder.
What this page can’t tell you
- The sheet examples assume suitable plain paper and a full input tray. They say nothing about jams, scan time or uninterrupted output.
- Nothing about comparative print quality, noise or ownership cost can be drawn from the specification sheet.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the laser printers we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2480DW |
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| Canon MF275dw |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Brother HL-L2480DW
You mostly print, place the odd scan by hand and have room to lift the flatbed lid.
A lower body with a 250-sheet main tray is the goal, and fax and a document feeder are not needed.
See price & reviews on AmazonCanon MF275dw
A 35-sheet feeder is useful because you scan loose paper on a regular basis, and handling reverse sides manually is acceptable.
Fax matters to you, or a narrower and shallower body does, and there is room for its 14.4-inch height plus access.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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