Side by side

Brother MFC-L5710DW vs MFC-L5915DW: Rated scan speed is equal, and 5915 adds legal glass

Quick verdict

The MFC-L5915DW is for legal-size originals that must lie flat, or eligible scan packets that regularly run 51 to 70 sheets. The MFC-L5710DW fits when ordinary packets stay at 50 sheets and you need a body 3.1 inches narrower. Duplex scanning is claimed at the same 60 black or 42 color images per minute on both, and each has 350-sheet standard input. What the larger model buys is glass size and feeder capacity, and not a higher stated scan rate.

Before you buy

Why, and what it costs you

Legal-size printing and a legal-size flatbed are separate purchases

A home business can print legal-size forms without trouble and still receive a creased or fragile original that should not go into an automatic feeder. On the 5915 a legal-size sheet lies on the 14-inch glass. The 5710 glass is shorter and cannot capture the full length in one placement, even though its feeder accepts legal-length paper. If all your legal originals are suitable loose sheets, using the feeder takes away the reason to buy the wider model.

Where this comes from

According to the US manual, the glass is 11.8 inches long on the 5710 and 14 inches on the 5915. The ADF path on both accepts up to 14 inches. Whether an original suits the feeder is a separate question from its length.

The catch

Brother MFC-L5710DW

Legal is longer than the glass. Support for Legal-size printing and feeding leaves that flatbed limit as it is.

The catch

Brother MFC-L5915DW

Its body is 19.5 inches wide. Short scan packets get no higher rated scan speed and no extra standard print paper from it.

Brother MFC-L5710DW

Brother MFC-L5710DW

Why pick it
  • A 3.1-inch narrower body is yours if the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.
  • Supported jobs get the same stated duplex scan rate as the 5915.
The catch
Legal is longer than the glass. Support for Legal-size printing and feeding leaves that flatbed limit as it is.
See price & reviews on Amazon
Brother MFC-L5915DW

Brother MFC-L5915DW

Why pick it
  • Legal-size originals can lie on the documented 14-inch glass, so unsuitable sheets are not forced through a feeder.
  • One load takes eligible 51- to 70-sheet packets.
The catch
Its body is 19.5 inches wide. Short scan packets get no higher rated scan speed and no extra standard print paper from it.
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Comparison updated , Product data updated , Amazon.com / United States

What this page compares

A legal-size glass and a larger feeder come with the MFC-L5915DW, while rated scan speed is equal. Judge whether the wider body fixes the paperwork problem you really have.

These business monochrome all-in-ones both scan duplex in one pass, and either suits the same document-heavy office. The real choice is among desk width, legal-size originals and scan-stack capacity.

Which one fits

Pick the situations that sound like you

  • Your legal-size originals are too fragile to go through the feeder

    The 5915 has the legal-length glass you need, and the 5710 glass is shorter.

    Brother MFC-L5710DW
    Not suitable
    Brother MFC-L5915DW
    Better fit
  • A typical two-sided packet runs to 30 sheets

    Each takes the packet and quotes the same duplex scanning rate.

    Brother MFC-L5710DW
    Good
    Brother MFC-L5915DW
    Good
  • Eligible packets regularly come to 60 sheets

    The 5915 spares you the split that the 50-sheet 5710 feeder forces.

    Brother MFC-L5710DW
    Caution
    Brother MFC-L5915DW
    Better fit
  • You want to fit more standard print paper into less width

    Input is 350 sheets on each. The 5710 is narrower, but neither adds capacity without extras.

    Brother MFC-L5710DW
    Better fit
    Brother MFC-L5915DW
    Depends

In practice

Differences you will notice

Legal-size printing and a legal-size flatbed are separate purchases

A home business can print legal-size forms without trouble and still receive a creased or fragile original that should not go into an automatic feeder. On the 5915 a legal-size sheet lies on the 14-inch glass. The 5710 glass is shorter and cannot capture the full length in one placement, even though its feeder accepts legal-length paper. If all your legal originals are suitable loose sheets, using the feeder takes away the reason to buy the wider model.

How we worked this out

According to the US manual, the glass is 11.8 inches long on the 5710 and 14 inches on the 5915. The ADF path on both accepts up to 14 inches. Whether an original suits the feeder is a separate question from its length.

A bigger load does not speed up scanning once the load is in

When your usual stack is 20 to 40 sheets, both feeders hold it and both quote the same duplex scan rate. For that routine, moving up to the 5915 brings no documented scan-speed advantage. The advantage shows up with an eligible packet of 51 to 70 sheets, where it spares you the extra load that the 5710 needs. Pick the larger feeder to fit the stack you really handle, and not because the model number sounds faster.

How we worked this out

Each claims 60 black/42 color duplex ipm. For a 60-sheet supported packet the loads are ceiling(60/50) = 2 versus ceiling(60/70) = 1. The rate says nothing about total task time.

Buying the wider machine does not get you out of paper-refill trips

On a desk shared with a laptop and homework, the 5710 leaves 3.1 inches more width free than the 5915 does, before clearances. Standard boxes for both come with a 250-sheet main tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray. If fewer print-paper refills is your goal, buying the 5915 by itself will not get you there. Look at the right optional tray configuration or a model with larger input, instead of paying for a legal flatbed you will not use.

How we worked this out

19.5 - 16.4 = 3.1 inches. Standard input totals 250 + 100 = 350 sheets on both, and output is 150. Optional trays add cost and take more height.

Option A
Brother MFC-L5710DW

Brother, MFC-L5710DW

MFC-L5710DW

A 3.1-inch narrower body is yours if the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.

Best for
A 3.1-inch narrower body is yours if the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.

Facts we checked

  • An original that must lie flat: MFC-L5710DW glass handles originals up to 11.8 inches long. The ADF supports up to 14 inches.
  • Two-sided packet scanning: 50-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute, with advanced features off.
  • Shared work surface: Closed body 16.4 x 18.1 x 17.6 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.
  • Routine workload: Recommended monthly maximum 5,000 pages.
Option B
Brother MFC-L5915DW

Brother, MFC-L5915DW

MFC-L5915DW

Legal-size originals can lie on the documented 14-inch glass, so unsuitable sheets are not forced through a feeder.

Best for
Legal-size originals can lie on the documented 14-inch glass, so unsuitable sheets are not forced through a feeder.

Facts we checked

  • An original that must lie flat: MFC-L5915DW glass and ADF both support originals up to 14 inches long.
  • Two-sided packet scanning: 70-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute.
  • Shared work surface: Closed body 19.5 x 18.6 x 19.1 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.
  • Routine workload: Recommended monthly maximum 8,000 pages.

Spec by spec

Where they really differ

Where Brother MFC-L5710DW and Brother MFC-L5915DW differ
SpecBrother MFC-L5710DWBrother MFC-L5915DWIn practice
An original that must lie flatMFC-L5710DW glass handles originals up to 11.8 inches long. The ADF supports up to 14 inches.MFC-L5915DW glass and ADF both support originals up to 14 inches long.Check legal-size support on its own for printing, feeding and flatbed scanning.
Two-sided packet scanning50-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute, with advanced features off.70-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute.The 5915 holds more sheets, yet the quoted scanning rate is the same in the stated modes.
Shared work surfaceClosed body 16.4 x 18.1 x 17.6 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.Closed body 19.5 x 18.6 x 19.1 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.Your originals could justify the wider scanner. The print-paper supply does not.
Routine workloadRecommended monthly maximum 5,000 pages.Recommended monthly maximum 8,000 pages.Sustained output volume is its own reason to pick the larger model.

Trade-offs

What each pick costs you

With Brother MFC-L5710DW

  • Print stock heavier than 28 lb bond has to go through the documented half-speed, straight-output route, which needs rear access.

With Brother MFC-L5915DW

  • Its larger body needs room for the lid and paper access, and it is still a black-and-white printer.

Change of plan

When the answer changes

Packets stay within 50 sheets and no original requires legal-size glass

Go with Brother MFC-L5710DW. The 5710 handles the task in a narrower body at the same stated scan rate.

Legal glass or a feeder load of 51 to 70 sheets lifts a real restriction

Go with Brother MFC-L5915DW. The larger MFP adds exactly those physical capabilities.

You need color copies printed from the scanned originals

Neither model fits. Each scans in color and prints in monochrome.

Decision guide

Before you buy

Space for daily work next to the printer is the aim, but some originals cannot be fed, and the larger glass may be your only reason to accept a wider machine.

Check these before you buy

  • Treat original length, flatbed length and print-paper size as different things.
  • Work out how many physical sheets a typical scan packet has.
  • Plan the installation around opening the lid and reaching the paper at the rear.

What this page can’t tell you

  • No ranking for image quality or reliability was measured.
  • Since the manual makes the same printing noise claims for both, neither is recommended as quieter here.
  • File-completion times are not what scan-rate claims give, since advanced processing is excluded.

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
Models in the comparison
2 models
Sources
4 covering these models
Product data updated
The facts and sources behind each product in this recommendation
ProductNeeds it meetsFacts we checkedSources
Brother MFC-L5710DW
  • A 3.1-inch narrower body is yours if the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.
  • Supported jobs get the same stated duplex scan rate as the 5915.
  • The 350-sheet standard print supply is the same, minus the larger body.
  • An original that must lie flat: MFC-L5710DW glass handles originals up to 11.8 inches long. The ADF supports up to 14 inches.
  • Two-sided packet scanning: 50-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute, with advanced features off.
  • Shared work surface: Closed body 16.4 x 18.1 x 17.6 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.
  • Routine workload: Recommended monthly maximum 5,000 pages.
Brother MFC-L5915DW
  • Legal-size originals can lie on the documented 14-inch glass, so unsuitable sheets are not forced through a feeder.
  • One load takes eligible 51- to 70-sheet packets.
  • Regular printing beyond 5,000 pages calls for the higher recommended monthly allowance.
  • An original that must lie flat: MFC-L5915DW glass and ADF both support originals up to 14 inches long.
  • Two-sided packet scanning: 70-sheet one-pass duplex ADF. Rated duplex scan speed up to 60 black or 42 color images per minute.
  • Shared work surface: Closed body 19.5 x 18.6 x 19.1 inches. Standard paper input 350 sheets and output 150.
  • Routine workload: Recommended monthly maximum 8,000 pages.

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 MFC-L5710DW

Brother MFC-L5710DW

A 3.1-inch narrower body is yours if the shorter glass and 50-sheet ADF cover your paperwork.

Supported jobs get the same stated duplex scan rate as the 5915.

See price & reviews on Amazon
Brother MFC-L5915DW

Brother MFC-L5915DW

Legal-size originals can lie on the documented 14-inch glass, so unsuitable sheets are not forced through a feeder.

One load takes eligible 51- to 70-sheet packets.

See price & reviews on Amazon

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We may earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases. How we make money