Brother IntelliFAX 1840C Plain Paper Inkjet Fax

Pros: The B&W printing quality seemed fine.
Cons: Answering machine issue only discussed at the Brother website. Needs a dedicated phone line.

I needed a new FAX machine and I've had good luck with my Brother printer, so I thought I'd try a Brother FAX machine. The idea of having a color printer thrown in also influenced my purchase. Unfortunately this machine doesn't meet my FAXing needs. ...

Pros: works great till you have to replace an ink cartridge
Cons: stops working after you replace an ink cartridge

I purchased this fax machine because it had a pretty good review up to the time i purchased it - 4/05. it works well until one of the ink cartridges empties, and then your problems begin. when you replace an ink cartridge sometimes it recognizes it and sometimes it won't. if you take it out to reseat it - it definately won't. i've wasted many cartridges trying to get it to work.

i'm on my way out to purchase another fax machine!

Pros: Understandable owner's manual. Easy set-up. Flip covers to keep cat's from stepping on button's.
Cons: The phone is too light, easy for the cat to knock off.

I just bought this today for use in my home and have run it through all of it's functions. So far it does everything it should do with excellence, but the main reason I bought it was because of the flip covers that go over the button's. If you have a cat in your home than you know what I mean.

Pros: Okay B&W faxes. Good exercise in patience.
Cons: REGULARLY refuses to print anything because of low color ink.

The fax machine works okay in black and white. Anything I've ever tried to print in color looks faded. The machine stops working on a regular basis, complaining of "No Cartridge" or "Low Magenta" or "Low Cyan" or "Low Yellow" or "Low Black." When you take the cartridge out that is supposed to be low, it is obvious that there is much ink still inside. I've wanted to throw the machine across the room!

It is possible to fool this half-smart device. You can take a cartridge out, cause it to "bleed" on a piece of paper towel, put it back in the device, wiggle it around, and wait ... sometimes it works. Very infuriating!

Pros: Does what it promises.
Cons: The machine shuts down unless each of the 4 cartridges is full. Drinks color ink.

You will spend a lot buying new color ink tanks (3 separate colors) even if you only use it for black/white faxing. I have owned this machine for 3 months and received ONLY black/white faxes, yet I am on my third set of each of the yellow, cyan, and magenta cartridges, about as many as black cartridges. The machine will NOT do ANYTHING without each of the 4 cartridges being full. Brother support has told me they will send me 2 sets of color cartridges, but that is all they will do. The inability of the machine to function in black and white without all three color cartridges being full is a serious design flaw. The company tells me it is not supposed to use as much color ink as I am experiencing, but does use some on even black/white faxes.

Pros: Works fine when it works
Cons: Uses color ink even if you don't

I have a Brother 1840C fax machine. I didn't need the color capability when I bought it, never used it and I still don't. But every day the machine "cleans" itself, using a little of the color inks. And when any cartridge is empty, the entire machine stops working. You have to buy new color cartidges even if you never use them, because the machine makes sure they're used up over a few months. I bought this machine because I thought the consumables would be appropriate. Now I'm off to the supply store to buy Cyan and Magenta just so I can print out a black and white fax. Grr!!!!

Pros: none worth mentioning
Cons: So many its not even funny.

I can't give this machine a low enough score.
Its absurdly slow almost to the point where you question how badly you really need whatever fax is coming through. Despite printing only black and white, it insists on using all the colors and is constantly killing expensive ink carts. When you replace them, you have to play with them
several times before the machine will admit that there is a cart there.
Total garbage and a total embarassment for a brand name like Brother.

Pros: None
Cons: Sucks color ink profusely

Don't ever buy this machine. I've had the same problem with drinking color ink even though, even though I don't ever use color. Won't work at all unless color carts are all full. I've missed some important communications because the machine stopped working and I didn't know it.


I've managed to fool it for awhile by injecting enough IPA into the low color carts.

Going to get rid of it.

Pros: None.. None at all
Cons: Simple... a product that does not work.

In 16 months Brother replaced this fax 2 times under warranty because of complete failure/loss of power. On the 3rd fax barely out of warranty, Brother refused to step up and accept responsibility and was therefore threatened by the news media because of the repeated problems w/ the 1840C. Brother called and offered to repair free of charge in which case I carried to an authorized repair center. Upon picking up 3 weeks later I was told by the technician it is a poor quality fax with many problems and numerous service bulletins from Brother. Upon hooking up on my return back, it lasted about 2 hours and has not worked since. BROTHER says sorry but, nothing they will do. IN SHORT, this fax sucks, Brother sucks, and hell will freeze before I purchase another one of their products. The FTC should penalize for putting such junk on the market.