Brother MFC-3360C review

The MFC-3360C uses a four-cartridge system with individual tanks for black, cyan, magenta and yellow, which load into the front bay.

Slow prints
The MFC-3360C managed to achieve performance scores so slow that it's frustrating to even look at them. The printer took last place when compared with others in the same price range, producing one measly page of text per minute, most of which was spent preparing itself to receive the document from the computer. This printer doesn't have Wi-Fi connectivity, so we're talking about a direct USB connection here. It performed equally poor in the rest of the benchmark speed tests.

The MFC-3360C redeems itself slightly in terms of output quality. It produces decent-quality black text, and it's even slightly sharper than the MX330, but it's still not nearly as sharp as many other photo inkjet devices. The difference is clearest in the photo-quality tests. Photos printed from MFC-3360C lose their pop and definition in finer lines and quick colour transitions, lacking the even saturation produced by the MX330. The photos and graphics are passable for the average consumer, but those with a keen eye for photography will immediately notice the fuzzy edges and spotty white blemishes that seem to infect every photo that comes out of this printer.

Speed tests
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Presentation speed (ppm)

Photo speed (one sheet)

Colour graphics speed (ppm)

Text speed (ppm)

Canon Pixma MX330

2.17 

0.93 

1.88 

5.54 

Kodak ESP 5

2.21 

1.37 

2.13 

4.39 

Brother MFC-3360C

1.05 

0.26 

2.38 

1.05 

Conclusion
The Brother MFC-3360C has taken a fairly severe beating with the ugly stick. Although it produces decent prints, it does it very slowly. The Canon Pixma MX330 represents a better investment.

Additional editing by Charles Kloet