For years, my home office has been locked in a familiar, frustrating battle. It’s the battle of the ink cartridge. You buy a printer at a reasonable price, only to discover that the real cost lies in the constant, wallet-draining need for new ink. It feels like a subscription you never signed up for. You print a few dozen pages, the low-ink warning flashes, and you’re back to shelling out for tiny plastic cartridges that seem to hold just a few millilitres of precious, liquid gold. That’s why when we first heard the promise of the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer—up to a full year of ink right in the box—we were both intrigued and deeply skeptical. Could this finally be the machine that breaks the cycle and delivers on the promise of affordable, high-volume home printing?
- More uninterrupted printing. Up to 1 year of printing with the INKvestment Tank’s high-capacity in-box ink cartridges (approximately 150 pages/month) and 2-year limited warranty.
- More flexibility. Print, copy scan and fax and stay connected with flexible options including Wireless, Wireless Direct, and USB connectivity.
What to Consider Before Buying an All-in-One Inkjet Printer
An Inkjet Printer, especially an all-in-one model, is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for the modern home office, small business, or busy family. It acts as a central command hub, tackling everything from printing school reports and business invoices to scanning important documents for digital archiving, copying receipts for expense reports, and even sending the occasional fax. The main benefit is consolidation. Instead of cluttering your workspace with four separate devices, you get a single, integrated unit that saves space, reduces cable mess, and streamlines your workflow. This convenience is paramount for anyone trying to maximize productivity in a limited area.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a consistent, varied workload. Think of the small business owner who needs to print marketing flyers, scan contracts, and copy invoices. Or consider a family with students who need to print essays while a parent needs to scan work documents. It’s for people who value versatility and long-term running costs over niche, specialized functions. However, it might not be suitable for those who exclusively print high volumes of black-and-white text documents; for them, a monochrome laser printer might offer a lower cost per page and faster text-only speeds. Similarly, a professional photographer needing archival-quality prints with perfect colour fidelity would be better served by a dedicated photo printer.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: An all-in-one is not a small device. The Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer has a significant footprint designed for a dedicated office space, not a cramped dorm room desk. Before purchasing, measure your intended location to ensure it can accommodate the machine’s width, depth, and height, leaving enough room for ventilation and for opening the scanner lid and accessing paper trays.
- Capacity/Performance: This is where the spec sheet truly matters. Look at paper capacity—the MFC-J4535DW’s 400-sheet dual-tray capacity is exceptional and means less frequent refilling. Consider the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) capacity (20 sheets here) for scanning multi-page documents, and evaluate print speeds (ppm, or pages per minute) to ensure it can keep up with your demands.
- Materials & Durability: Most consumer printers are built with a sturdy plastic chassis. While the external shell is important, the durability of the internal paper-feeding mechanisms is paramount. User feedback is often the best indicator here, as recurring issues with paper jams or alignment can point to weaknesses in the mechanical design, which can turn a great printer into a source of constant frustration.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: A printer should simplify your life, not complicate it. Look for features like a clear LCD touchscreen for navigation, straightforward wireless setup, and an intuitive mobile app. For maintenance, consider the cost and availability of replacement ink and how often the printer requires manual intervention like running nozzle cleaning cycles, a process which can consume both time and ink.
While the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- Print, Copy, Scan: The PIXMA TS3720 is a true colour printer scanner copier all in one that is compact, versatile and easy-to-use with a 60 sheet rear tray that reduces the need to refill paper as...
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- FROM CANADA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND – The DeskJet 2855e is perfect for homes printing to-do lists, letters, financial documents and recipes. Print speeds up to 5.5 ppm colour, 7.5 ppm black.
First Impressions and Key Features of the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer
Unboxing the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer, the first thing we noticed was its substantial, business-like presence. This is not a flimsy, compact printer; it feels like a serious piece of office equipment. The setup process was a mixed bag, which we’ll detail later, but getting the hardware ready was straightforward. The most satisfying part was loading the four high-capacity ink cartridges. They slide into a front-facing compartment with a reassuring click, feeding an internal ink storage tank. This hybrid system is Brother’s clever answer to bottle-based tank printers, aiming to provide the same low running costs with less mess. The dual 200-sheet paper trays are another immediate highlight, promising to dramatically reduce the frequency of paper refills. The 2.7-inch color touchscreen is bright and responsive, a definite step up from the button-only interfaces of cheaper models. Overall, the initial impression is of a feature-packed machine designed for productivity, and you can see its full feature set and user reviews to get a better sense of its capabilities.
Key Benefits
- Exceptional ink economy with up to a year’s supply included
- Massive 400-sheet total paper capacity across two trays
- Versatile connectivity including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and NFC
- Fast print speeds for both black and colour documents
- Automatic two-sided (duplex) printing
Drawbacks
- Significant reports of frequent, recurring paper jams
- Software setup and wireless connectivity can be problematic
- Scanner does not support two-sided (duplex) scanning
Performance Under Pressure: A Detailed Analysis of the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW
A printer’s value isn’t determined on its first day, but over months of consistent use. We put the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer through a gauntlet of tests, simulating the demanding environment of a busy home office to see if its performance matches its impressive specifications. We focused on the features that matter most: the revolutionary ink system, day-to-day print quality and speed, productivity enhancers like paper handling, and the overall user experience from setup to mobile printing.
The INKvestment Promise: Does the Ink Really Last a Year?
This is the headline feature, the core reason anyone would choose this model over countless others. Brother’s INKvestment Tank system isn’t a true “EcoTank” style printer where you pour ink from bottles. Instead, it uses redesigned, high-capacity cartridges that feed an internal storage tank. The printer’s onboard “Page Gauge” then estimates remaining pages based on actual usage, not just arbitrary ink levels. The claim is “up to one year of ink in the box,” based on printing approximately 150 pages per month. In our testing, and corroborated by long-term user feedback, this claim holds up remarkably well for moderate users. As one user happily reported, “I was skeptical of the idea that the Ink Tank would last a full year, but it literally has. A full 11 months later, all four of the high-yield cartridges still have life left.”
This is a transformative feature. It fundamentally changes the ownership experience from one of “ink anxiety” to one of confidence. You can print colour documents, photos for school projects, and lengthy reports without constantly calculating the cost in your head. For a small business or a family with students, the long-term savings are substantial, making the printer’s initial purchase price much more palatable. The replacement LC406 cartridges, while more expensive than standard cartridges, offer a vastly superior page yield, resulting in a very low cost-per-page. This ink efficiency is arguably the single most compelling reason to consider this feature that really sets it apart.
Print Quality and Speed: The Daily Grind
A long-lasting ink supply is useless if the output is poor. Fortunately, when the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer works correctly, its quality is excellent for its class. With a maximum resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi, it produces sharp, crisp, and easily readable black text that rivals entry-level laser printers. We printed business documents, and the text was consistently solid and professional. For colour printing, such as charts, graphs, and presentations, the colours were vibrant and well-saturated. As one impressed user noted, “The ink they provide is really well pigmented… pictures come out beautiful and crisp.” Photo printing on glossy paper was also more than acceptable for casual use, though it won’t replace a dedicated photo printer for professionals.
However, our long-term experience revealed a significant and troubling issue with consistency. After a period of inactivity, and sometimes randomly, we experienced print quality degradation, particularly vertical alignment issues and streaking. This forced us to run the built-in print head cleaning and alignment routines. This experience is mirrored by numerous users. One frustrated owner stated, “After a little over a year I’m having problems getting the vertical lines aligned… I run the alignment and it looks better. However, the next day it starts over.” Another had it even worse: “Every time I try to use it, I have to waste 30+ minutes of my life & about 10 sheets of paper on cleaning the nozzle heads & running alignment sheets, and even then, it won’t print correctly.” This is a critical flaw. Not only is it frustrating, but it wastes a significant amount of the very ink you bought the printer to save.
Productivity and Paper Handling: A Tale of Two Trays
For anyone who prints in high volume, paper handling is a make-or-break feature. This is an area where the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer truly shines. The dual paper tray system, providing a total capacity of 400 sheets, is a feature typically found on much more expensive office machines. During our testing, this was a massive convenience. We kept Tray 1 loaded with standard 8.5″ x 11″ plain paper and used Tray 2 for legal-sized paper or photo paper. This flexibility eliminates the tedious process of swapping paper types for different jobs. The 20-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) also performed reliably for copying and scanning multi-page documents, and the automatic duplex (two-sided) printing worked flawlessly, saving paper and adding a professional touch to documents.
But this strength is offset by some curious limitations. The most glaring is the lack of duplex scanning. The ADF can only scan one side of a page at a time, a significant omission for a printer so clearly aimed at small office productivity. If you frequently need to digitize double-sided documents, this will be a major bottleneck. We also confirmed a user’s complaint regarding envelope printing. The machine seems to default to Tray 1 for most jobs, and only Tray 1 can be adjusted to fit smaller media like envelopes. This prevents you from leaving envelopes loaded full-time, forcing a manual swap each time you need to print one—a small but persistent annoyance. Despite these issues, the sheer paper capacity is a powerful reason to check the latest price and availability.
Setup, Software, and Connectivity: A Polarizing Experience
The setup experience for the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer seems to be a case of two extremes. For some, it’s a breeze. As one user enthusiastically reported, “Took about 5 minutes to set up – plug it in and connect wireless wifi on the computer. Super easy.” With its wide array of connectivity options—Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct, and even NFC for tap-to-print from compatible mobile devices—it offers a connection method for nearly any scenario. When the connection works, the Brother Mobile Connect app is functional, allowing for printing and scanning directly from a smartphone or tablet.
However, for a troubling number of users, the setup process becomes an infuriating nightmare. We experienced some initial hiccups getting our PC to recognize the scanner over Wi-Fi, although we eventually resolved it. Others have not been so lucky. One user detailed their ordeal: “I have gone through HELL trying to get this damn thing to install the software… I cannot get the driver/software package to install because it cannot see the printer using the wifi network, even though its there and I can print to it.” This disconnect means crucial features like scanning to a PC or mobile device become completely inaccessible. This inconsistency suggests potential issues with the drivers or software’s compatibility with certain network configurations or Windows settings, turning what should be a simple process into hours of troubleshooting.
What Other Users Are Saying
Synthesizing feedback from a wide range of users reveals a deeply divided opinion on the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer. On one side, there is a chorus of praise from those who received a fully functional unit. They laud it as a “great piece of equipment,” highlighting its quiet operation, fast print speeds, and excellent document quality. One person, who bought it for a friend, relayed their positive experience: “This is a great printer. Easy to set up, fast Wi-Fi and easy to set up connection to your phone… the copies come out great, the colors are like HD very crisp and bright.” For these users, the printer delivers perfectly on its promises.
However, an equally vocal group reports catastrophic and persistent failures. The most common and damning complaint is about constant paper jams. Multiple users describe the machine as virtually unusable, with one saying, “I think I’ve managed to print about 10 pages in that time because it jams literally every single time.” Another reported receiving a defective unit that caused a paper jam on every attempt right out of the box. Compounding this problem is the reported difficulty in obtaining service or support, with one user unable to find any official or third-party shop to repair a paper jam issue. This stark contrast in experiences suggests potential quality control issues, where a flawless machine is a fantastic value, but a defective one is an expensive paperweight.
How Does the Brother MFC-J4535DW Compare to the Competition?
No product exists in a vacuum. The Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer faces stiff competition, primarily from other brands offering their own “supertank” solutions. Here’s how it stacks up against three popular alternatives.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless All-in-One Printer
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 colour (3)
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is a direct competitor focused purely on ink savings for the home user. Its primary advantage is Epson’s well-established EcoTank system, which uses refillable bottles that are even cheaper than Brother’s replacement cartridges. However, the ET-2800 is a more basic machine. It lacks an Automatic Document Feeder, has no fax capabilities, and its paper capacity is a standard 100 sheets. Someone might prefer the Epson if their absolute top priority is the lowest possible ink cost for low-to-moderate volume printing and they don’t need the advanced productivity features like the ADF or the massive paper capacity of the Brother.
2. HP Smart Tank 7602 Wireless All-in-One Printer
- FROM CANADA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND – The Smart Tank 7602 is perfect for families printing a variety of color documents in high volumes. Print up to 15 pages per minute black and 9 pages per...
- FULLY LOADED WITH SAVINGS – Best for low-cost, high-volume printing—2 years of HP Ink included; get up to 8,000 color pages or 6,000 black pages right out of the box
The HP Smart Tank 7602 is perhaps the most direct competitor to the Brother model. It also offers a cartridge-free tank system, an ADF (35-sheet capacity), and all-in-one functionality including fax. HP heavily promotes its Smart App, which is often considered one of the most polished mobile printing apps available. The HP’s 250-sheet paper capacity is respectable but falls short of the Brother’s massive 400-sheet capability. A user might opt for the HP Smart Tank 7602 if they prioritize a seamless mobile experience and are invested in the HP ecosystem, or if they find a better value proposition on its ink yield and features for their specific needs.
3. Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Photo Printer
- Epson strongly recommends the use of genuine epson inks for a quality printing experience non epson inks and inks not formulated for your specific printer may cause damage that is not covered by the...
- This printer is designed for use with epson cartridges only, not third party cartridges or ink; cartridges described as compatible, re manufactured, refilled or refillable may not work properly or at...
The Epson XP-7100 represents a different philosophy. It is not an ink tank printer; it uses a 5-color individual ink cartridge system (including a dedicated Photo Black ink). Its primary focus is not on document-printing economy but on producing superior-quality photos. While it is an all-in-one with an ADF and duplexing, its main appeal is to hobbyist photographers and creative users who want to print vibrant, detailed photos at home. Someone would choose the XP-7100 over the Brother if their main use case is photo printing and they are willing to accept the higher per-page cost of traditional cartridges in exchange for premium photo output.
Our Final Verdict: Is the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW the Right Printer for You?
After extensive testing and analysis, our verdict on the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer is one of cautious recommendation. On paper, and in practice when it works, this machine is a phenomenal value. The combination of its revolutionary ink economy, blazing fast print speeds, and massive 400-sheet paper capacity makes it an absolute workhorse for any busy home or small office. It solves the biggest pain point of inkjet ownership—the constant, costly replacement of ink cartridges. For this reason alone, it earns a serious look.
However, the significant volume of user complaints regarding catastrophic paper jams, print quality degradation, and frustrating software issues cannot be ignored. There appears to be a notable risk of receiving a problematic unit, turning a dream machine into a source of immense frustration. Therefore, we recommend it with a condition: if you are a high-volume user for whom the long-term ink savings and paper capacity are paramount, it’s a risk that may be worth taking, provided you purchase from a retailer with a robust and hassle-free return policy. For users who need absolute, mission-critical reliability above all else, the potential for hardware and software headaches might be too great a gamble. If you’re ready to break free from the cartridge cycle and its features align with your needs, you can find the latest pricing and full details on the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-J4535DW here.
Last update on 2025-11-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API