Office & WFH · Head-to-head
Brother HL-L2460DW vs Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Laser Printers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
For most people the Brother HL-L2460DW is the smart default: cheap to buy, cheap to run, and free of toner lockouts. Step up to the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw when you need accurate color plus scan, copy, and fax in one machine.

Brother HL-L2460DW
Buy itThe cheapest, most fuss-free way to get reliable black-and-white laser printing, and it takes affordable third-party toner.
- Fast for the class at roughly 36 pages per minute with automatic two-sided printing
- Genuinely low running cost, and it accepts inexpensive compatible toner without lockouts
- Compact single-function body that fits a shelf or small desk
- Print-only, so no scanning, copying, or faxing
- Black-and-white only

Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw
Buy itThe color all-in-one to get if you need vivid color and scan/copy/fax in one machine.
- Independent testing rates its color accuracy highly
- Full print, copy, scan, and fax with an automatic document feeder and a color touchscreen
- Color toner is a meaningful ongoing expense
- Larger and heavier than a plain mono unit
Side by side
The 6 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Brother HL-L2460DW Our pick | Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone who mainly prints documents, shipping labels, and forms and wants the lowest cost per page. | Home offices that occasionally need color and want a capable all-in-one in one machine. |
| Price tier | $ · budget | $$$ · premium |
| Output | Mono only | Color |
| Functions | Print only | Print / copy / scan / fax |
| Print speed | Fastest (~36 ppm) | Moderate |
| Running cost | Lowest | Higher (color toner) |
| Third-party toner | Accepted | Generally accepted |
| Warranty | 1 year limited | Check Canon terms |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Brother HL-L2460DW if
anyone who mainly prints documents, shipping labels, and forms and wants the lowest cost per page.
Know before buying: print-only, so no scanning, copying, or faxing.
Pick the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw if
home offices that occasionally need color and want a capable all-in-one in one machine.
Know before buying: color toner is a meaningful ongoing expense.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Brother HL-L2460DW - The cheapest, most fuss-free way to get reliable black-and-white laser printing, and it takes affordable third-party toner. Choose the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw instead if home offices that occasionally need color and want a capable all-in-one in one machine.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Laser Printers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).