Brother HL-L2405W vs HP Smart Tank 6001: Laser Speed vs Color Tank
In the printers and scanners aisle, the first fork in the road is usually color: do you need it or not? The Brother HL-L2405W is a wireless monochrome laser built for speed on text-heavy jobs. The HP Smart Tank 6001 is a wireless inkjet all-in-one that trades some speed for color output and a high-capacity ink system. Here's how to pick.
Quick verdict
If most of your printing is black-and-white documents and you want fast pages, choose the Brother. If you need color documents, photos, and all-in-one scan and copy functionality, choose the HP.
Comparison at a glance
| Feature | Brother HL-L2405W | HP Smart Tank 6001 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $106.79 | $199.99 |
| Product type | Wireless monochrome laser printer | Wireless inkjet all-in-one printer |
| Black print speed | 30 ppm | 12 ppm |
| Color output | Monochrome only | Full color |
| Connectivity | Wireless, USB 2.0, Ethernet | Wireless, Bluetooth, HP Jetdirect, USB 2.0 |
Where each printer wins
Brother HL-L2405W:
- Puts down black text at up to 30 ppm, more than double the HP's black speed.
- Adds Ethernet to the wireless and USB connections, handy for a fixed network setup.
HP Smart Tank 6001:
- Prints in color, including documents with charts and photos.
- Adds scan and copy functions to create a one-stop home office machine.
- Ships with up to two years of Original HP ink in the box.
Product notes
Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer
Here's the case for the Brother: it prints up to 30 ISO pages per minute, so long text jobs move quickly without the wait you get from many entry-level inkjets. The 250-sheet paper tray means fewer refills during busy workdays, and dual-band wireless plus USB 2.0 gives you flexible setup whether you share it around the house or plug it into one computer. The clear limitation is the monochrome output-any document with color has to go elsewhere, and photos are completely off the table. If your printing is mostly black text and forms, this printer keeps things simple and fast.
HP Smart Tank 6001 Wireless Inkjet All-in-One Printer
The HP takes the opposite approach. It's a true all-in-one, with scan, copy, and print in one machine, and it produces full-color documents, so school projects, charts, and photos are all fair game. The high-capacity ink tank is designed to keep color printing affordable, and the box includes up to two years of Original HP ink, which is a meaningful head start. The limitation is speed: black-only print speed is 12 ppm, so if you're cranking out a 50-page report, the Brother will finish long before this one. For mixed household printing, the color and all-in-one functions make up for that slower pace.
Final choice by use case
- For fast, affordable black-and-white printing in a home office: Brother HL-L2405W.
- For color documents, photos, and scan-and-copy convenience: HP Smart Tank 6001.
