Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW | Epson - EcoTank ET-5850 |
|---|---|---|
| Pages/min (color) | 33 | 12 |
| Pages/min (mono) | 33 | 25 |
Between the MFC-L8905CDW and EcoTank ET-5850, the MFC-L8905CDW comes out ahead in pages/min (color) / pages/min (mono), while the EcoTank ET-5850 wins on several specs. Overall, the MFC-L8905CDW scores 78.3 and the EcoTank ET-5850 scores 73.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The MFC-L8905CDW edges ahead on the Mars Score (78.3 vs 73.1), but the 5.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the MFC-L8905CDW if you care most about pages/min (color) / pages/min (mono). The biggest gaps in its favor are pages/min (color), pages/min (mono). The single most decisive one: Pages/min (color) — 175.00% more. 33 vs 12.
The EcoTank ET-5850 similarly does not carry a headline advantage on the popular specs — look at the full table for category-specific deltas.
Both ship with comparable color, auto duplex, adf, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the MFC-L8905CDW is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Brother - MFC-L8905CDW or Epson - EcoTank ET-5850?
Brother - MFC-L8905CDW leads the current Mars Score by 5.2 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare pages/min (mono), pages/min (color) against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Brother - MFC-L8905CDW if…
Brother - MFC-L8905CDW has the measurable edge on ppm color, ppm mono.
Choose Epson - EcoTank ET-5850 if…
Epson - EcoTank ET-5850 does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Brother - MFC-L8905CDW wins
- ▲Pages/min (color) — 175.00% more. 33 vs 12.
- ▲Pages/min (mono) — 32.00% more. 33 vs 25.
Why Epson - EcoTank ET-5850 wins
- No decisive advantages.
Spec comparison
Spec
| Spec | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW | Epson - EcoTank ET-5850 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Laser AIO (color) | Inkjet AIO |
| Color | true | true |
| Pages/min (mono) | 33lead | 25 |
| Pages/min (color) | 33lead | 12 |
| Resolution | 2400x600 dpi | 4800x1200 dpi |
| Max paper size | Letter | Letter |
Features
| Spec | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW | Epson - EcoTank ET-5850 |
|---|---|---|
| Auto duplex | true | true |
| ADF | true | true |
| Wi-Fiⓘ | true | true |
| AirPrint | true | true |