Brother toner cartridges

The TN code and the yield

Brother laser cartridges carry a TN code, and one model usually serves a whole printer family. Both the newer TN-248 and TN-249 (10 products together) and a long tail of earlier ones are here: TN-2010, TN-1050, TN-241, TN-243, TN-247, TN-421, TN-423, TN-2410 and TN-3520.

• Yield. The median is 2 300 pages, with the usual range from 1 000 to 4 000. The largest, TN-3520, delivers 20 000 pages.
• Standard and high capacity. One printer often has two codes, say TN-2410 and TN-2420: the cartridge shape is identical, the second simply holds more toner.
• Colours. 14 products are black, the rest colour, and a colour laser needs all four to keep the picture right.
• Running cost. Cost per page follows the yield, not the size, so the higher-capacity code is always cheaper.

Toner and drum are two different parts

Toner is the powder; the drum, the DR series, is the light-sensitive cylinder that carries powder onto paper. A drum outlasts several toner changes and the printer reports it separately. This list holds toners only, so if the printer complains about the drum, write to us and we will match the right part by its DR code.

If the machine uses ink

Inkjet Brother models need LC-series ink cartridges instead. A cheaper page comes from compatible toner cartridges, and the whole range is on the ink and toner page. For a new machine see printers, with paper alongside.

Frequently asked questions

Are toner and drum the same thing? No. Toner is the powder and runs out more often; the drum is the cylinder that transfers it onto paper and is replaced several times less frequently.

What is the difference between TN-2410 and TN-2420? The shape and the printer are the same; the amount of toner differs, as TN-2420 is the high-yield version.

Can toner dry out on the shelf? No. It is a dry powder and a sealed cartridge keeps for years, so a spare is safe to buy ahead.