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Brother supply replacement

How to change Brother toner, drum, or ink

On a Brother laser printer the toner cartridge and the drum unit are two separate parts that clip together — replacing toner does not mean replacing the drum, and Brother explicitly warns not to reset the drum counter when you have only changed the toner.

Hazard: Brother warns that some internal parts are extremely hot immediately after use and that you should wait for the machine to cool before touching them. Brother also warns: “DO NOT put a toner cartridge into a fire. It could explode, resulting in injuries.”

What you need

  • The exact Brother model number
  • Which consumable the display is actually asking for: toner, drum, or ink
  • The replacement supply Brother lists for that model

Toner cartridge

Brother mono laser printers and MFCs. Brother documents this per model family — cover type, shake count, and corona-wire direction vary

Hazard: Brother WARNING: “After you have just used the machine, some internal parts will be extremely hot. Wait for the machine to cool down before you touch the internal parts of the machine.” If toner scatters on hands or clothing, Brother says to wipe or wash it off immediately with cold water.

  1. 1

    Open the front cover and let the machine cool

    With the machine powered on, open the front cover and leave the machine on for about 10 minutes so the internal fan cools the internal parts before you reach inside.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replace or install the toner cartridge
  2. 2

    Take out the drum and toner assembly

    Remove the drum unit and toner cartridge assembly together. Placing it on disposable paper or cloth catches any toner spillage.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replace or install the toner cartridge
  3. 3

    Separate the toner from the drum

    Push down the green lock lever and take the toner cartridge out of the drum unit. These are two separate consumables that clip together.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Difference between drum unit and toner cartridge
  4. 4

    Prepare the new toner cartridge

    Unpack the new toner cartridge, hold it level with both hands, and gently rock it side to side several times to spread the toner evenly. Then remove the protective cover.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replace or install the toner cartridge
  5. 5

    Fit the toner and clean the corona wire

    Put the new cartridge firmly into the drum until it locks into place and the green lock lever lifts automatically. Then slide the green tab left and right several times to clean the corona wire, and return the tab to its home position — Brother warns that otherwise printed pages may show a vertical stripe.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replace or install the toner cartridge
  6. 6

    Reinstall and let the machine settle

    Put the assembly back into the machine and close the front cover. Brother says not to switch the machine off or open the front cover until the display clears the waiting message and returns to Ready.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replace or install the toner cartridge

Drum unit

Brother laser printers. Colour models have one drum per colour and a different reset path

Caution: The drum counter is reset manually and separately. Brother states plainly: “Do not reset the drum counter when you only replace the toner cartridge.” Brother also says to seal a used drum unit tightly in a suitable bag so toner powder does not spill out.

  1. 1

    Remove the assembly and separate the parts

    With the machine on, open the front cover and remove the toner and drum assembly. Push down the green lock lever and take the toner cartridge out of the old drum.

    Source: Brother USA Support — How to replace or install the drum unit
  2. 2

    Fit the toner into the new drum

    Unpack the new drum unit and insert the existing toner cartridge into it. Brother warns to make sure the toner cartridge is in correctly, or it may separate from the drum unit.

    Source: Brother USA Support — How to replace or install the drum unit
  3. 3

    Clean the corona wire

    Slide the green tab left and right several times to clean the corona wire, then return it to the home position so printed pages do not show a vertical stripe.

    Source: Brother USA Support — How to replace or install the drum unit
  4. 4

    Reinstall the assembly

    Put the drum and toner assembly back into the machine and close the front cover.

    Source: Brother USA Support — How to replace or install the drum unit
  5. 5

    Reset the drum counter — only for a drum change

    On touchscreen models the path is Settings, All Settings, Machine Info, Parts Life, then press and hold Drum and confirm. The exact path varies by model. Reset the counter only because you replaced the drum, never because you replaced toner.

    Source: Brother USA Support — How to replace or install the drum unit

Ink cartridges

Brother inkjet printers using LC-series cartridges

Caution: Brother: “If ink gets in your eyes, immediately wash them out with water.” Black cartridges are shaken before fitting; colour cartridges are not. Unlike the drum, the ink counter resets automatically.

  1. 1

    Open the cartridge cover and release the cartridge

    Open the ink cartridge cover, press the lock release lever for the colour the display names, and remove that cartridge.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replacing an ink cartridge
  2. 2

    Prepare the new cartridge for its colour

    Take the new cartridge out of its bag. Brother's procedure shakes the black cartridge before fitting but explicitly says not to shake the magenta, cyan, or yellow cartridges.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replacing an ink cartridge
  3. 3

    Remove the packaging without touching the contacts

    Turn the green release lever until it clicks and remove the orange packaging. Do not touch the contact area Brother marks, as this can keep the cartridge from functioning.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replacing an ink cartridge
  4. 4

    Seat it in the colour-coded slot

    Insert the cartridge into its matching colour slot and push the area marked PUSH until it clicks into place. Repeat for any other colours, then close the cover.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replacing an ink cartridge
  5. 5

    Confirm and let the counter reset itself

    Confirm the installation if the machine prompts you. Brother states the machine resets the ink dot counter itself — there is no manual ink reset to perform.

    Source: Brother USA Support — Replacing an ink cartridge

How to confirm it worked

The display returns to Ready with no supply message, and a one-page test print shows no vertical stripe, banding, or missing colour.

Verified Brother supplies by model

Part numbers checked against Brother’s own U.S. documentation. Buy against the number listed for your exact model — supplies that look alike are often not compatible.

  • DCP-L2647DW
    • TN-830 — Toner
    • TN-830XL — Toner (high yield)
    • DR-830 — Drum unit
  • HL-L2350DW
    • TN-730 — Toner black
    • TN-760 — Toner black (high yield)
    • DR-730 — Drum unit
  • HL-L2370DW
    • TN-730 — Toner black
    • TN-760 — Toner black (high yield)
    • DR-730 — Drum unit
  • HL-L2395DW
    • TN-730 — Toner black
    • TN-760 — Toner black (high yield)
    • DR-730 — Drum unit
  • HL-L2400D
    • TN-830 — Toner
    • TN-830XL — Toner (high yield)
    • DR-830 — Drum unit
  • HL-L2460DW
    • TN-830 — Toner
    • TN-830XL — Toner (high yield)
    • DR-830 — Drum unit
  • HL-L3210CW
    • TN223BK — Toner black
    • TN223C — Toner cyan
    • TN223M — Toner magenta
    • TN223Y — Toner yellow
    • TN227BK — Toner black (high yield)
    • TN227C — Toner cyan (high yield)
    • TN227M — Toner magenta (high yield)
    • TN227Y — Toner yellow (high yield)
    • DR223CL — Drum unit
    • BU223CL — Transfer belt
    • WT223CL — Waste toner box
  • HL-L3220CDW
    • TN229BK — Toner black
    • TN229C — Toner cyan
    • TN229M — Toner magenta
    • TN229XLBK — Toner black (high yield)
    • TN229XLC — Toner cyan (high yield)
    • TN229XLM — Toner magenta (high yield)
    • TN229XLY — Toner yellow (high yield)
    • TN229Y — Toner yellow
    • DR229CL — Drum unit
    • BU229CL — Transfer belt
    • WT229CL — Waste toner box
  • HL-L3300CDW
    • TN229BK — Toner black
    • TN229C — Toner cyan
    • TN229M — Toner magenta
    • TN229XLBK — Toner black (high yield)
    • TN229XLC — Toner cyan (high yield)
    • TN229XLM — Toner magenta (high yield)
    • TN229XLY — Toner yellow (high yield)
    • TN229Y — Toner yellow
    • DR229CL — Drum unit
    • BU229CL — Transfer belt
    • WT229CL — Waste toner box
  • HL-L8360CDW
    • TN431BK — Toner black
    • TN431C — Toner cyan
    • TN431M — Toner magenta
    • TN431Y — Toner yellow
    • TN433BK — Toner black (high yield)
    • TN433C — Toner cyan (high yield)
    • TN433M — Toner magenta (high yield)
    • TN433Y — Toner yellow (high yield)
    • DR431CL — Drum unit
    • BU330CL — Transfer belt
    • WT320CL — Waste toner box
  • MFC-J1205W
    • LC404BKS — Ink cartridge black
    • LC404CS — Ink cartridge cyan
    • LC404MS — Ink cartridge magenta
    • LC404YS — Ink cartridge yellow
  • MFC-J1360DW
    • LC501BKS — Ink cartridge black
    • LC501CS — Ink cartridge cyan
    • LC501MS — Ink cartridge magenta
    • LC501XLBKS — Ink cartridge black (high yield)
    • LC501XLCS — Ink cartridge cyan (high yield)
    • LC501XLMS — Ink cartridge magenta (high yield)
    • LC501XLYS — Ink cartridge yellow (high yield)
    • LC501YS — Ink cartridge yellow
  • MFC-L2710DW
    • TN-730 — Toner black
    • TN-760 — Toner black (high yield)
    • DR-730 — Drum unit
  • MFC-L2717DW
    • TN-730 — Toner black
    • TN-760 — Toner black (high yield)
  • MFC-L2730DW
    • TN-730 — Toner black
    • TN-760 — Toner black (high yield)
  • MFC-L2750DW
    • TN-730 — Toner black
    • TN-760 — Toner black (high yield)
    • DR-730 — Drum unit
  • MFC-L3720CDW
    • TN229BK — Toner black
    • TN229C — Toner cyan
    • TN229M — Toner magenta
    • TN229XLBK — Toner black (high yield)
    • TN229XLC — Toner cyan (high yield)
    • TN229XLM — Toner magenta (high yield)
    • TN229XLY — Toner yellow (high yield)
    • TN229Y — Toner yellow
    • DR229CL — Drum unit
    • BU229CL — Transfer belt
    • WT229CL — Waste toner box
  • MFC-L3770CDW
    • TN223BK — Toner black
    • TN223C — Toner cyan
    • TN223M — Toner magenta
    • TN223Y — Toner yellow
    • TN227BK — Toner black (high yield)
    • TN227C — Toner cyan (high yield)
    • TN227M — Toner magenta (high yield)
    • TN227Y — Toner yellow (high yield)
    • DR223CL — Drum unit
    • BU223CL — Transfer belt
    • WT223CL — Waste toner box
  • MFC-L8395CDW
    • TN229BK — Toner black
    • TN229C — Toner cyan
    • TN229M — Toner magenta
    • TN229XLBK — Toner black (high yield)
    • TN229XLC — Toner cyan (high yield)
    • TN229XLM — Toner magenta (high yield)
    • TN229XLY — Toner yellow (high yield)
    • TN229Y — Toner yellow
    • DR229CL — Drum unit
    • BU229CL — Transfer belt
    • WT229CL — Waste toner box

If it did not work

General ink and toner replacementThe brand-independent version of this procedure.Check compatible suppliesUse verified model-to-part matches before buying.New supply is not recognizedDiagnose an installation or compatibility error.Blank pages after replacementCheck seals, seating, and ink delivery.

Documented from official U.S. manufacturer support. Last verified 2026-08-13.

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