The HL printer series by Brother boasts a wide range of printer models with a constantly changing landscape of features and specs. This printer series is generally best for personal use or use in a small office setting, though some models can accommodate medium-volume print jobs for a growing office. Many models in this laser printer series are monochrome devices that only print in black, which may limit home use capabilities for some individuals. However, some models do print in color, and these models will require color toner as well as black toner. More recent models also include contemporary features like wireless printing capabilities from your mobile device.
Some common toner cartridge requirements for the Brother HL series of printers includes the Brother TN450, TN660, and TN760 toner cartridges, though your toner needs will depend entirely on your specific printer model. 1ink.com offers replacement versions of the toner cartridge you need for your Brother HL printer. Our discount toner cartridges are carefully designed to match the quality and print performance of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Brother products without costing you OEM retail prices. All of our toner cartridges are guaranteed to be free from any manufacturer flaws and they’re guaranteed to work with your compatible Brother HL printer model.
Brother has an outstanding reputation for producing long-lasting laser printers; however, naming these printers was never really their strong suit. Brother printer names have traditionally been more cut-and-dried rather than memorable. Most of the time, it seems like you're reading a serial code rather than a printer name; we're looking at you HLL8350CDWT.
Despite some of the somewhat ambiguous naming conventions over the years, the Brother HL series of printers have been a popular pick for consumers and small businesses alike.
What does the HL in Brother printers stand for?
The HL is most likely an acronym that stands for 'home laser' printer, although there is no confirmation from Brother on the true meaning.
The manufacturer Brother has been around for so long that many of their products bleed into each other. While the HL series of printers may have been the first home laser printer series that they produced, Brother has expanded into producing other laser printer series such as the DCP and MFC series that are also intended for home-usage.
Brother HL series of printers support both monochrome and color printing, depending on your model. These compact laser printers are ideal for producing semi-large print loads without ripping a hole straight from your wallet. Laser printers are generally the 'workhorse' of printers as they are able to produce large amounts of pages without continually having to change out the Brother toner cartridge.
What Brother Toner Cartridges Do HL Printers Use?
Brother HL printers drastically vary depending on the model. Some HL printers are able to copy and scan documents while others are not. Some will print documents in color while some others are only able to print monochrome pages.
The wide gap of this nature makes it hard to pinpoint a one-size-fits-all type of toner that will fit these laser printers. We suggest knowing the exact toner that fits your Brother HL printer before you purchase a replacement.
Some popular Brother toner cartridges that fit HL printers include the TN630, which is a standard-yield toner cartridge that is compatible with popular HL laser printers such as the Brother HL2360DW.
Brother TN630 toner will produce around 1,200 pages before it needs to be replaced. If you print more regularly, then there is a high-yield version called the TN660 that is compatible with the same printers.
The common question that people ask is: "are TN630 and TN660 the same?"
Yes! They are the same; however, TN660 is the high-yield version and contains more toner. Physically they look identical and 100% compatible with the same printers. The Brother TN660 produces more than double the amount of pages than its standard yield TN630 counterpart, as it can print up to 2,600 pages before needing to be replaced.
Some of the older Brother laser printers use a completely different toner called the TN420. This toner cartridge is standard yield and is able to print around 1,200 pages. Once again, there's a high-yield version of this cartridge called the TN450, which is compatible with all of the same Brother printers, yet it prints more than double the amount of the standard capacity.
While the TN660 and TN450 toner cartridges are the most popular for monochrome Brother laser printers, there is an entirely different batch of toner cartridges used for color laser printers.
Some HL Brother color laser printers use a set of TN227 toner cartridges to achieve chromatic document printing. With the luxury of colored laser printing, you must have a complete set of Black, Magenta, Yellow, and Cyan TN227 toner cartridges inside of your printer at all times.
However, laser printers use toner cartridges instead of ink cartridges. This leads to a higher number of pages produced per cartridge, but that also means you're paying a higher price upfront when purchasing an original Brother toner cartridge.
Brother Toner Pricing for HL Series Printers
All toner cartridge sets vary in pricing and will set you back a significant amount. Historically, laser printers have always saved you money in the long run by providing you with more pages per toner cartridge. On the downside, this also means that you will be paying a much higher entry fee as the median MSRP of genuine Brother Toner starts around $55.49 for a single high-yield cartridge.
Let's take a look at some of the comparisons between HL Brother Laser printers by checking the Cost Per Page. The cost per page is calculated by taking the total amount of the toner cartridge and dividing it by how many pages it will produce. In this case, there is a clear trend going on.
As we can see, the standard yield Brother TN420 black toner cartridge will cost around 3 cents to produce a single page. The TN450 drops down to about 2 cents per page. Finally, you may have noticed the bar all the way on the right-hand side, that is 1ink.com's compatible Brother TN450 toner cartridge, which actually costs less than a penny to produce a page.
Let's look at the equivalent cartridges by price only. 1ink.com is the only affordable option that gives you the most for your money.
Even while comparing the original prices of the TN450 toner cartridges, 1ink.com is still in the lead. Our TN450 toner costs half the original standard yield Brother TN420 cartridge, but it produces more than double the number of pages. It's a no-brainer to try out 1ink.com, especially when considering the value saved when switching over.
The same trend can be seen all over our website. There are so many prime examples that our compatible toner cartridges are overall more cost-effective than purchasing originals. For example, Let's take a look at the Brother TN660. The TN660 usually retails for around $55.49 on online retail sites. We have the equivalent compatible TN660 toner cartridge for less than half the price at $19.99 per cartridge.
Keeping your Brother laser printers supplied with toner doesn't have to be a huge affair. By keeping extra toner readily available, you're able to save even more money. 1ink.com has a huge selection of bundles available for compatible Brother toner cartridges. We offer a 5 Pack that comes with four (4) TN660 High-Yield Compatible Toner cartridges and one (1) DR630, which is the Drum Unit. Purchasing these items at the store can cost you over $400, but 1ink.com offers the same great quality for a quarter of the price.
What is the Best HL Brother Laser Printer?
This can be broken up into a few sections. Most importantly, what are you trying to achieve with this printer? The Brother HL series of printers have a wide range of problems that it tackles, most importantly mass document printing.
The Brother HL 2240 would be a fantastic jumping-off point for anyone interested in attaining an affordable yet competent home printer. Keep in mind that this is a monochromatic printer, which has its benefits and downsides. The pro's about having a monochromatic laser printer is that the cost per page is relatively cheap. You will be able to rattle off thousands of documents with the HL2240 before needing to change its TN450 toner cartridge. The cons would obviously be that you will strictly be printing in black, so don't expect any photographs, graphs, or even colors to be printed.
Another one of our favorites would be the Brother HLL2395DW, especially for a monochromatic printer. This wireless all-in-one printer has everything you need to keep your home office completely functional. Copying, scanning, and printing have never been so easy, especially when connected to a mobile device. The HLL2395DW can help you save paper by utilizing its automatic duplex printing capabilities.
If you have a higher budget and want to go balls to the wall with your printing, then maybe a Brother color laser printer is right for you. Keep in mind that the entry fee to a color laser printer is notoriously higher, but it will save you money printing color documents in the long run. You might want to think of it as an investment rather than an entry fee.
As for these color printers, we always like to recommend the HL 3180 CDW, which is a color Brother laser all in one printer that is capable of printing vivid images pretty rapidly at the press of a button. This is a high-speed printing machine that is capable of printing 23 color pages per minute according to ISO standards.
But with the color laser printers, keep in mind that you will need to purchase four separate toner cartridges instead of one. The rising costs associated with printing is the Achilles heel of color laser printing. For this particular HL3180CDW printer, the TN221 bk and TN225 color toner cartridges can be pretty costly individually, so purchasing a Brother TN225 Toner Cartridge Set might be your best bet.
How to Change or Replace a Brother Toner Cartridge for HL Series Printer
Brother HL series of printers all follow the same general guidelines for replacing toner cartridges. Whether you're changing a cartridge of TN730 on your HLL2395DW or swapping out a color toner cartridge on your HL 3150, follow these simple steps to have your Brother laser printer up and running in no time.
- Make sure that your Brother laser printer is on.
- Open the front cover of your printer to expose the drum unit assembly.
- Remove the assembly unit from the printer.
- Push down on the green lock and take out the toner cartridge from the drum unit assembly.
- Remove the new toner cartridge from its respective packaging. Remove any plastic, clips, stickers, or obstructive items from the new toner cartridge.
- Put the new toner cartridge into the drum unit and firmly press down until you hear it lock into place.
- Clean the corona wire by gently sliding the green tab on your drum unit back and forth three to four times. Make sure to place the corona wire back in its original home position.
- Install the drum unit assembly inside of your Brother laser printer and close the cover.
How to Replace the Drum Unit in your Brother HL Printer
The drum unit is an essential piece of equipment necessary for the successful operation of any laser printer. The Brother HL series of printers and all other Brother laser printers have a consumable item called the drum unit that must be replaced routinely. The drum unit assembly is where the toner cartridge is placed and must be swapped out every three to four toner cartridge uses, or roughly 12,000 pages printed. The act of replacing a drum on a Brother printer is pretty standard and straightforward.
Most Brother printers will indicate that the drum unit needs to be replaced when the Drum and Ready buttons on the front panel are lit up green. Replacing your drum unit can be done in a few easy steps:
- Make sure your Brother laser printer is turned on.
- Open the front cover.
- Remove the drum unit assembly from the printer, then remove the toner cartridge from the drum unit assembly.
- Take the new drum unit out of its respective packaging. Be sure to remove any clips, plastic, or stickers that may be obstructing the installation.
- Put the toner cartridge firmly inside of your drum unit until you hear it lock in place.
- Clean the corona wire inside of the drum unit by gently sliding the green tab from left to right around three to four times.
- (After cleaning, make sure that the arrow on the drum unit is aligned with the arrow on the printer; this will indicate that the tab is successfully locked in the Home position)
- Install the drum unit assembly inside of your printer.
- Close the front cover of your machine.
Where to Buy Cheap Brother Toner for HL Series of Laser Printers
Using a Brother Laser printer has a significant effect on how much you will be saving in the long run.
Laser printers are indeed more cost-effective than inkjet printers, especially when printing in monochrome. That being said, original Brother toner on its own isn't necessarily cheap. There are other options available to bypass the high cost of toner cartridges without sacrificing any quality.
1ink.com is the premier online shop for all of your printing needs. We specialize in providing the consumer with high-quality toner cartridges for Brother laser printers without inflated prices. Our toner cartridges can cost up to 85% less than what you would typically pay at the stores for your original Brother toner cartridges.
1ink.com has been in the business for over 20 years, providing industry leaders and consumers alike with the high-grade toner that they need to keep their printer up and running.
You can save over 75% by bundling your toner cartridges. Our TN221 and Brother TN225 toner cartridge set comes with everything you need to keep your Brother color laser printer stocked up and ready to take on any project.