Which ink/toner does the Brother HL-2280DW use?
The Brother HL-2280DW (laser, 2011) uses TN-450, DR-420, TN-420.
Third-party cartridge risk: Low no firmware lockout is on record for this printer, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges should work.
Buying in Europe/UK? The same cartridges are sold under European codes: TN-2220 (= TN-450 in US/Canada), DR-2200 (= DR-420 in US/Canada), TN-2210 (= TN-420 in US/Canada). Search those codes at your local retailer.
The Brother HL-2280DW takes one black toner cartridge in two sizes: the standard TN-420, rated at 1,200 pages, and the high yield TN-450, rated at 2,600 pages. They are the same shape and fit the same slot, so the choice is arithmetic. At list price the TN-420 comes to about 3.75 cents a page and the TN-450 to about 2.23 cents, which settles it for anyone printing regularly. The DR-420 drum is a separate consumable with its own 12,000 page life, and its cost lands on every page either toner prints.
On supply: the TN-420 and TN-450 last appeared on a new Brother machine in 2011 among the models we track, with five printers of that generation sharing the family. Numbers installed this widely keep compatible production going, and toner stores well, so the sensible reading is unhurried. The cartridge discontinuation guide further down sets out how we band a family's outlook and what would actually signal the end of a toner number.
Compatible cartridges
| Cartridge | Color | Yield | Pages | OEM price | Cost/page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN-450TN-2220 | black | XL | 2600 | $58.00 | 2.2¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| DR-420DR-2200 | drum | drum | 12000 | $104.99 | 0.9¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-420TN-2210 | black | standard | 1200 | $45.00 | 3.8¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
XL (high-yield) cartridges cost more upfront but lower the cost per page, which is better if you print a lot.
The Brother HL-2280DW is not on our firmware-lockout list, so third-party toner should work. By list price its high-yield TN-450 works out to about 2.2 cents per page, roughly 41% less than the 3.8 cents of the standard TN-420. If you print often the high-yield cartridge is the better value, and a well-reviewed compatible version lowers the cost further.
Frequently asked questions
Which toner does the Brother HL-2280DW use?
The Brother HL-2280DW uses DR-420, TN-420 and TN-450.
Does the Brother HL-2280DW take XL cartridges?
Yes. Besides the standard cartridges it accepts TN-450. A high-yield XL holds more toner and costs less per page, which is worth it if you print often.
Will third-party toner work in the Brother HL-2280DW, or will firmware block it?
The Brother HL-2280DW is not on our firmware-lockout list, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges should work. Firmware can change with an update, so it is worth checking before buying a large supply.
How many pages do the Brother HL-2280DW cartridges print?
Rated yields are the TN-420 at about 1200 pages, the TN-450 at about 2600 pages and the DR-420 at about 12000 pages. Real-world yield depends on how much you print and how much toner each page uses.
What is the cheapest toner for the Brother HL-2280DW?
By list price the lowest cost per page here is the DR-420 at about 0.9 cents per page. A reliable compatible or remanufactured cartridge can lower that further.
Related Brother TN-420/TN-450 printers
Guides for Brother HL-2280DW owners
- Is your ink cartridge being discontinued? How to check, and what happens if it is
- Setup cartridges: why a new printer runs out of ink so fast, and what the first refill costs
- Drum unit vs toner: when to replace one, and what it really costs
- Ink or toner? How to tell which your printer uses
- Does Brother block third-party ink? No, and Brother said so itself
Last reviewed . Compiled by MyCartridgeFinder from manufacturer cartridge finders and retailer cross reference tables, then checked against this printer's database record. Cartridge numbers and yields come from that record, never from guesswork. See our methodology and data sources.