Which ink/toner does the Brother HL-L5100DN use?
The Brother HL-L5100DN (laser, 2016) uses TN-850, TN-880, DR-820, TN-820.
Third-party cartridge risk: Low no firmware lockout is on record for this printer, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges should work.
The Brother HL-L5100DN uses toner cartridges for black printing which come in standard and high yield options with varying page yields of about 3000 pages, about 8000 pages and about 12000 pages. When choosing a cartridge consider whether you need the higher page capacity offered by the XL or XXL versions if you print frequently. Buying third-party compatible toner cartridges is an option for this printer as it has no firmware DRM restrictions on record.
Compatible cartridges
| Cartridge | Color | Yield | Pages | OEM price | Cost/page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN-850 | black | XL | 8000 | $110.00 | 1.4¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-880 | black | XXL | 12000 | $160.00 | 1.3¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| DR-820 | drum | drum | 30000 | - | - | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-820 | black | standard | 3000 | $80.00 | 2.7¢ | 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-L5100DN is not on our firmware-lockout list, so third-party toner should work. By list price its high-yield TN-880 works out to about 1.3 cents per page, roughly 50% less than the 2.7 cents of the standard TN-820. 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-L5100DN use?
The Brother HL-L5100DN uses DR-820, TN-820, TN-850 and TN-880.
Does the Brother HL-L5100DN take XL cartridges?
Yes. Besides the standard cartridges it accepts TN-850 and TN-880. 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-L5100DN, or will firmware block it?
The Brother HL-L5100DN 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-L5100DN cartridges print?
Rated yields run from about 3000 pages (TN-820) to about 30000 pages (DR-820), depending on the cartridge. 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-L5100DN?
By list price the lowest cost per page here is the TN-880 at about 1.3 cents per page. A reliable compatible or remanufactured cartridge can lower that further.
Related Brother TN-820/TN-850/TN-880 printers
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.