Which ink/toner does the Brother HL-L8250CDN use?
The Brother HL-L8250CDN (laser, 2014) uses TN-336BK, TN-336C, TN-336M, TN-336Y, DR-331CL, TN-331BK, TN-331C, TN-331M, TN-331Y.
Third-party cartridge risk: Low no firmware lockout is on record for this printer, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges should work.
The Brother HL-L8250CDN uses toner cartridges for printing, including black and color options with varying page yields. When choosing a cartridge, consider whether you need standard or high yield capacity, as the latter offers more pages per cartridge but also costs slightly more per page in some cases. The printer's firmware does not restrict use of third-party cartridges, so compatible alternatives to genuine Brother toners are available for purchase.
Compatible cartridges
| Cartridge | Color | Yield | Pages | OEM price | Cost/page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN-336BK | black | XL | 4000 | $90.00 | 2.2¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-336C | cyan | XL | 3500 | $86.00 | 2.5¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-336M | magenta | XL | 3500 | $86.00 | 2.5¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-336Y | yellow | XL | 3500 | $86.00 | 2.5¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| DR-331CL | drum | drum | - | - | - | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-331BK | black | standard | 2500 | $70.00 | 2.8¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-331C | cyan | standard | 1500 | $67.00 | 4.5¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-331M | magenta | standard | 1500 | $67.00 | 4.5¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-331Y | yellow | standard | 1500 | $67.00 | 4.5¢ | 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-L8250CDN is not on our firmware-lockout list, so third-party toner should work. By list price its high-yield TN-336BK works out to about 2.2 cents per page, roughly 20% less than the 2.8 cents of the standard TN-331BK. 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-L8250CDN use?
The Brother HL-L8250CDN uses DR-331CL, TN-331BK, TN-331C, TN-331M, TN-331Y, TN-336BK, TN-336C, TN-336M and TN-336Y.
Does the Brother HL-L8250CDN take XL cartridges?
Yes. Besides the standard cartridges it accepts TN-336BK, TN-336C, TN-336M and TN-336Y. 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-L8250CDN, or will firmware block it?
The Brother HL-L8250CDN 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-L8250CDN cartridges print?
Rated yields run from about 1500 pages (TN-331Y) to about 4000 pages (TN-336BK), 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-L8250CDN?
By list price the lowest cost per page here is the TN-336BK at about 2.2 cents per page. A reliable compatible or remanufactured cartridge can lower that further.
Related Brother TN-331/TN-336 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.