Which ink/toner does the Brother MFC-L5850DW use?
The Brother MFC-L5850DW (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 MFC-L5850DW uses TN-850 black toner cartridges which come in XL and XXL capacities as well as a standard size. If you want to print a large number of pages it may be worth considering the higher yield options but if you don't plan on printing frequently the standard size could be sufficient. In terms of purchasing, there is no firmware DRM restriction reported so third-party cartridges should be compatible.
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 MFC-L5850DW 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 MFC-L5850DW use?
The Brother MFC-L5850DW uses DR-820, TN-820, TN-850 and TN-880.
Does the Brother MFC-L5850DW 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 MFC-L5850DW, or will firmware block it?
The Brother MFC-L5850DW 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 MFC-L5850DW 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 MFC-L5850DW?
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.