Which ink/toner does the Brother MFC-L8850CDW use?
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW (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 MFC-L8850CDW uses toner cartridges to print and it takes high yield black TN-336BK and standard black TN-331BK cartridges as well as cyan TN-336C and TN-331C magenta TN-336M and TN-331M yellow TN-336Y and TN-331Y cartridges. High yield cartridges like the TN-336BK offer more pages per cartridge but are slightly more expensive per page than standard cartridges like the TN-331BK. When buying toner for the Brother MFC-L8850CDW you can choose between genuine cartridges or compatible alternatives which should work as there is no firmware DRM on record.
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 MFC-L8850CDW 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 MFC-L8850CDW use?
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW uses DR-331CL, TN-331BK, TN-331C, TN-331M, TN-331Y, TN-336BK, TN-336C, TN-336M and TN-336Y.
Does the Brother MFC-L8850CDW 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 MFC-L8850CDW, or will firmware block it?
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW 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-L8850CDW 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 MFC-L8850CDW?
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.