Which ink/toner does the Brother MFC-L8900CDW use?
The Brother MFC-L8900CDW (laser, 2017) uses TN-433BK, TN-433C, TN-433M, TN-433Y, TN-436BK, TN-436C, TN-436M, TN-436Y, DR-431CL, TN-431BK, TN-431C, TN-431M, TN-431Y.
Third-party cartridge risk: Low no firmware lockout is on record for this printer, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges should work.
The Brother MFC-L8900CDW uses various toner cartridges including black and color options with XL and XXL yields as well as standard capacity cartridges. When choosing toners for this printer it's worth considering that high yield cartridges offer more pages per cartridge but may cost slightly less per page than their standard counterparts. Additionally the printer does not have firmware DRM so third-party compatible cartridges are available.
Compatible cartridges
| Cartridge | Color | Yield | Pages | OEM price | Cost/page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN-433BK | black | XL | 4500 | $92.00 | 2.0¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-433C | cyan | XL | 4000 | $89.00 | 2.2¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-433M | magenta | XL | 4000 | $89.00 | 2.2¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-433Y | yellow | XL | 4000 | $89.00 | 2.2¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-436BK | black | XXL | 6500 | $115.00 | 1.8¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-436C | cyan | XXL | 6500 | $112.00 | 1.7¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-436M | magenta | XXL | 6500 | $112.00 | 1.7¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-436Y | yellow | XXL | 6500 | $112.00 | 1.7¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| DR-431CL | drum | drum | 30000 | - | - | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-431BK | black | standard | 3000 | $75.00 | 2.5¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-431C | cyan | standard | 1800 | $72.00 | 4.0¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-431M | magenta | standard | 1800 | $72.00 | 4.0¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| TN-431Y | yellow | standard | 1800 | $72.00 | 4.0¢ | 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-L8900CDW is not on our firmware-lockout list, so third-party toner should work. By list price its high-yield TN-436C works out to about 1.7 cents per page, roughly 31% less than the 2.5 cents of the standard TN-431BK. 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-L8900CDW use?
The Brother MFC-L8900CDW uses DR-431CL, TN-431BK, TN-431C, TN-431M, TN-431Y, TN-433BK, TN-433C, TN-433M, TN-433Y, TN-436BK, TN-436C, TN-436M and TN-436Y.
Does the Brother MFC-L8900CDW take XL cartridges?
Yes. Besides the standard cartridges it accepts TN-433BK, TN-433C, TN-433M, TN-433Y, TN-436BK, TN-436C, TN-436M and TN-436Y. 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-L8900CDW, or will firmware block it?
The Brother MFC-L8900CDW 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-L8900CDW cartridges print?
Rated yields run from about 1800 pages (TN-431M) to about 30000 pages (DR-431CL), 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-L8900CDW?
By list price the lowest cost per page here is the TN-436C at about 1.7 cents per page. A reliable compatible or remanufactured cartridge can lower that further.
Related Brother TN-431/TN-433/TN-436 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.