I get 800 to 1100 extra copies from each cartridge.
After the "Toner Life End" message appears, it refuses to print even one more copy. Offensive...until you show it who's in charge.
Remove the cartridge and find 2 clear plastic port holes, one on each side. The printer shines a light through these to decide when to shut you off. But it's too sudden and too early.
Cover one or both windows with a small piece of masking tape. You can put the tape on the outer drum unit holes if you prefer. I get about 3400 copies per cartridge instead of 2400.
I really like Brother printers now that I have taught them some manners.
To save even more money try 4 Pack Brother TN-350 TN350 Toner Refill Kit by Laser Tek Services. Brother Black Toner Cartridge (TN-350)
I had this rushed a few weeks ago because my HL-2070N kept refusing to operate every ~20 pages due to a low toner error. However, unlike on most laser printers, the print quality was still perfect at this point -- no streaking or blank spots. The problem is that the printer senses that it is nearing the end of the cartridge and refuses to continue, even with toner remaining.
Based on some web searching, it seems that the sensor is based on shining light into a ~1/4" hole on the side that goes through the entire length of the cartridge. Covering this hole with black electrician's tape has let me print a few hundred more pages, with no problems so far and still no sign that the toner is running out.
So, it's good to have a spare on hand, but it hasn't yet been necessary to install it.
I am a fan of brother DCPs and MFCs because they have excellent scanning and come with PaperPort scanning document managment software. I have a brother multifunction at every one of the 7 workstations in my law firm.
I purchased several DCP 7020s because the price was under $200 each. But they use these TN 350s which are a total rip off. Here are the specs. These TN-350s cost $43 and claim a capacity of 2500 pages.
Other Brother printers use higher capacity toners, such as the TN-580, which is rated at 7,000 pages and cost $63. Do the math. The cheap printer turns out much more expensive very quickly because you go through toners so fast. With a claimed capacity of 2500, in reality you're lucky to get 2000 pages. Imagine buying a new toner for every 4 reams of paper you go through! SO, I as soon as I get my first "change drum" message, I am going to trash these little Brothers and get one of their higher speed larger models. The extra couple hundred on the equipment will be paid off in toner savings in no time.
The title on the description and the picture leads you to believe that this is an OEM genuine product but it appears to be a remanufactured product when it arrived. Do not buy if you want orignial OEM Brother TN-350.
This supply is used for other printers besides those listed in the product description. The printers are listed on the box: DCP-7020, FAX-2820, HL-2040, MFC-7220, MFC-7420, FAX-2920, HL-2070N, MFC-7225N, MFC-7820N. The supply was used in our 7820n, which is the best Multifunction we've owned, bar none.
When my 'toner' light when on on my printer even before my prints started to look faded, I was suspicious that there was still more usable life and toner in the cartridge. After doing an internet, search, I discovered that if you put masking or electrical tape over the hole on the side of the toner cartridge, you can get 1000 more prints out of it!
There is a passthrough hole where the printer shines a light through the cartridge. Cover that up, and the printer still thinks there is plenty of toner and will continue to work. When your prints start coming out faded, you can then replace the toner cartridge. Much more environmentally friend and cost effective than to replace it when the print thinks you should, even if it's not empty.
It's good toner that will last you a while. I just want to reiterate a tip someone else wrote in though. If you cover the holes on the side with electrical tape, you can 'trick' the printer into printing the rest of the toner that's left in the cartridge. Have you noticed when the printer says low on ink, the last page it printed out was still perfectly printed? It means you've still got toner left because the printer measures toner level by flashing a light into the holes, which is not at the bottom. I know this tip saved my butt when I was trying to print some last minute college papers as well as the difference between the store price and the price found here.
As is the case with most/all laser & inkjet printers, the initial cartridge(s) which come with the product have less ink than the standard product. This is the replacement / standard toner cartridge for my printer and it works just great -- as expected. Installation was a snap. They include a return label so the cartridge can be recycled in a relatively painless way. The return instructions say to drop it at a USPS location but I just put it at my mailbox and the postman took care of it. A+ all over. - Toner - Laser - Toner Cartridge - Cartridge'
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