What Drum Unit Does the Brother HL-2270DW Use?
Last Updated:Shopping for this printer? See all Brother TN450 Toner Cartridges – TN450, TN420 & DR420 Drum → Ships same day by 4 PM ET, 1-year guarantee.
Quick answer: The Brother HL-2270DW uses the DR-420 drum unit, rated for about 12,000 pages. The toner cartridge (TN-420 or high-yield Brother TN450 toner) clips into the drum, and the two come out of the printer together. Castle Ink stocks a compatible DR-420 drum and compatible TN-450 toner.
A drum lasts through about four or five TN-450 cartridges, so most owners buy toner far more often than drums. For the toner side, see what toner the HL-2270DW uses.
CastleScore · October 2026
69/100 — Situational
Brother HL-2270DW
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | — | No retailer rating with enough reviews to use. |
| Expert reviews (20%) | — | No published numeric expert score we could verify. |
| Cost per page (18%) | 93 | About 1.3¢ per page all-in with our compatible TN450 toner (2,600 pages) and DR420 drum (12,000 pages). |
| Reliability (18%) | 86 | Most-reported problems: drum light persists even after a drum reset or a new DR420; ageing units: jams followed by Drum + Error lights and failure to feed, suspected sensor/board failure |
| Features (11%) | 54 | Auto two-sided printing, Wi-Fi. No document feeder, no fax, no touchscreen. |
| Value (5%) | — | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings or published expert scores for this printer, so those weights are spread across the other pillars. With neither owner ratings nor a published expert score, we cap this printer at 69 (Situational) until better data is available.
Older model. We could not confirm whether Brother still sells the HL-2270DW new, but TN420 and TN450 toner and the DR420 drum are still widely available.
CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 10, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The toner, pictured
TN450 Toner
DR420 DrumOur own compatible toner, photographed in-house.
DR-420 Drum and Toner at a Glance
| Supply | Brother part no. | Approx. yield | Castle Ink option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drum unit | DR-420 | ~12,000 pages | Compatible DR-420 |
| Standard toner | TN-420 | ~1,200 pages | Use TN-450 (same fit) |
| High-yield toner | TN-450 | ~2,600 pages | Compatible TN-450 |
Toner yields are Brother's ISO/IEC 19752 figures. A new drum comes without toner; you move your current cartridge across.
How Do I Replace the Drum in the HL-2270DW?
- Leave the printer on, open the front cover and pull out the drum and toner assembly. Let it cool for a minute if the printer has just been used.
- Push down the green lock lever and lift the toner cartridge out of the old drum.
- Unpack the new DR-420 without touching the drum surface, and push the toner cartridge in until it clicks.
- Slide the green corona-wire tab back and forth a few times, then return it to its home position.
- Slide the assembly back in, but leave the front cover open.
- Reset the drum counter: press and hold Go until all four LEDs (Toner, Drum, Error, Ready) light, release Go, then close the cover. The Drum light should go out.
The HL-2270DW has no screen, so the Go button is the only way to reset the drum. Don't reset it when you only change toner. Brother says the counter should be reset only when a new drum goes in. More: How to replace and reset a Brother drum unit.
Drum or Toner: Which One Needs Replacing?
A Toner light means a new TN-450. A Drum light that stays on means the DR-420 is near the end of its life. A Drum light that comes on with the Error light usually means the corona wire needs cleaning, not a new drum: slide the green tab on the drum a few times and return it home. Faded pages usually point to toner; marks that repeat at the same spacing down the page, gray backgrounds or streaks that survive a new toner usually point to the drum. Our drum vs. toner guide explains the difference.
Which Other Printers Use the DR-420?
The DR-420 and TN-420/TN-450 fit the Brother HL-2220, HL-2230, HL-2240, HL-2240D, HL-2270DW, HL-2275DW, HL-2280DW, DCP-7060D, DCP-7065DN, MFC-7240, MFC-7360N, MFC-7460DN, MFC-7860DW and IntelliFAX-2840/2940.
What HL-2270DW owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, Brother's support pages and owner reviews, answered in our words.
I put in a new drum but the Drum light is still on. Is the drum faulty?
Almost always not. The counter hasn't been reset. With the front cover open, hold Go until all four LEDs light, release it and close the cover.
Can I just reset the Drum light instead of buying a drum?
The reset clears the warning, but Brother advises against it unless a new drum is installed, because the printer then can't judge how worn the drum is. Print quality keeps getting worse as the drum wears.
Why did the Drum and Error lights come on right after I changed the toner?
Toner dust on the corona wire is the usual cause. Slide the green tab on the drum back and forth several times, return it to its home position and reinstall the assembly.
Does a new DR-420 come with toner?
No. The drum is sold on its own, and you move your current TN-420 or TN-450 cartridge into it.
HL-2270DW quirks worth knowing
- The reset only works with the front cover open. Holding Go with the cover closed just prints or cancels a job.
- Brother rates the DR-420 at about 12,000 pages, about four or five TN-450 cartridges. Printing one page at a time wears it faster than long jobs.
- The green corona-wire tab has to go back to its home position after cleaning, or pages can come out with a vertical stripe.
- Our compatible DR-420 also fits the HL-2240, HL-2280DW, MFC-7360N and MFC-7860DW, so one spare covers a mixed office.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum does the Brother HL-2270DW use?
The DR-420 drum unit, rated for about 12,000 pages.
How do I reset the drum counter on the HL-2270DW?
Open the front cover, hold Go until all four LEDs light, release it and close the cover.
Is the DR-420 the same as the TN-420?
No. TN-420 and TN-450 are toner cartridges; the DR-420 is the drum they clip into.
Other printers that use TN420 and TN450 toner
Brother MFC-7860DW · Brother MFC-7460DN · Brother HL-2240 · Brother HL-2240D · Brother HL-2280DW
More Brother ink guides: Brother DCP-L2640DW · Brother MFC-L2820DW · Brother HL-L2460DW · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Brother HL-L2460DW — CastleScore 90
- Brother MFC-L2820DW — CastleScore 90
- Brother HL-L5210DW — CastleScore 89
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 14, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Brother TN450 Toner Cartridges – TN450, TN420 & DR420 Drum? Shop Brother TN450 Toner Cartridges – TN450, TN420 & DR420 Drum at Castle Ink. Compatible, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.