What Ink Does the Brother MFC-440CN Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: The Brother MFC-440CN uses four separate LC51 cartridges: black, cyan, magenta and yellow. There's no high-yield LC51, so the standard cartridge is the one to buy. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured LC51 Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and a 5-pack.
The MFC-440CN takes the same ink as the MFC-465CN that replaced it. European versions use LC1000 cartridges, and LC970 is another regional name for the same size. Buy LC51 for a U.S. or Canadian unit.
CastleScore · October 2026
74/100 — Recommended
Brother MFC-440CN
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | — | No retailer rating with enough reviews to use. |
| Expert reviews (18%) | 60 | CNET 6.0/10 (2006) |
| Cost per page (24%) | 91 | About 2.5¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC51 cartridges (500 black / 400 color pages). |
| Reliability (13%) | 68 | Most-reported problems: 'Unable to Clean 46' (ink absorber full) locking the printer; 'Unable to Clean 50' and 'Unable to Print 51' errors; blank pages after new cartridges; 'Paper Jam' messages with no paper inside |
| Features (12%) | 70 | Print, copy, scan, color fax, 10-page document feeder, Ethernet, 2-inch color screen, memory card slots, PictBridge, 4x6 photo tray. No Wi-Fi, no auto two-sided printing. |
| Value (5%) | — | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.
Discontinued. Brother announced the MFC-440CN in July 2006 at $149.99, and its October 2007 release named the MFC-465CN as the replacement. Both are now discontinued. Brother USA marks its own LC51 black discontinued, and Staples shows LC51 black, cyan and magenta out of stock.
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 17, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The cartridges, pictured
LC51 BlackLC51BK · ~500 pages
LC51 CyanLC51C · ~400 pages
LC51 MagentaLC51M · ~400 pages
LC51 YellowLC51Y · ~400 pages
LC51 5-pack2 Black + Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
LC51 Black
LC51 Cyan
LC51 Magenta
LC51 Yellow
LC51 5-packOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
What Ink Cartridges Does the Brother MFC-440CN Take?
| Cartridge | Brother part no. | Approx. yield | Castle Ink option |
|---|---|---|---|
| LC51 Black | LC51BK | ~500 pages | Remanufactured LC51 Black |
| LC51 Cyan | LC51C | ~400 pages | Remanufactured LC51 Cyan |
| LC51 Magenta | LC51M | ~400 pages | Remanufactured LC51 Magenta |
| LC51 Yellow | LC51Y | ~400 pages | Remanufactured LC51 Yellow |
| LC51 5-pack (2 black + 3 colors) | — | As above | Remanufactured LC51 5-pack |
Yields are Brother's ISO figures. Brother also sold a color three-pack (LC51CL3PK) and a black two-pack (LC512PKS). Each color is a separate cartridge, so replace only the one that's empty.
Is There a High-Yield LC51?
No. LC51 comes in one size only. Original LC51 is getting hard to find, too. On October 17, 2026, Staples listed Brother's LC51 black at $31.49 (about 6.3¢ a page) and the LC51 cyan and magenta at $18.99 each (about 4.7¢ a page), all out of stock. Brother's own store listed the black at $30.99 and marked it discontinued. Our remanufactured LC51 black is $6.75 (about 1.4¢ a page) and each color is $6.75 (about 1.7¢ a page). Our 5-pack is $33.95, so buying the same five cartridges singly ($33.75) is slightly cheaper.
How Do I Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-440CN?
- Open the ink cartridge cover on the front of the machine.
- Press the lock-release lever for the color shown on the screen and lift out the empty LC51 cartridge.
- Unpack the new LC51 cartridge and remove its protective cap.
- Insert it in the slot for its color, in the direction of the arrow on the label, and push until it clicks.
- Close the cover. When the screen asks whether you replaced that color, answer Yes only for a brand-new cartridge.
Which Other Printers Use LC51?
The MFC-465CN, plus The MFC-230C, MFC-240C, MFC-665CW, MFC-685CW, MFC-845CW, MFC-885CW, MFC-3360C, MFC-5460CN, MFC-5860CN, DCP-130C, DCP-330C, DCP-350C, FAX-1360, FAX-1860C, FAX-1960C, FAX-2480C and FAX-2580C.
What MFC-440CN owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer in repair forums like JustAnswer and iFixit, answered in our words.
It says 'Unable to Clean 46' or 'Unable to Print 46'.
On Brother inkjets of this age, code 46 means the waste-ink absorber is full, and the printer locks up. Brother service has to replace the absorber. Some owners reset the counter instead, but the pad can then overflow. On a printer this old, many repair techs say replacing it is the better buy.
It shows 'Unable to Print 51' and won't print, copy, scan or fax.
Owners report this on iFixit for the 440CN. It's usually a jam or something blocking the print head. Clear the paper tray, the jam-clear cover and the area under the carriage, then turn the printer off and on. We couldn't confirm a fix specific to this model.
It prints blank pages after I put in new cartridges.
The nozzles are likely clogged or have air in them, which is common when these printers sit unused. Run several head cleanings from the Ink menu and print a nozzle check between them.
Does the MFC-440CN work over Wi-Fi?
No. It has Ethernet and USB only, so connect it to your router with a cable.
MFC-440CN quirks worth knowing
- Brother rated it at up to 25 pages a minute in black and 20 in color. That's a fastest-mode figure from before ISO ratings, and CNET found text printing and copying slow.
- It prints, copies, scans and faxes in color, with a 10-page document feeder for originals up to legal size. There's no automatic two-sided printing.
- It connects over Ethernet or USB, with no Wi-Fi. It has a 2-inch flip-up color screen, memory card slots, PictBridge and a 20-sheet 4x6 photo tray.
- CNET gave it 6.0 out of 10. It liked the feeder, networking, easy ink access and compact size, but called graphics quality poor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ink does the Brother MFC-440CN use?
LC51 cartridges in black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
What replaced the MFC-440CN?
Brother named the MFC-465CN as its replacement in October 2007. It uses the same LC51 cartridges.
Do I have to replace all four cartridges at once?
No. Each color is a separate cartridge, so replace only the one that's empty.
Other printers that use LC51
More Brother ink guides: Brother MFC-J1360DW · Brother MFC-J4355DW · Brother MFC-J6555DW · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Brother MFC-T780DW — CastleScore 90
- Epson EcoTank ET-2980 (cheapest to run) — CastleScore 90
- Brother MFC-J4335DW — CastleScore 89
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 17, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Brother ink cartridges? Shop Brother ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.