What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J1010DW Use?
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Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J1010DW uses four individual LC401 ink cartridges — black, cyan, magenta and yellow. For a much lower cost per page, choose the LC401XL high-yield versions, which print roughly 2.5x the pages of standard LC401 cartridges.
CastleScore · October 2026
69/100 — Situational
Brother MFC-J1010DW
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | — | No retailer rating with enough reviews to use. |
| Expert reviews (18%) | — | No published numeric expert score we could verify. |
| Cost per page (24%) | 86 | About 4¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC401XL (500 pages each). |
| Reliability (13%) | 83 | Most-reported problems: ink detection errors: no ink reported after replacement, false yellow-empty warnings, genuine Brother cartridges flagged as non-Brother; wi-Fi drops or 'not set up'/offline status, often needing network reconfiguration after a firmware update; ink leaking inside the cartridge slot |
| Features (12%) | 78 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi. 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.
Discontinued. Brother no longer sells the MFC-J1010DW new and names no successor; the MFC-J1170DW is discontinued too. Brother's current models use different ink, and a refurbished RMFCJ1010DW is still listed.
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 cartridges, pictured
LC401XL 4-packBlack + Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
LC401XL BlackLC401XLBKS · ~500 pages
LC401XL CyanLC401XLCS · ~500 pages
LC401XL MagentaLC401XLMS · ~500 pages
LC401XL 4-pack
LC401XL Black
LC401XL Cyan
LC401XL MagentaOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
Brother MFC-J1010DW Ink Cartridges at a Glance
| Cartridge | Color | Approx. Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| LC401BKS Black | Black | ~200 pages |
| LC401CS Cyan | Cyan | ~200 pages |
| LC401MS Magenta | Magenta | ~200 pages |
| LC401YS Yellow | Yellow | ~200 pages |
| LC401XLBKS Black | Black | ~500 pages |
| LC401XLCS Cyan | Cyan | ~500 pages |
| LC401XLMS Magenta | Magenta | ~500 pages |
| LC401XLYS Yellow | Yellow | ~500 pages |
The Brother MFC-J1010DW takes four individual cartridges. The same LC401 / LC401XL family also fits the Brother MFC-J1170DW, MFC-J1012DW and the MFC-J1800DW Print & Cut.
There is no LC401XXL. LC401 tops out at XL — if you see an "LC401XXL" listing anywhere, it is not a genuine Brother part number.
How to Replace Ink in the Brother MFC-J1010DW
- Leave the printer switched on. Open the ink cartridge cover on the front of the machine — the carriage does not need to move on this design, because Brother mounts the cartridges in a fixed bay.
- Press the lock release lever for the cartridge you are changing and let it pop forward, then pull it straight out.
- Unwrap the new cartridge and remove the orange protective cap. Do not touch the black chip contacts or the ink port.
- Slide the new cartridge in following the arrow on the label — each color is keyed so it will only fit its own slot — and push firmly until the lever clicks.
- Close the cover. The printer primes the line automatically; on a first install after running dry this can take a couple of minutes and is normal.
- Print a test page from the control panel to confirm all four colors are laying down evenly before you send a real job.
Troubleshooting Tips
"Cannot Detect" or "Unable to Detect Ink": Power the printer off, remove the cartridge, and wipe the chip contacts with a dry lint-free cloth. Reseat until the lever clicks audibly — a cartridge that is in but not latched is the most common cause of this message. If it persists across every slot, the problem is the machine's contact block rather than the ink.
Blank pages or a missing color: Run Print Quality Check from the Ink menu, then Cleaning on any color that shows gaps. Two cleaning cycles is the sensible limit; if a channel is still missing after that, the blockage is in the head and needs a different approach.
Prints look faded straight after a cartridge change: Brother primes the line automatically but a long dry spell can leave air in it. Print ten pages of ordinary text and re-check — most cases clear themselves.
Ink levels look wrong: Brother's gauge is an estimate based on drop counts, not a measurement of what is left in the cartridge. Treat "low" as a prompt to order, not a reason to stop printing.
What MFC-J1010DW 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.
Can I keep printing in black when a color runs out?
Owners report it won't print black-only once a color cartridge is empty. Keep a spare set of colors on hand, especially the standard 200-page cartridges.
What happens if I cancel the Refresh ink subscription?
Brother says subscription cartridges are deactivated when you cancel. You then have to replace them with purchased cartridges at your own cost.
Can it scan or copy both sides automatically?
No. It prints two-sided automatically, but scanning, copying and faxing are one-sided only.
Does it have Ethernet or NFC?
No. It connects by Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct or USB. Ethernet and NFC were on the MFC-J1170DW.
MFC-J1010DW quirks worth knowing
- The color print head has only 70 nozzles per color, against 210 on the MFC-J1170DW. That helps explain its slow color speed of about 9.5 pages per minute.
- Automatic two-sided printing works on Letter, A4, Executive and A5 only, not legal.
- The document feeder takes originals up to 14 inches long, but anything longer than 11.7 inches has to go through one sheet at a time.
- Fax broadcasting is limited to 90 recipients and a 40-number address book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does using compatible LC401 cartridges void my Brother MFC-J1010DW warranty?
No. Under the U.S. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a manufacturer cannot void your printer warranty solely because you use compatible or remanufactured cartridges. If a specific cartridge causes damage, that damage is not covered — but the rest of the warranty stands.
How are these page yields measured?
To the ISO/IEC standard for the cartridge type, at 5% page coverage on plain paper. That is a deliberately modest amount of coverage, so heavy graphics, photos or dense tables will always yield fewer pages than the rating. The numbers are useful for comparing cartridges against each other, not for predicting your exact month.
Is there an XL version of the MFC-J1010DW printer itself?
No. Brother sells an MFC-J1010DWF bundled with a Refresh subscription and a refurbished RMFCJ1010DW, but there is no "MFC-J1010DW XL" printer. The XL refers to the LC401XL cartridge, not the machine.
Other printers that use LC401
Brother MFC-J1170DW · Brother MFC-J1800DW
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 10, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Brother MFC-J1010DW Ink Cartridges? Shop Brother MFC-J1010DW Ink Cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.