What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J5855DW Use?
Last Updated:Shopping for this printer? See all Brother LC406 Ink Cartridges – LC406 & LC406XL → Ships same day by 4 PM ET, 1-year guarantee.
Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J5855DW uses Brother LC406 or LC406XL ink cartridges in black, cyan, magenta and yellow — four individual cartridges. The XL versions roughly double the black and more than triple each color, so they are much cheaper per page. There is no LC406XXL, whatever some listings suggest.
CastleScore · October 2026
83/100 — Highly Recommended
Brother MFC-J5855DW
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | 78 | 4.00★ average across 787 ratings at Amazon (4.0) |
| Expert reviews (18%) | 60 | PCMag 3.0/5 |
| Cost per page (24%) | 97 | About 0.8¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC406XL (6,000 black / 5,000 color pages). |
| Reliability (13%) | 90 | No recurring hardware or connection complaints in owner reviews. |
| Features (12%) | 92 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, touchscreen, fast (20+ ppm). |
| Value (5%) | 88 | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Discontinued. Brother lists the MFC-J5855DW as discontinued and names no successor. LC406 and LC406XL cartridges are still sold for it.
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 8, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The cartridges, pictured
LC406XL 4-packBlack + Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
LC406XL BlackLC406XLBKS · ~6,000 pages
LC406XL CyanLC406XLCS · ~5,000 pages
LC406XL MagentaLC406XLMS · ~5,000 pages
LC406XL 4-pack
LC406XL Black
LC406XL Cyan
LC406XL MagentaOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
Brother MFC-J5855DW Ink Cartridges at a Glance
| Cartridge | Color | Approx. Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Brother LC406BKS | Black | ~3,000 pages |
| Brother LC406CS / MS / YS | Cyan / Magenta / Yellow | ~1,500 pages each |
| Brother LC406XLBKS | Black (high-yield) | ~6,000 pages |
| Brother LC406XLCS / XLMS / XLYS | Cyan / Magenta / Yellow (high-yield) | ~5,000 pages each |
The MFC-J5855DW is a wide-format INKvestment Tank all-in-one that prints up to 11x17 inches. Despite the larger paper handling, it runs on the same LC406 cartridges as the compact models.
Standard vs. XL: Which Should You Buy?
The XL, for almost anyone. Black rises from roughly 3,000 pages to 6,000, and each color from about 1,500 to 5,000, more than triple. At Brother's own list prices ($43.49 for LC406BKS vs. $73.99 for LC406XLBKS, and $30.99 for LC406CS vs. $81.79 for LC406XLCS), the XL works out to roughly 15% less per page for black and 20% less for color. On a printer built around low running costs, buying standard cartridges undoes much of the point.
These are already generous yields by inkjet standards. A 6,000-page black cartridge is in laser territory, which is exactly what Brother's INKvestment Tank design is aiming at. Run the numbers for your own volume with our Printer Ink Cost Calculator.
There Is No LC406XXL — Don't Let a Listing Fool You
You will see LC406XXL cartridges advertised. Brother does not make one. The US lineup for this printer family is LC406 and LC406XL only, and Brother's own cartridge pages confirm 6,000 pages as the top black tier.
The confusion comes from the newer LC506 family, which does include an XXL and fits different machines such as the MFC-J4355DW and MFC-J4555DW. An LC506 cartridge will not work in your printer. Check the number on the cartridge you are removing before you order.
What Actually Ships in the Box
This is where Brother's INKvestment Tank models genuinely differ from most inkjets. Rather than reduced-capacity setup cartridges, the Brother MFC-J5855DW ships with around a year of ink at Brother's assumed usage: about 300 pages a month, 60% black and 40% color. It is a real cost advantage and worth factoring in when comparing purchase prices against an HP or Canon that includes a starter set good for a couple of hundred pages.
How to Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-J5855DW
- Open the ink cartridge cover on the front of the printer.
- Press the lock release lever for the color you are replacing and pull the cartridge straight out.
- Unwrap the new cartridge and remove the orange protective packing. Do not touch the contacts.
- Slide the cartridge into the matching color slot in the direction of the arrow on the label, and push until it locks.
- Close the cover. The printer will prepare the ink system briefly.
- Print a test page. If quality looks off, run Print Head Cleaning from the Ink or Maintenance menu.
Replace one cartridge at a time so you do not lose track of which slot is which — the colors are labelled but the cartridges look similar.
Troubleshooting Tips
Printer will not recognize a cartridge: Remove it and reseat it firmly — these cartridges need a definite click. If it still fails, wipe the contacts with a dry cloth.
"Cannot Detect" after fitting compatibles: Power the printer fully off, leave it a minute, then power on with the cartridges installed. This clears most detection faults on the LC406 series.
Colors missing or streaky: Run Print Head Cleaning, up to three cycles. The printhead is part of the printer rather than the cartridge here, so a genuine clog is fixable — do not simply replace cartridges.
Ink counter seems wrong after a refill or reset: Brother tracks usage on the chip. A compatible cartridge reports its own level, so the estimate may jump. Judge by output.
Printer says a cartridge is low almost immediately: Check you did not fit a standard LC406 where you meant to fit an LC406XL — they look near-identical in the slot.
How to Check Your Ink Levels on the Brother MFC-J5855DW
On the Brother MFC-J5855DW, press Ink or Settings on the touchscreen and choose Ink Volume for a per-colour bar chart. The same figures appear in Brother iPrint&Scan on a computer and in the Brother Mobile Connect app, and the printer's built-in web interface (type its IP address into a browser) shows them too.
Treat every one of these readings as an estimate rather than a measurement. Printers calculate remaining ink by counting drops fired since the cartridge was installed, not by looking inside it, and manufacturers deliberately set the low-ink threshold early. It is routine to get a few hundred more pages after the first warning — keep printing until quality actually drops.
Which Other Printers Use the Same Ink?
The Brother LC406 / LC406XL cartridge is used across a range of machines, which keeps compatible prices low and availability high. If you run more than one of these, a single cartridge type covers them all:
- Brother MFC-J4335DW
- Brother MFC-J4345DW XL
- Brother MFC-J4535DW
- Brother MFC-J5855DW
- Brother MFC-J5955DW
- Brother MFC-J6555DW
- Brother MFC-J6955DW
Always check the number printed on the cartridge you are replacing before ordering — manufacturers reuse similar-looking numbers across families. You can also look your machine up in our Find Ink by Printer directory.
What MFC-J5855DW 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 it print two-sided on 11x17 paper?
No. It prints 11x17 from the regular 250-sheet tray, but automatic two-sided printing is limited to letter size.
Can it scan both sides of a document automatically?
No. The 50-sheet document feeder is single-sided, and Brother lists no duplex scanning or duplex copying.
Will it connect to a 5 GHz network?
Yes. It has dual-band 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, plus Ethernet and Wi-Fi Direct.
Where do envelopes and cardstock go?
In the 100-sheet multipurpose tray, so the 250-sheet main tray can stay loaded with plain paper.
Is the MFC-J5855DW still sold?
Brother now lists it as discontinued and doesn't name a successor. LC406 and LC406XL cartridges are still available for it.
MFC-J5855DW quirks worth knowing
- It prints 11x17, but the document feeder only takes originals up to 8.5x14. An 11x17 original can't go through the feeder.
- Brother's own list price for the LC406XL color cartridge ($81.79 for cyan) is higher than for the LC406XL black ($73.99), even though the color is rated for fewer pages (5,000 vs. 6,000).
- Brother rates it for up to 40,000 pages a month but recommends 250 to 3,500, which is a lot of headroom for a small office.
- There is a front USB port for printing from and scanning to a flash drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ink does the Brother MFC-J5855DW use? Brother LC406 or LC406XL cartridges in black, cyan, magenta and yellow — four individual cartridges.
Do the colors drain even when I print black text? Some, yes. The printer uses small amounts of color for maintenance cycles, and many documents contain color you have not noticed. Greyscale as a driver default helps.
Does compatible ink void the Brother MFC-J5855DW warranty? No. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in the US, using a third-party cartridge does not by itself void a printer warranty.
Can I mix standard and XL cartridges? Yes. The printer does not care whether the four cartridges are the same capacity.
Other printers that use LC406
Brother MFC-J4335DW · Brother MFC-J4535DW · Brother MFC-J6555DW · Brother MFC-J4345DW · Brother MFC-J6955DW
More Brother ink guides: Brother MFC-J1360DW · Brother MFC-J4355DW · Brother MFC-J1170DW · 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 8, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Brother LC406 Ink Cartridges – LC406 & LC406XL? Shop Brother LC406 Ink Cartridges – LC406 & LC406XL at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.