What Ink Does the Brother MFC-J835DW Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 17, 2026

Quick answer: The Brother MFC-J835DW uses four separate cartridges: black, cyan, magenta and yellow, in either high-yield LC75 or standard LC71. LC75 holds twice the ink, so it's the one to buy. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured LC75 Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and a 4-pack, plus LC71 cartridges.

The MFC-J835DW is a close sibling of the MFC-J825DW. The two share one user's guide, the same control panel and the same cartridges. The MFC-J430W and MFC-J435W take them too. Super high-yield LC79 fits some bigger Brother models, like the MFC-J5910DW, but no Brother source lists it for the J835DW, so skip it.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

Brother MFC-J835DW

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	—	No retailer rating with enough reviews to use.
Expert reviews (18%)	—	No expert review of the MFC-J835DW itself. PCWorld reviewed its MFC-J825DW sibling, without a numeric score we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	93	About 1.9¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured LC75 high-yield cartridges (about 600 pages each).
Reliability (13%)	78	Most-reported problems: 'Paper Jam' errors that stay after the paper is removed; 'Cannot Detect' after a cartridge swap; 'Busy' messages and a machine that won't power off; mediocre scans with no two-sided scanning
Features (12%)	86	Print, copy, scan, fax, 20-sheet document feeder, auto two-sided printing, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 3.3-inch color touchscreen, memory card slots, CD/DVD printing. No two-sided scanning.
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 Canada lists the MFC-J835DW as discontinued, and we found no named replacement. It shares its user's guide and cartridges with the MFC-J825DW. Staples still sells Brother's LC75 cartridges, though some colors are 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

Our own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.

What Ink Cartridges Does the Brother MFC-J835DW Take?

Cartridge	Brother part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
LC75 Black (high yield)	LC75BK	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Black
LC75 Cyan (high yield)	LC75C	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Cyan
LC75 Magenta (high yield)	LC75M	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Magenta
LC75 Yellow (high yield)	LC75Y	~600 pages	Remanufactured LC75 Yellow
LC71 Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow (standard)	LC71BK / LC71C / LC71M / LC71Y	~300 pages each	Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
LC75 4-pack (black + 3 colors)	—	As above	Remanufactured LC75 4-pack

Yields are Brother's ISO figures. Retail boxes add an S to the part number, such as LC75BKS. Our LC71 cartridges cost about the same as LC75 for half the pages, so we suggest LC75. If you print a lot, our LC75 10-pack has four blacks and two of each color.

Is LC75 Worth It Over LC71?

Yes. LC75 prints about 600 pages per cartridge against about 300 for LC71. On October 17, 2026, Staples listed Brother's LC75 black at $30.99 (about 5.2¢ a page) and the standard LC71 black at $18.69 (about 6.2¢ a page). Staples had the LC75 magenta at $18.99, the color three-pack at $54.49 and a black two-pack at $55.29, with the LC75 cyan and yellow out of stock. Our remanufactured LC75 black is $6.95 (about 1.2¢ a page), each LC75 color is $6.99, the 4-pack is $26.99 and the 10-pack is $60.95.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Brother MFC-J835DW?

With the machine on, open the ink cartridge cover on the front. The touchscreen shows which color is empty.
Push the lock-release lever for that color and pull the empty cartridge out.
Unpack the new LC75 or LC71 cartridge without shaking it, and remove the orange protective cap.
Match the cartridge to the lever color and insert it in the direction of the arrow on the label.
Press gently on the back of the cartridge (marked PUSH) until it clicks, then close the cover. The machine resets the ink counter.

Which Other Printers Use LC75 and LC71?

Brother's LC71BK page lists the MFC-J280W, MFC-J425W, MFC-J430W, MFC-J435W, MFC-J625DW and MFC-J825DW along with the J835DW. Its LC75C page adds the MFC-J5910DW, MFC-J6510DW, MFC-J6710DW and MFC-J6910DW, which take LC75 but not LC71.

What MFC-J835DW owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer in Brother support pages and owner forums like JustAnswer, answered in our words.

Can I mix LC71 and LC75 cartridges?

Yes. Brother lists both for this printer, and they fit the same slots. LC75 just holds more ink, so you can swap colors to LC75 one at a time.

It still says 'Paper Jam' after I pulled the paper out.

A torn scrap is usually still inside. Brother suggests unplugging the machine, sliding the print head to the center and picking out scraps with tweezers. Pull out the tray and check the front and rear. Feeding a thick sheet through can push a stuck piece out. If the error stays, a sensor may be at fault.

It says 'Cannot Detect' after I changed a cartridge.

Reseat the cartridge until it clicks, and make sure the orange protective cap is off. Wipe the cartridge and carriage contacts with a dry, lint-free cloth. If it still isn't recognized, try another cartridge.

Is the MFC-J835DW the same as the MFC-J825DW?

Nearly. They share one user's guide, the same control panel, the same LC71/LC75 cartridges and the same listed specs. They're separate model numbers with separate software discs.

MFC-J835DW quirks worth knowing

Brother rates it at 12 ISO pages a minute in black and 10 in color, or up to 35 and 27 in fast mode.
It prints two-sided automatically, but the 20-sheet document feeder scans one side only. PCWorld found scan quality mediocre on the J825DW sibling.
It connects over Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Ethernet or USB, and has a 3.3-inch color touchscreen, memory card slots and a USB flash port.
It prints directly on printable CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs. The main tray holds 100 sheets, with room for 20 photo sheets and a manual feed slot for envelopes.

Frequently Asked Questions