What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA MX870 Use?

by Lauren Elward Last Updated: October 15, 2026

Quick answer: The Canon PIXMA MX870 uses five separate ink tanks: a PGI-220 pigment black for text, plus CLI-221 black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Castle Ink stocks remanufactured PGI-220 Black, CLI-221 Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, and a 12-pack.

The MX870 takes the same tanks as the MP560 and the MP980. It does not take the PGI-225/CLI-226 tanks of the later MX882. Versions sold in the UK and Europe are generally listed with PGI-520/CLI-521 tanks, so check the part number if you buy abroad.

CastleScore · October 2026

69/100 — Situational

Canon PIXMA MX870

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	—	No retailer rating with enough reviews to use.
Expert reviews (18%)	—	Reviewed by PCWorld, TechRadar and Trusted Reviews in 2010, without numeric scores we could verify.
Cost per page (24%)	87	About 3.8¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured PGI-220 (about 344 pages) and CLI-221 colors (about 447 pages).
Reliability (13%)	70	Most-reported problems: U052 print head error that blocks printing, scanning and faxing; B200 print head fault; tanks not recognized or ink level unknown after refills; 5B00 'ink absorber full'
Features (12%)	82	Print, copy, scan, fax, document feeder with two-sided scanning, auto two-sided printing, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, 2.5-inch color screen, memory card slots. 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 and retired. Canon sold the MX870 for about $200 in 2010 and now lists it as retired, with no support or driver updates. PGI-220 and CLI-221 tanks are still sold.

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 15, 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 Canon PIXMA MX870 Take?

Cartridge	Canon part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
PGI-220 Pigment Black	2945B001	~324–350 pages	Remanufactured PGI-220 Black
CLI-221 Black (photo)	2946B001	~340 pages	Remanufactured CLI-221 Black
CLI-221 Cyan	2947B001	~510 pages	Remanufactured CLI-221 Cyan
CLI-221 Magenta	2948B001	~510 pages	Remanufactured CLI-221 Magenta
CLI-221 Yellow	2949B001	~510 pages	Remanufactured CLI-221 Yellow
PGI-220 / CLI-221 5-color pack	2945B011	—	—

Yields are approximate. PCWorld cites Canon's rating of 324 pages for PGI-220, while resellers list about 350, and color figures vary slightly by source. There are no XL versions of these tanks.

Is There an XL Version?

There's no XL version of PGI-220 or CLI-221, so the savings come from price. On October 15, 2026, Staples listed Canon's PGI-220 black at $21.99 (about 7¢ a page) and the CLI-221 black and cyan at $19.99 each. Our remanufactured PGI-220 and CLI-221 black are $7.99 each (about 2.5¢ a page for text), each CLI-221 color is $7.95, and the 12-pack is $79.95.

How Do I Replace the Ink in the Canon PIXMA MX870?

With the printer on, lift the scanning unit until it locks open. The print head holder moves to the center.
Push the tab on the empty tank and lift it out.
Unwrap the new tank and twist off the orange protective cap. Don't touch the contacts.
Insert the tank front-first into the slot for its color and press the PUSH mark until it clicks. The tank's red lamp should light.
Close the scanning unit.

Which Other Printers Use PGI-220 and CLI-221?

The PIXMA MX860, MP560, MP620, MP640, MP980, MP990, iP3600, iP4600 and iP4700.

What PIXMA MX870 owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer in Canon's support community and owner reviews, answered in our words.

Why does it say U052 when the tanks are full?

U052 is a print head error, not an ink error. Take out the tanks, raise the print head lock lever and reseat the head. If that doesn't work, the head needs replacing, and many owners decide it isn't worth it.

What does B200 mean?

A print head fault. A deep cleaning sometimes clears it, but it often comes before a U052 and means the head has failed.

Is there an XL version of these tanks?

No. Canon only made standard-size PGI-220 and CLI-221 tanks, so multipacks are the main way to save.

Does it work on 5 GHz Wi-Fi?

No. It's 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g only, but it also has an Ethernet port.

PIXMA MX870 quirks worth knowing

Canon rates it at 9.4 ISO pages a minute in black and 6.1 in color, and a borderless 4x6 photo in about 39 seconds.
The 35-sheet document feeder scans and copies both sides automatically, and the printer prints two-sided too.
It holds 300 sheets: a 150-sheet front cassette and a 150-sheet rear feeder.
Its color fax stores about 250 pages and 100 speed dials. There's no CD/DVD printing.

Frequently Asked Questions