What Toner Does the Brother HL-L3300CDW Use?

by William Elward Last Updated: October 14, 2026

Quick answer: The Brother HL-L3300CDW uses Brother TN229 toner, or high-yield TN229XL, in four separate colors (TN229BK, TN229C, TN229M, TN229Y). The drum, DR229CL, is a separate part that lasts about 20,000 pages. Castle Ink stocks compatible TN229XL Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and a TN229XL 4-pack.

The super-high-yield TN229XXL black is not listed for the HL-L3300CDW; Brother lists it only for the HL-L3295CDW, HL-L8245CDW, MFC-L3780CDW and MFC-L8395CDW.

CastleScore · October 2026

79/100 — Recommended

Brother HL-L3300CDW

Pillar (weight)	Score	What it is based on
Owner ratings (28%)	81	4.15★ average across 400 ratings at Walmart (4.2), Staples (4.1) and Lowe's (4.1)
Expert reviews (20%)	—	Tested by Consumer Reports, but its overall score is paywalled, so we couldn't verify a number.
Cost per page (18%)	81	About 4.8¢ per page blended (black + color) with our compatible TN229XL toner (3,000 black / 2,300 color pages).
Reliability (18%)	85	Most-reported problems: 'Replace Toner' warnings by page count while toner remains; corona-wire tab and 'No Toner' prompts after cartridge swaps; Wi-Fi setup trouble
Features (11%)	64	Print, copy, scan, auto two-sided printing, Wi-Fi. No document feeder, no fax, no Ethernet, no touchscreen.
Value (5%)	72	Running cost and owner satisfaction against a street price of about $430

Limited data: We could not find a published expert score we could verify for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.

Still sold new at about $430 at Brother, Staples, Walmart and Best Buy.

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 14, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The toner, pictured

Our own compatible toner.

What Toner Does the Brother HL-L3300CDW Take?

Supply	Brother part no.	Approx. yield	Castle Ink option
In-box starter toner	—	~1,000 pages each	—
TN229 standard	TN229BK / C / M / Y	~1,500 black / ~1,200 per color	Compatible TN229 4-pack
TN229XL high yield	TN229XLBK / C / M / Y	~3,000 black / ~2,300 per color	Compatible TN229XL 4-pack
Drum unit	DR229CL	~20,000 pages	—
Belt unit / waste toner box	BU229CL / WT229CL	~50,000 pages each	—

Yields are Brother's ISO figures. The drum, belt and waste toner box all ship in the box, so most owners will buy only toner for years.

Is TN229XL Worth It?

Yes. TN229XL doubles the black pages and nearly doubles the colors. On October 14, 2026, Brother listed TN229XLBK at $96.29 (about 3.2¢ a page) and TN229XLC at $123.49. Our compatible TN229XL cartridges are $65.95 each, about 2.2¢ a page for black and 2.9¢ per color, or $299.95 for the 4-pack.

Third-party toner. Brother doesn't document any block on this model and has said it doesn't intentionally disable functions when third-party toner is installed. The only cartridges Brother deactivates are those bought through its Refresh EZ Print subscription after you cancel.

How Do I Replace the Toner in the Brother HL-L3300CDW?

With the printer on, open the top cover.
Lift out the toner-and-drum assembly for the color shown on the display.
Push down the green lock lever and lift the old toner cartridge out of the drum.
Push the new cartridge into the drum until it clicks.
Slide the green tab left and right a few times to clean the corona wire, return it to its home position, refit the assembly in its matching slot, and close the cover.

Which Other Printers Use TN229?

The HL-L3220CDW, HL-L3280CDW, HL-L3295CDW, HL-L8245CDW, MFC-L3720CDW, MFC-L3765CDW, MFC-L3780CDW and MFC-L8395CDW all take TN229 and the DR229CL drum.

What HL-L3300CDW 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.

Does it have a document feeder?

No. It copies and scans one page at a time from a letter-size flatbed glass. For a feeder, look at the MFC-L3720CDW or MFC-L3780CDW.

Can it print black when a color toner is empty?

Yes. Brother says it keeps printing in black when a color runs out.

It says Replace Toner but the cartridge still has toner. Why?

The printer estimates toner use from page count, so the warning can come early. If it says No Toner instead, take the assembly out and reseat the cartridge in the drum until it clicks.

After a toner change it keeps asking me to move the green tab. What's wrong?

The corona-wire cleaning tab isn't back in its home position. Slide it fully left and right, then park it with the arrows lined up before refitting the assembly.

Can it print envelopes or cardstock?

Envelopes, yes, through the single-sheet manual feed slot. Brother doesn't support cardstock.

HL-L3300CDW quirks worth knowing

Despite the HL name it copies and scans, unlike the print-only HL-L3220CDW and HL-L3280CDW.
Brother rates it at 19 pages a minute in black and color, with a 250-sheet tray and a one-sheet manual slot.
It connects by dual-band Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct or USB; there's no Ethernet port, and the display is a 2-line LCD.
Brother recommends up to 3,000 pages a month against a 40,000-page duty cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions