What Toner Does the Brother MFC-L3720CDW Use?
Last Updated:Shopping for this printer? See all Brother TN229 Toner Cartridges – TN229, TN229XL, TN229XXL & TN227 → Ships same day by 4 PM ET, 1-year guarantee.
Quick answer: The Brother MFC-L3720CDW uses Brother TN229 (standard) or TN229XL (high-yield) toner in black, cyan, magenta and yellow, plus a separate DR229CL drum unit. Castle Ink stocks every color in both capacities, including a TN229XL 4-color set.
CastleScore · October 2026
79/100 — Recommended
Brother MFC-L3720CDW
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | 81 | 4.15★ average across 1,162 ratings at Amazon (4.0), Best Buy (4.6) |
| Expert reviews (20%) | 70 | PCMag 3.5/5 |
| 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%) | 83 | Most-reported problems: no Ethernet port; paper curl and jams with heavier stock; single owner report of fuser failure at about two years, with repair costing roughly half a new printer |
| Features (11%) | 83 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi, touchscreen. |
| Value (5%) | 76 | Running cost and owner satisfaction against a street price of about $459 |
Still sold new by Brother USA, at a $459.99 list price.
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 12, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The toner, pictured
TN229XL 4-packBlack + Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
TN229XL BlackHigh yield · ~3,000 pages
TN229XL Cyan~2,300 pages
TN229XL Magenta~2,300 pages
TN229XL Yellow~2,300 pages
TN229XL 4-pack
TN229XL Black
TN229XL Cyan
TN229XL Magenta
TN229XL YellowOur own compatible toner, photographed in-house.
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Toner at a Glance
| Supply | Colors | Approx. Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| TN229 — TN229BK, TN229C, TN229M, TN229Y | BK / C / M / Y (standard) | ~1,500 black / ~1,200 each color |
| TN229XL — TN229XLBK, TN229XLC, TN229XLM, TN229XLY | BK / C / M / Y (high-yield) | ~3,000 black / ~2,300 each color |
| Brother DR229CL | Drum unit (separate) | ~20,000 pages |
| Brother WT229CL | Waste toner box | ~50,000 pages |
| Brother BU229CL | Belt unit | ~50,000 pages |
The MFC-L3720CDW is a compact color laser all-in-one — print, copy, scan and fax — with a 50-page document feeder (one-sided scanning only), automatic two-sided printing, a 250-sheet tray, and dual-band Wi-Fi plus USB. There is no Ethernet port. It is part of Brother's newer TN229 generation, which replaced the older TN223/TN227 models.
New printers ship with starter toners of about 1,000 pages per color, so your first set of replacements will come due well before a full TN229XL would.
TN229 vs. TN229XL (and Why Not TN229XXL)
TN229XL cartridges are the same size as TN229 but roughly double the yield, which brings the cost per page down sharply — they are the better buy for nearly every user. You can mix capacities, for example an XL black with standard colors.
About TN229XXL: Brother also makes a super-high-yield TN229XXL, but it is listed only for certain models such as the HL-L3295CDW, MFC-L3780CDW and MFC-L8395CDW. Brother does not list it for the MFC-L3720CDW, so stick with TN229 or TN229XL for this printer.
Buying TN229 / TN229XL at Castle Ink
Shop high-yield TN229XLBK, TN229XLC, TN229XLM and TN229XLY, standard TN229BK, TN229C, TN229M and TN229Y, or save with the TN229XL 4-pack or TN229 4-pack. These are newly manufactured compatible cartridges. Orders placed by 4 PM ET ship the same day, and U.S. orders over $50 ship free. Castle Ink does not stock the DR229CL drum; you can find the DR229CL on Amazon (as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases).
The DR229CL Drum Unit
The DR229CL is a single drum unit that the four toner cartridges sit in, rated for about 20,000 pages at one page per job (about 30,000 at three pages per job). You only replace it when the printer asks, usually after several sets of toner. After installing a new drum, reset the drum counter from the printer's menu.
Two other parts wear out much more slowly: the WT229CL waste toner box and the BU229CL belt, each rated for about 50,000 pages.
How to Replace a Toner Cartridge
- Open the front cover and wait for the printer to stop.
- Hold the green handle and pull the drum unit out until it stops.
- Push down the green lock lever on the cartridge you are replacing and lift the cartridge out.
- Unpack the new cartridge, shake it gently side to side, remove the protective cover, and slide it into the slot with the matching color label until it clicks.
- Clean each corona wire by sliding the green tab left and right a few times, then return it to the home position.
- Push the drum unit back in and close the front cover.
Troubleshooting Tips
"Replace Toner" stops printing: You can switch the Replace Toner setting to Continue to use the remaining toner. See how to reset a Brother toner cartridge.
"Cartridge Error" or "No Toner" after a change: Check that each cartridge is in the matching color slot and clicked into the drum. See printer says cartridge not recognized.
Colors look shifted or wrong: Run Color Calibration and Auto Registration from the printer's menu. More help in printer printing the wrong colors.
Repeating spots or streaks in every color: This usually points to the drum unit rather than the toner. Clean the corona wires first; if the marks repeat at a regular interval, replace the DR229CL.
Which Other Printers Use TN229 Toner?
TN229/TN229XL toner and the DR229CL drum also fit the Brother HL-L3220CDW, HL-L3280CDW, HL-L3295CDW, HL-L3300CDW, HL-L8245CDW, MFC-L3765CDW, MFC-L3780CDW and MFC-L8395CDW.
What MFC-L3720CDW 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 plug it into my network with a cable?
No. The MFC-L3720CDW has dual-band Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and USB, but no Ethernet port. The MFC-L3780CDW, which takes the same toner, adds Ethernet.
Will the document feeder scan both sides of a page?
No. The 50-sheet feeder scans one side only, and Brother lists two-sided scanning and two-sided copying as not supported. You flip two-sided originals by hand.
How long will the toner that came in the box last?
Brother rates the starter cartridges at about 1,000 pages each for black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
Besides toner, what parts will I eventually replace?
The DR229CL drum (about 20,000 pages), the WT229CL waste toner box (about 50,000) and the BU229CL belt (about 50,000). The printer tells you when each one is due.
Why does it print slower than 19 pages per minute?
Brother's 19 ppm rating is for one-sided printing, and the printer prints two-sided by default. Copies are two-sided by default too, which surprises some owners. Change the default to 1-sided if you want full speed.
MFC-L3720CDW quirks worth knowing
- Compared with its MFC-L3780CDW sibling, it has no Ethernet, no two-sided scanning, 19 ppm instead of 31 ppm, and it can't take TN229XXL.
- The 3.5-inch touchscreen is fixed at about 7 degrees and doesn't tilt, so it is hard to read unless you stand over it.
- Brother's drum and waste-box ratings depend on job length: the DR229CL is rated about 20,000 pages at one page per job and 30,000 at three; the WT229CL about 50,000 at two pages per job and 60,000 at three.
- Brother's support page for this model shows how-to videos made for the MFC-L3780CDW. The toner and drum steps are the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the MFC-L3720CDW use TN227 or TN223?
No. Those are for the previous generation (such as the MFC-L3770CDW). The MFC-L3720CDW uses TN229 and TN229XL.
Can I use TN229XXL in the MFC-L3720CDW?
Brother does not list TN229XXL for this model. Use TN229 or TN229XL.
Is the DR229CL four separate drums?
No. The DR229CL is a single drum unit that holds all four toner cartridges.
Can I mix standard and XL cartridges?
Yes. Any combination of TN229 and TN229XL works.
Other printers that use TN229 toner
Brother MFC-L3765CDW · Brother HL-L3220CDW · Brother MFC-L3780CDW · Brother HL-L3280CDW
More Brother ink guides: Brother DCP-L2640DW · Brother MFC-L2820DW · Brother HL-L2460DW · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Brother HL-L2460DW — CastleScore 90
- Brother MFC-L2820DW — CastleScore 90
- Brother HL-L5210DW — CastleScore 89
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 12, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Brother TN229 Toner Cartridges – TN229, TN229XL, TN229XXL & TN227? Shop Brother TN229 Toner Cartridges – TN229, TN229XL, TN229XXL & TN227 at Castle Ink. Compatible, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.