Brother HL-3170CDW Toner Cartridges
Your Brother HL-3170CDW uses the TN-251, TN-255 cartridge series. We have been supplying replacement consumables for this colour LED printer since Jul 2013, supporting its four-cartridge system which separates black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Our 4.8 Google rating reflects a long-standing track record of premium cartridge performance. Office users generally upgrade to high-yield colour cartridges quickly because colour business documents use multiple tones simultaneously, causing standard starter cartridges to deplete rapidly.
Expected Page Output And Replacement Cycles
Page yields for the Brother HL-3170CDW toner cartridges are determined using the official ISO/IEC 19798 standard for colour laser printing. The standard TN-251BK black cartridge provides approximately 2500 pages, while colour tracking varies between standard and high-yield versions depending on your specific daily workplace office volume.
| Cartridge Number | Type | Colour | Page Yield | Cost Per Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN-251BK | Standard | Black | 2,500 | $0.068 |
| TN-251C | Standard | Cyan | 1,400 | $0.098 |
| TN-251M | Standard | Magenta | 1,400 | $0.098 |
| TN-251Y | Standard | Yellow | 1,400 | $0.098 |
| TN-255C | High Yield | Cyan | 2,200 | $0.081 |
| TN-255M | High Yield | Magenta | 2,200 | $0.081 |
| TN-255Y | High Yield | Yellow | 2,200 | $0.081 |
Cost Per Page = Total Cartridge Price ÷ Page Yield (at 5% coverage). Prices based on Genuine cartridges.
Choosing Between Genuine And Compatible Options
Under Australian Consumer Law, using compatible cartridges does not void your printer warranty. Selecting premium compatible cartridges offers an affordable alternative to OEM versions, backed by a performance guarantee. You can read our comprehensive review regarding genuine vs compatible cartridges to determine which product suits your office requirements.
Managing Other Internal Printer Consumables
This printer utilizes separate DR-251CL drum units, a BU-220 transfer belt unit, and a WT-220CL waste toner bottle alongside standard toners. These parts have longer duty lifecycles and require occasional maintenance replacements to maintain crisp text alignment. Experience Tip: When inserting a new drum unit, ensure you manually reset the internal drum counter via the printer control menu to clear the replace warning alert.
Selecting Your Best Toner Pack Setup
If you print mainly text, buying single black cartridges or standard black bundles covers daily office workflow efficiently. If you print colour documents regularly, purchasing multi-pack bundle setups helps reduce individual ordering intervals. Compatible cartridges purchased here feature a full money-back guarantee for peace of mind. Free delivery applies on all orders over $99 (conditions apply), shipped quickly from our national distribution warehouses located in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Browse our full range of Brother toner cartridges or consult our official Returns policy for peace of mind.
Pro Tip
Always replace your waste toner bottle when prompted by the printer, as an overfilled container can cause residual loose toner powder to scatter inside the printing mechanism, leaving unsightly streaks across your subsequent print runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mix a genuine Brother toner cartridge with compatible color toners in this printer?
Yes, the printer firmware handles individual cartridge chips independently, allowing you to run a genuine black toner alongside compatible color cartridges without experiencing system communication errors or print initialization blocks.
Why does my printer display a drum error message when I have just installed new TN-255 toners?
Toner cartridges and drum units are independent consumables in this printer system. The toners slide into the DR-251CL drum frame; a drum error indicates that the underlying drum roller mechanism has reached its 15,000-page limit and needs a separate replacement.
Do high-yield TN-255 cartridges take up more physical space inside the printer than standard TN-251 cartridges?
No, both standard and high-yield cartridge versions utilize identical exterior dimensions to slot into the same printer carriage tray. The high-yield version simply contains a larger volume of toner powder inside the internal reservoir.
