FAX SERIES

Brother's FAX series is the dedicated fax machine line — plain-paper fax units for offices that still run on signed pages: clinics, law firms, pharmacies, dispatch desks and anywhere a fax number is part of the business. Most are fax-first machines with copying and speakerphone built in, and this directory covers two supply worlds. The L-series fax machines listed here take Canon cartridge families — the FX-3, the FX-6 and the Canon 104 among them — while the Brother laser fax models run on TN toner, from the TN420 and TN450 pair to the TN460 high-yield line.

These are long-lived machines, and many have been in daily service for well over a decade — which is exactly why their supplies still matter. The range also spans two printing eras: color inkjet fax models that print received pages with LC ink cartridges, and the laser models that dominate this directory. If your machine predates both and prints on thermal transfer film, its model page below names the correct film cartridge instead. Whichever era your machine belongs to, the working rule is the same: the model decides the cartridge, never the other way round.

Popular cartridges for FAX SERIES

Drum units for these machines:

• DR420 — drum unit
• DR400 — drum unit
• DR350 — drum unit, genuine Brother, rated for 12,000 pages

Which cartridge should you buy?

First, settle which world your machine lives in. An L-series model from the directory below takes the Canon cartridge in its row of the table; a Brother laser fax takes a TN family. Within the Brother group, the FAX-2840 and FAX-2940 share the TN420 standard cartridge and its TN450 high-yield version, while the FAX-4100e group steps from the TN430 up to the TN460. Fax volume argues for the high-yield version wherever one exists — the machine prints on its own schedule, not yours. Keep a spare either way; a fax line almost never runs dry at a convenient moment.

Chip, toner and everyday use

For a machine that receives contracts and medical orders, reliability comes first, and most supply problems on a fax line are really timing problems: the cartridge ran out overnight. Fit cartridges until they click so the chip registers, reset the drum counter whenever a drum is changed, and remember that yield ratings assume five percent page coverage — a page of small-print legal text uses far more. Genuine cartridges are the reference choice and remain stocked for these models; Clever Supplies compatible cartridges meet the same fit and yield standards, carry a 1-year warranty and 1-year returns, and keep older machines economical long after they have earned their place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this Brother page list Canon cartridges?

Because the directory includes the L-series fax machines, and those machines were built around Canon print engines with Canon cartridges — the FX-3, FX-4, FX-6, FX-7, S35 and 104 families in the table. They sit in this directory because the machines are cataloged here; the cartridges themselves are Canon parts and are labeled as such.

Do the FAX-2840 and FAX-2940 really use the same cartridge?

Yes. Both take the TN420 as their standard cartridge and the TN450 as the high-yield alternative, which is why the two codes are sold as a combined listing. The same standard/high-yield pairing repeats across the series — TN430 and TN460 work the same way for the 4100 group.

Ink, film or toner — which one does my fax machine use?

It depends on the machine's era. The laser models in this directory use toner, the color inkjet fax models use LC ink cartridges, and the oldest plain-paper fax machines print on thermal transfer film. Your model page in the list below states which supply your machine takes — check it before ordering, because the three are not interchangeable.

My received faxes are coming out faint. Is it the toner or the drum?

Evenly faint pages usually mean the toner is nearly empty; try a fresh cartridge first. If pages show repeating marks, streaks or a gray background that a new cartridge does not cure, the drum unit is the worn part — on these models the drum is separate and is replaced on its own schedule.

FAX models

• FAX L200
• FAX L250
• FAX L280
• FAX L300
• FAX L350
• FAX L800
• FAX L1000
• FAX L4000
• FAX L4500
• FAX L6000
• FAX L900
• FAX L2000
• FAX L2000ip
• FAX L220
• FAX L240
• FAX L260L
• FAX L290
• FAX L295
• FAX L3500
• FAX L350C
• FAX L360
• FAX L380
• FAX L380S
• FAX L390
• FAX L400
• FAX L6000L
• FAX L100
• FAX L110
• FAX L120
• FAX L140
• FAX L160
• FAX L170
• FAX L90
• FAX 8350p
• FAX 8750p
• FAX 2920
• FAX 8360P
• FAX 8750PNLT
• FAX 2820
• FAX 2840
• FAX 2845
• FAX 2910
• FAX 2940
• FAX 4100
• FAX 4100e
• FAX 4750
• FAX 4750e
• FAX 5750
• FAX 5750e
• FAX 8660P
• FAX B800
• FAX-2845