HL-4040
The entry point to Brother's HL-4040 color laser family, the base HL-4040 prints at 21 pages per minute in both color and mono from a 300-sheet input tray, with 64MB of memory, manual two-sided printing and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 as its only connection — a straightforward desk printer. Under the cover there are four toner slots and two cartridge sizes for each: the standard-yield TN110 set — TN110BK, TN110C, TN110M and TN110Y for black, cyan, magenta and yellow — and the longer-running TN115 set, where TN115BK leads black and TN115C, TN115M and TN115Y cover the colors. The toner works with a separate DR110CL drum unit, which is not among the listings on this page.
A print-only color machine on one person's desk has a predictable appetite. The 300-sheet tray means paper refills are rare, and the toner story follows the same rhythm: black pages dominate, color appears in bursts — a presentation here, a set of handouts there — and then the machine idles back to memos. Two-sided work is manual on this model, done through the driver, so paper discipline is in the user's hands rather than the machine's.
Toner Cartridges for HL-4040
Which cartridge should you buy?
The standard-yield TN110 line (black about 2,500 pages, colors about 1,500 each) is the right default for a desk printer with ordinary output, and its singles make one-color top-ups cheap and simple. Move a slot to the TN115 line when that color demonstrably runs out early — black is the usual candidate, jumping to about 5,000 pages, while heavy color users can take the colors to about 4,000 pages each. The series are interchangeable in the same machine, so the upgrade can happen one slot at a time, exactly when the old cartridge empties. Both genuine Brother cartridges and compatible alternatives are stocked on this page; the compatibles carry a 1-year warranty and 1-year returns.
Chip, toner and everyday use
Each cartridge reports its own level through its chip, and the printer names the color that needs attention — there is no need to guess or to open all four slots. When a cartridge is running low but a job cannot wait, removing it and rocking it gently side to side levels the remaining toner for a few more usable pages. Ratings are set at about 5% coverage for each color; a full-page color graphic spends several times that, which is why photo-rich weeks empty color cartridges faster than the calendar suggests. Store spare cartridges sealed, flat and out of direct light.
Frequently Asked Questions
What toner does the Brother HL-4040 use?
Four cartridges — black, cyan, magenta and yellow — in either the standard-yield TN110 series (black about 2,500 pages, colors about 1,500 each) or the high-yield TN115 series (black about 5,000 pages, colors about 4,000 each).
What is the difference between the TN110 and the TN115?
Both fit the same printers. The TN115 is the high-yield version — about 5,000 black pages versus about 2,500, and about 4,000 pages per color versus about 1,500 — so it costs less per page if you print a lot of color.
Can I mix TN110 and TN115 cartridges in the HL-4040?
Yes — the two series are interchangeable slot by slot. A high-yield TN115BK black alongside standard-yield TN110 colors is a common and sensible combination.
Are the cartridges on this page original or compatible?
Both — this page carries compatible TN110 and TN115 replacements as well as genuine Brother OEM toner cartridges, each identified in the table. The HL-4040's DR110CL drum unit is a separate part and is not listed here.
More printers that use the same cartridges
The TN110 and TN115 families are shared across Brother’s color laser range of this generation: Brother-TN110, Brother-TN115, DCP-9040, DCP-9040CDN, DCP-9040CN, DCP-9042CDN, DCP-9045, DCP-9045CDN, DCP-9045CN, HL-4040CD, HL-4040CDN, HL-4040CDW, HL-4040CN, HL-4050, HL-4050CDN, HL-4050CN, HL-4070, HL-4070CDS, HL-4070CDW, MFC-9440, MFC-9440CN, MFC-9450, MFC-9450CDN, MFC-9840, MFC-9840CDW, MFC-9842CDW.