HL-4040CN
This is where Brother's own color platform began: the HL-4040CN was the company's first color laser with a fully in-house engine, printing at 21 ppm in color and black with 10/100Base-TX Ethernet, USB direct printing and PictBridge. Two-sided output stays manual on this model — automatic duplex arrived with the HL-4040CDN. Its supplies are the standard-yield TN110 series (TN110BK black, TN110C cyan, TN110M magenta and TN110Y yellow) and the high-yield TN115 series (TN115BK black, TN115C cyan, TN115M magenta and TN115Y yellow), imaging through the DR110CL drum unit.
The defining compromise of the CN is that trade: proper networked color, one generation before automatic duplexing reached the line. Offices that print mostly one-sided — invoices, letters, reports — rarely feel the gap, and in return the machine shares its entire supply shelf with the later, fancier siblings. Cartridges and drums stay easy to source precisely because the family around it kept growing.
Toner Cartridges for HL-4040CN
| Cartridge | Color | Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| TN110 — the standard-yield set of four | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 2,500 black / 1,500 per color |
| TN115 — premium-grade high-yield set of four | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 5,000 black / 4,000 per color |
| TN115 — high-yield set of four | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 5,000 black / 4,000 per color |
| TN115BK — premium high-yield black, single | Black | approx. 5,000 pages |
| TN110 — two standard-yield blacks | Black | approx. 2,500 pages each |
| TN110 — three standard-yield blacks | Black | approx. 2,500 pages each |
| TN110 — five standard-yield blacks | Black | approx. 2,500 pages each |
| TN110 — eight-cartridge standard-yield set | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 2,500 black / 1,500 per color |
| TN110 — five-cartridge standard-yield set | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 2,500 black / 1,500 per color |
| TN110 — the three standard-yield colors | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | approx. 1,500 pages each |
| TN115 — two high-yield blacks | Black | approx. 5,000 pages each |
| TN115 — three high-yield blacks | Black | approx. 5,000 pages each |
| TN115 — five high-yield blacks | Black | approx. 5,000 pages each |
| TN115 — six high-yield colors (two sets of three) | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | approx. 4,000 pages each |
| TN115 — eight-cartridge high-yield set | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 5,000 black / 4,000 per color |
| TN115 — the three high-yield colors | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | approx. 4,000 pages each |
| TN115 — five-cartridge high-yield set | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 5,000 black / 4,000 per color |
| TN110 — three standard-yield colors, alternate listing | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | approx. 1,500 pages each |
| TN110 — eight-cartridge standard-yield set, alternate listing | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 2,500 black / 1,500 per color |
| TN110BK — standard-yield black, genuine Brother | Black | approx. 2,500 pages |
| TN110C — standard-yield cyan, genuine Brother | Cyan | approx. 1,500 pages |
| TN110M — standard-yield magenta, genuine Brother | Magenta | approx. 1,500 pages |
| TN110Y — standard-yield yellow, genuine Brother | Yellow | approx. 1,500 pages |
| TN110 — genuine Brother set of four, standard yield | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow | 2,500 black / 1,500 per color |
| TN115BK — high-yield black, genuine Brother | Black | approx. 5,000 pages |
| TN115C — high-yield cyan, genuine Brother | Cyan | approx. 4,000 pages |
| TN115M — high-yield magenta, genuine Brother | Magenta | approx. 4,000 pages |
| TN115Y — high-yield yellow, genuine Brother | Yellow | approx. 4,000 pages |
Drum unit for this printer:
- DR110CL — genuine Brother drum unit, rated at 17,000 pages
Which cartridge should you buy?
The same two-step decision as the rest of the family. Standard-yield TN110 cartridges (2,500 pages black, 1,500 per color) fit light color use; high-yield TN115 cartridges (5,000 black, 4,000 per color) take over once the printer works daily, and they are the cheaper way to print per page. Because the four slots empty independently, order the color that is actually low instead of a full set — sets make sense when a new machine or a big project calls for all four at once. Compatible cartridges here include a 1-year warranty and 1-year returns.
Chip, toner and everyday use
Toner for this family is slot-specific: a cyan cartridge will not seat in the magenta bay, so match the part number on the box to the slot the printer flags. Ratings rest on about 5% coverage, and color pages swing widely around that figure — a month of flyers can use a color faster than a quarter of letters. Keep cartridges in their sealed packaging until fitting, store them flat and away from sunlight, and after a drum change reset the drum counter so remaining-life readings mean something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the HL-4040CN print on both sides automatically?
No. Duplexing on the HL-4040CN is manual — the driver guides you through reinserting the stack. Automatic two-sided printing arrived with the HL-4040CDN in the same family.
Which cartridges fit the HL-4040CN?
Four at a time: TN110BK, TN110C, TN110M and TN110Y in standard yield, or TN115BK, TN115C, TN115M and TN115Y in high yield. Both lines fit every slot, and the machine images through the DR110CL drum unit.
Is the TN115 worth the extra over the TN110?
For regular printing, yes. The high-yield black prints about twice the pages of the standard one, and each high-yield color about 4,000 pages against 1,500 — so the cost per page drops and cartridge changes come around half as often.
What drum does the HL-4040CN use, and how long does it last?
The DR110CL, a single drum unit rated at roughly 17,000 pages. It serves all four colors at once and is replaced separately from the toner cartridges when print quality fades across the board.
More printers that use the same cartridges
Every other member of this color generation drinks from the same shelf — the duplex and wireless HL variants, the DCP line and the MFC multifunctions:
Brother-TN110, Brother-TN115, DCP-9040, DCP-9040CDN, DCP-9040CN, DCP-9042CDN, DCP-9045, DCP-9045CDN, DCP-9045CN, HL-4040, HL-4040CD, HL-4040CDN, HL-4040CDW, 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