MFC-250C

Treat the MFC-250C as a machine to be maintained, not replaced, and maintenance starts with tier accuracy. It is one of the 23 models in this family that take the standard LC61 tier only. The high-yield LC65HY cartridges sold for this cassette family fit just four other printers: MFC-5890CN, MFC-5895CW, MFC-6490CW and MFC-6890CDW. Any seller presenting LC65HY as an upgrade for the MFC-250C is mistaken, however similar the cartridges look, so this page lists LC61 cartridges only.

The Brother MFC-250C takes the standard LC61 tier: black (LC61BK) up to 450 pages and cyan, magenta and yellow up to 325 pages each (ISO/IEC 24711). On cost per page, the standard black works out at about 1.9 cents a page ($8.69 for up to 450 pages) and each color at about 2.7 cents (up to 325 pages). If you print mostly black, the Set of 10's four-black mix matches how these printers actually consume ink.

Which LC61 should you buy?

One color at a time: black, cyan, magenta and yellow — $8.69 each.
Full refresh: the Set of 4 ($29.94) puts one of each color in one box.
Print every week: the Set of 10 ($59.85) puts four blacks and two of each color in one box.

Chip, ink and everyday use

Brother has discontinued the LC61 line, but the printers built around it were designed for exactly this stage of life: individual slots for black, cyan, magenta and yellow, a chip on every cartridge, and replacements made one at a time. Fit a new cartridge by holding the housing, not the chip contact. Every Clever Supplies LC61 cartridge carries a lifetime warranty with 1-year free returns, rated at Brother's own ISO/IEC 24711 figures (black 450, colors 325).