MFC-495CW

Owners keeping an MFC-495CW in daily service learn to read the tier before the price, because this machine accepts one tier alone: the standard LC61, as do 22 other models in its family. The high-yield LC65HY cartridges sold for this cassette family fit just four other printers — MFC-5890CN, MFC-5895CW, MFC-6490CW and MFC-6890CDW. A listing that offers LC65HY as an upgrade for the MFC-495CW is incorrect, however similar the cartridges look, and this page lists LC61 cartridges only.

The Brother MFC-495CW is an LC61 standard-tier printer: LC61BK black rated up to 450 pages and the three colors 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

Separate slots are a service feature, not a detail: black, cyan, magenta and yellow each carry their own chip and are swapped one at a time, so the printer loses only the color that actually ran out. When a replacement goes in, handle it by the housing and keep fingers off the chip contact. Brother has discontinued the LC61 line; 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).