MFC-J1205W
The Brother MFC-J1205W is the base model of the small INKvestment trio on Brother's official LC404 specifications. It takes LC404 cartridges — a single-tier family rated up to 750 pages for every color, black included, in accordance with ISO/IEC 24711. Below is the Clever Supplies compatible LC404 Set of 4 for this printer, chipped and covered by a lifetime warranty.
| Cartridge | Type | Color | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brother LC404 Set of 4 (compatible) | Full cartridge set (single tier) | Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow | 750 pages per cartridge |
| Brother LC404BK (compatible) | Single cartridge | Black | 750 pages |
| Brother LC404C (compatible) | Single cartridge | Cyan | 750 pages |
| Brother LC404M (compatible) | Single cartridge | Magenta | 750 pages |
| Brother LC404Y (compatible) | Single cartridge | Yellow | 750 pages |
| Brother LC404 Set of 9 (compatible) | Bulk set (3 Black + 2 of each color) | Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow | 750 pages per cartridge |
MFC-J1205W Ink — One Tier Only, and the LC406 Boundary
Brother’s official specifications for the J1205W series name three LC404 printers, and the MFC-J1205W is one of them. The MFC-J1205W is the base model of the small INKvestment trio on Brother’s official LC404 specifications. It takes LC404 cartridges — LC404BK, LC404C, LC404M and LC404Y — a single-tier family rated up to 750 pages for every color, black included, in accordance with ISO/IEC 24711. There is no official LC404XL cartridge, whatever some listings claim.
Money spent on LC406 is money lost to this printer, however the listing was worded. Brother's own Q&A places the MFC-J4335DW and MFC-J4535DW on LC406, not LC404: they use a different cartridge body, nothing sold here fits them, and the traffic runs one way only — an LC406 cartridge will not go into the MFC-J1205W either. Check the model against this boundary first; an order for the wrong family prints nothing.
With every LC404 rated at the same 750 pages, price per pack is the whole comparison — there is no XL fill to pay extra for and no smaller fill to save on. Buy the single color that ran out at $16.49 and the other three keep printing on the ink they still hold. A Set of 4 at $58.74 beats four singles bought apart at a full refresh, and the Set of 9 at $119.34 suits the owner who prints steadily and would rather stock 3 black and 2 of each color than reorder often.
Which LC404 should you buy?
- One color ran out: replace just that color — black, cyan, magenta and yellow singles are $16.49 each.
- Full refresh: the Set of 4 ($58.74) replaces all four positions in one box.
- Print every week: the Set of 9 ($119.34) stocks 3 black and 2 of each color.
Chip, ink and everyday use
Cost control also means not replacing a cartridge on a warning alone. Each cartridge here carries a new compatible chip, yet Brother's official "Cannot Detect Ink Volume" page names this generation and says the machine may or may not read ink volume with non-genuine ink — we state that plainly instead of promising recognition. Judge a low reading against the pages actually printed before spending on a replacement. Lifetime warranty with 1-year free returns.