MFC-L8850CDW

Flagship territory: the Brother MFC-L8850CDW scans both sides of a page in a single pass thanks to Dual CIS technology, feeds originals through a 50-page automatic document feeder and prints at 32 pages per minute, with a 4.85-inch color touchscreen running print, copy, scan and fax and automatic duplexing throughout. Its toner system is the TN331 standard-yield family — TN331BK black at about 2,500 pages, TN331C cyan, TN331M magenta and TN331Y yellow at about 1,500 pages each — stepping up to the high-yield TN336 family: TN336BK black at about 4,000 pages and TN336C, TN336M and TN336Y at about 3,500 each. The separate DR331CL drum unit set, rated at about 25,000 pages, serves all four colors.

A machine bought for its scanner usually ends up printing heavily too — scanned files get proofed, hard copies get filed — and the 60,000-page monthly duty cycle tells you Brother expects exactly that. The supply lesson of a flagship is that downtime is the expensive part: the right move is a full spare set on site and the high-yield family as the working standard, not a cartridge ordered in a panic.

Toner Cartridges for MFC-L8850CDW

Genuine TN331C TN331M TN331Y Cyan Magenta Yellow Genuine OEM Toner 3 Color Set - 1,500 pages each — four colors, 1,500 pages
Genuine TN331Y Yellow Genuine OEM Toner - 1,500 pages — yellow, 1,500 pages
Genuine TN331M Magenta Genuine OEM Toner - 1,500 pages — magenta, 1,500 pages
Genuine TN331C Cyan Genuine OEM Toner - 1,500 pages — cyan, 1,500 pages
Genuine TN331BK Black Genuine OEM Toner - 2,500 pages — black, 2,500 pages
Genuine TN336BK Black Genuine OEM Toner 2 Pack - 4,000 pages — black, 4,000 pages
Genuine TN336BK TN336C TN336M TN336Y Black Cyan Magenta Yellow Genuine OEM Toners 4 Color Set - Black: 4,000 pages, Color: 3,500 pages each — four colors, 4,000 pages
Genuine TN336Y Yellow Genuine OEM Toner - 3,500 pages — yellow, 3,500 pages
Genuine TN336M Magenta Genuine OEM Toner - 3,500 pages — magenta, 3,500 pages
Genuine TN336C Cyan Genuine OEM Toner - 3,500 pages — cyan, 3,500 pages
Genuine TN336BK Black Genuine OEM Toner - 4,000 pages — black, 4,000 pages
TN331 (TN331BK,TN331C,TN331Y,TN331M) Toner 4 Color Set — black, See product page
TN331 (TN331BK) Toner Black 2 Pack — black, ~2,500 pages
NT436 (TN336BK TN336C TN336M TN336Y) Toner 4 Color Set — black, See product page
TN336 (TN336C TN336M TN336Y) Toner 6 Color Set — black, ~3,500 pages
TN336 (TN331Y TN336Y) Toner Yellow — yellow, See product page
TN336 (TN331M TN336M) Toner Magenta — magenta, See product page
TN336 (TN331C TN336C) Toner Cyan — cyan, See product page
TN336 (TN336BK) Toner Black — black, ~4,000 pages
TN336 (TN336BK TN336C TN336M TN336Y) Toner 8 Color Set — black, See product page
TN336 (TN336BK) Toner Black 5 Pack — black, ~4,000 pages
TN336 (TN336C TN336M TN336Y) Toner 3 Color Set — black, ~3,500 pages
TN336 (TN336BK) Toner Black 3 Pack — black, ~4,000 pages
TN336 (TN336BK TN336C TN336M TN336Y) Toner 4 Color Set — black, See product page
TN336 (TN336BK TN336C TN336M TN336Y) Toner 5 Color Set — black, See product page
TN331 (TN331Y TN336Y) Toner Yellow — yellow, See product page
MFC-L8850CDW Toner Yellow (TN331Y) — yellow, ~1,500 pages
MFC-L8850CDW Toner Magenta (TN331M) — magenta, ~1,500 pages
MFC-L8850CDW Toner Cyan (TN331C) — cyan, ~1,500 pages
MFC-L8850CDW Toner Black (TN331BK) — black, ~2,500 pages
MFC-L8850CDW Toner 4 Color Set (TN331BK, TN331C, TN331M, TN331Y) — black, See product page
TN331 Toner 4 Color Set (TN331BK, TN331C, TN331M, TN331Y) — black, See product page
TN336 Toner 6 Color Set (TN336C, TN336M, TN336Y) — black, ~3,500 pages
TN336 Toner 3 Color Set (TN336C, TN336M, TN336Y) — black, ~3,500 pages
TN336 Toner 8 Color Set (TN336BK, TN336C, TN336M, TN336Y) — black, See product page
TN336 Toner 5 Color Set (TN336BK, TN336C, TN336M, TN336Y) — black, See product page
TN336 Toner 5 Black (TN336BK) — black, ~4,000 pages
TN336 Toner 3 Black (TN336BK) — black, ~4,000 pages
TN336 Toner 2 Black (TN336BK) — black, ~4,000 pages
TN331 Toner 5 Black (TN331BK) — black, ~2,500 pages
TN331 Toner Yellow (TN331Y) — yellow, ~1,500 pages
TN331 Toner Magenta (TN331M) — magenta, ~1,500 pages
TN331 Toner 6 Color Set (TN331C, TN331M, TN331Y) — black, ~1,500 pages
TN331 Toner 3 Color Set (TN331C, TN331M, TN331Y) — black, ~1,500 pages
TN331 Toner Cyan (TN331C) — cyan, ~1,500 pages
TN331 Toner 8 Color Set (TN331BK, TN331C, TN331M, TN331Y) — black, See product page
TN331 Toner 5 Color Set (TN331BK, TN331C, TN331M, TN331Y) — black, See product page
TN331 Toner Black (TN331BK) — black, ~2,500 pages
TN331 Toner 3 Black (TN331BK) — black, ~2,500 pages
TN331 Toner 2 Black (TN331BK) — black, ~2,500 pages
TN-336 Toner 5 Color Set (TN336BK, TN336C, TN336M, TN336Y) — black, See product page
TN336Y Toner High Yield Yellow — yellow, See product page
TN336M Toner High Yield Magenta — magenta, See product page
TN336C Toner High Yield Cyan — cyan, See product page
TN336BK Toner High Yield Black — black, See product page
TN336 Premium Toner High Yield 4 Color Set (TN336BK/ TN336C/ TN336M/ TN336Y) — black, See product page
TN336 Toner High Yield 4 Color Set (TN336BK/ TN336C/ TN336M/ TN336Y) — black, See product page

Drum units for this model:

Genuine DR331CL Genuine OEM Drum Unit Set- 25,000 pages — drum, 25,000 pages

Which cartridge should you buy?

At this duty level, start from the TN336 high-yield family: black at about 4,000 pages and colors at about 3,500 pages roughly halve the swap frequency of the standard TN331 set (2,500 black, 1,500 colors) and cut the cost per page along with it. Keep TN331 cartridges for a quieter machine if you run one — they fit the same family of slots. Buy colors as singles when one runs out; take a full four-color set when several run low together or when you want the shelf restocked in a single order. The DR331CL drum set lasts about 25,000 pages, so it is an occasional line on the order rather than a regular one. Genuine Brother cartridges are stocked alongside the compatibles, which carry a 1-year warranty and 1-year returns.

Chip, toner and everyday use

A flagship earns its keep by never sitting idle, so rotate your spares: fit the oldest sealed cartridge first and keep the shelf turning over instead of letting one box age at the back. After any color swap, allow the machine its calibration cycle — color accuracy settles there, not in the first proof off the glass. Remember the printed ratings assume roughly 5% coverage per color; a scan-and-reprint workflow with dense pages will land well under the headline figure. If one color empties mid-job, the honest fix is that color's cartridge — the other three still hold exactly what they held.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which toner does the Brother MFC-L8850CDW take?

The TN331 standard-yield series or the TN336 high-yield series — black TN331BK or TN336BK, cyan TN331C or TN336C, magenta TN331M or TN336M, yellow TN331Y or TN336Y — with the DR331CL drum unit set underneath all of them.

Why are there two yields for the same machine?

Brother sells the family at two capacities: TN331 for lighter use (black about 2,500 pages, colors about 1,500) and TN336 for volume (black about 4,000, colors about 3,500). Same fit, same slots — the high-yield cartridges simply run longer and cost less per page.

What does the DR331CL do, and when do I replace it?

It is the drum unit set the toner cartridges work through, rated at about 25,000 pages for the set. You change it on its own cycle, far less often than toner, typically when print quality fades or marks in a way a fresh cartridge does not cure.

One color has run out — do I need a whole new set?

No. Each color is an independent cartridge, and the singles on this page are the routine purchase. A full set only makes sense when several colors are low together or you are rebuilding the spare shelf.