SKU:

CS-Bro-New-tn221-tn225-2Black

Printer Brand:

Brother

OEM Number:

TN221BK

Ink Color:

Black

Page Yield:

Black: 2500

Printer Type:

Laser Cartridge

Condition:

New Compatible

Frequently Asked Questions

We run two printers of the same model — can both draw from one black supply?

That is exactly what this pack is good for. Both of your machines use the same TN221BK black cartridge, so a two-pack kept in a shared drawer works as a common pool: whichever printer flags low first takes the next cartridge. No separate stock per machine, no wrong-cartridge orders — just two cartridges covering 5,000 rated pages between them.

What does the shared-pool approach cost per page?

The pack is $36.04 for two cartridges, or $18.02 each. Spread over the 2,500-page rating of each TN221BK, black printing lands at roughly 0.72¢ per page — compared with about 1.09¢ when cartridges are bought one at a time, and $18.50 saved against two singles at $27.27. For the full shelf, see our Best Brother TN221 Toner Cartridges guide: the TN221BK black cartridge, the high-yield TN225 colors, the mixed sets and the DR221 drum units are compared side by side — including what each route costs per page when a single slot or the whole printer runs dry.

Which printers can draw from this pool?

Any of the Brother color laser/LED printers and all-in-ones built on this cartridge family — the HL-3140, HL-3170, HL-3140CW, HL-3170CDW, MFC-9130, MFC-9330, MFC-9340, MFC-9130CW, MFC-9330CDW, MFC-9340CDW, DCP-9020, DCP-9020CDN, DCP-9020CDW, HL-3140CDW, HL-3150CDN, HL-3150CDW, HL-3170CDW, MFC-9140CDN, MFC-9330CW and MFC-9340CW. As long as both machines list the TN221BK as their black cartridge, they can share this pack freely.

What if one printer prints far more than the other?

Then the busy machine simply takes both cartridges sooner — the pool does not care. The lighter printer keeps working from its installed cartridge while its heavy-use partner consumes the stock, and you reorder when the drawer, not a deadline, says so.

Is there any difference between the two cartridges in the box?

None. Both are standard TN221BK cartridges rated at 2,500 pages each, interchangeable between your machines and installable in any order.

How are we covered if a cartridge underperforms?

Each cartridge comes with a 1-year warranty, and returns are free within the first year — details are on our returns page. We ship from warehouses in IL, PA, GA, and CA, and support is reachable Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM CST.

How do we record which printer took the first cartridge from the pack?

Write the machine's name and the date on the box of the cartridge going in, and keep that empty box until the second TN221BK is installed. That tiny habit gives a two-printer office its consumption split for free — after one pack cycle you know which machine is the heavy user, and future orders can be sized to the real user instead of split by guesswork.

The spare sat sealed for months — should it be prepared before installing?

A gentle rock side to side before it goes in is a sensible habit after long storage, evening out toner that has settled in one place. Keep the TN221BK sealed until that moment, store it flat away from sunlight, and it will start its 2,500 pages printing as evenly as the first cartridge from the pack did.

How does each printer's own counter help manage a shared pack?

Each machine tracks its own installed TN221BK separately, even though the spares are shared. Note the counter reading when you fit a cartridge and you can reconstruct later how many of the pool's 5,000 rated pages each printer truly consumed. That per-machine figure is what tells you whether one printer's appetite — not the other's — should drive the next order size.

When the spare goes into a printer, what else should happen that day?

Place the reorder. Installing the second TN221BK empties the drawer, and the two machines now run entirely on installed stock. Ordering on install day — inside the calm of a working printer, with the 1-year warranty paperwork current — is exactly the rhythm that keeps a shared black supply from ever becoming a shared emergency.

About This TN221BK Two-Pack for Shared Printers

Two TN221BK black cartridges — 2,500 pages each, $36.04 the pair — framed for the way small fleets actually work: one black pool that any printer in this Brother family can draw from, at $18.02 per cartridge and about 0.72¢ per page. Solo-printer owners get the same economics by keeping one as a spare; colors and sets for the same machines are on our Brother toner page, including the TN221/TN225 four-color set.