LC401XL Compatible Ink Cartridges

For Brother printer owners who need replacement LC401 or LC401XL ink, this non-OEM five-pack covers black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, with a second black cartridge included. It’s listed for the MFC-J1010DW, MFC-J1012DW, MFC-J1170DW, and MFC-J1800DW, as well as the corresponding models without the DW suffix. The practical appeal is having the main colors together rather than buying cartridges individually, the tradeoff is that these are compatible cartridges, not Brother originals.

Best use cases

It’s a great fit if you print everyday documents and occasional color pages on one of the listed printers, and want a spare black cartridge on hand. Picture printing a batch of school forms or work pages in black, then a few color charts: the pack provides two black cartridges alongside one each of cyan, magenta, and yellow. That mix makes more sense for routine home or small-office printing than a color-only refill set, particularly if black ink tends to run out first.

Before ordering, match your printer’s full model number to the compatibility list. The product name includes several similar MFC-J models, but compatibility is not stated for every Brother printer that uses ink. If your printer model is not listed, the cartridge code alone is not enough to establish a match.

Product specs

The package contains two LC401XL black cartridges and one each of LC401XL cyan, magenta, and yellow, plus a user guide. The listing gives yields of up to 560 pages per black cartridge and 510 pages per color cartridge at 5% coverage. Those figures describe a specified coverage condition, not a guarantee for every mix of text, graphics, and photos. If you need a closer estimate for your own print jobs, the listing gives no more detailed usage profile, so projecting output is difficult without that measurement.

These are explicitly identified as non-OEM cartridges. The supplied installation notes say not to remove or touch the chip. If the printer displays a non-original prompt, the instructions say to continue using OK or Next, if it reports low ink, empty, or asks for replacement, they suggest removing and reinstalling the cartridge. That guidance is useful to know in advance, but it does not establish how every printer will respond.

Where it shines

The extra black cartridge is the most useful distinction in this set. Someone printing mostly text gets a second black while still receiving all three listed color inks, whereas a buyer who needs only black would be better served by looking for a black-only option. The stated page yields also give a point of comparison when weighing this pack against replacement cartridges sold in different quantities, though actual output will vary with print coverage.

What happens if the printer flags a cartridge as non-original? The included instructions anticipate that message and tell you to continue, but buyers who want to avoid non-OEM supplies or any compatibility prompts may prefer genuine cartridges instead. It may not suit you if OEM status is a requirement or your printer model is outside the compatibility list.

Is it worth it?

This pack is worth considering when your printer is one of the named models, you need both black and color ink, and you are comfortable choosing a non-OEM replacement. The two-black, three-color mix is a straightforward match for mixed printing, and the stated yields make the intended capacity easier to compare than an unspecified cartridge set. Choose a different route if you require Brother-branded OEM ink, need only one color, or cannot confirm your exact printer model in the listed compatibility details.