What you will find here
Eight pages, each answering one supplies or running-cost question that costs money to get wrong: which cartridge, toner, drum or ink bottle fits the printer you own, and what the printer costs to keep running.
- Which cartridge does my printer take? — There's a 63 and a 63XL and the listings disagree. What exactly do I order?
- Will a TN770 fit my Brother, or only a TN730 or TN760? — My Brother laser came with a TN730. The TN770 says 4,500 pages for barely more money — will it actually fit my HL-L2350DW?
- Brother says Replace Drum after new toner: what now? — My Brother says 'Replace Drum' — or I have a vertical streak down every page — but I only just put in a new toner cartridge. Do I have to buy another part?
- 502, 522 or 542: which bottle does my EcoTank take? — My EcoTank is nearly empty. Is it 502 or 522? The ET-2800 and the ET-2850 look like the same printer to me.
- Which Epson cartridge number fits my printer? — My Epson XP-440 needs ink and the listings show 288, 288XL, 202 and 212. Which number is actually mine?
- Canon PIXMA says black is empty: PGBK or BK? — My Canon PIXMA says black is empty but I replaced black last week. There seem to be two black tanks — PGI and CLI.
- Why does HP suddenly reject a cartridge that used to work? — These cartridges worked in my HP for months and now the printer says they have a non-HP chip and will not print. What changed, what do I order now, and should I have bought third-party at all?
- Which Brother LC number fits your printer? — One listing says my Brother MFC-J995DW takes LC3033 and another says LC3035. Which is right, and does the bigger one fit?
- Does HP+ force you to buy Original HP ink? — My printer is an OfficeJet Pro 9015e — the 'e' apparently means HP+. Can I put a cheaper third-party cartridge in it?
- Does your ink tank printer need a maintenance box? — What else does a refillable ink tank printer make me buy, and is the waste ink part something I can replace myself or does it mean a service visit?
- Is the XL cartridge actually cheaper? — The XL is $59 for 600 pages, the standard is $21 for 190. Which is actually cheaper?
- The printer that sits idle — I print five pages a month and it's clogged every time. What should I buy instead?
- Is XL Always a Fixed Multiple? What to Buy for Each Color — Is 'XL' a fixed thing — always double the standard? And when I reorder all four cartridges, should I buy XL for every color or only for black?
How the pages are put together
Every figure is traced to a document we opened and read, and that document is listed at the bottom of the page with the date we read it. We prefer manufacturer specifications, published standards and official support documentation, and we quote them narrowly rather than generalizing beyond what they say.
When a manufacturer's own compatibility list or specification settles which part fits, the page names that part and links the list, so you can confirm your model is on it. Where the answer depends on your exact model and nobody publishes it in one place, we say so and point you at the specification field to look up.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, tell us and we will fix it. Write to hello@plumberranked.com with the page address and what the correct source says.
Who publishes this
Linea Holdings LLC, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Contact Dustin Goodwin. The same publisher runs a small group of reference sites, which is why the contact address does not carry this domain's name.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, write to us with the page address and what the correct source says. We will fix it.