Compatible Brother DR248 drum unit: installation, reset and compatibility guide

The compatible Brother DR248 drum unit is the imaging unit that replaces the drum in your Brother colour laser printer once it reaches the end of its service life. It's worth clearing up a common misconception: the drum and the toner are two different parts. The toner supplies the coloured powder that is fixed onto the paper; the drum is the photosensitive cylinder that transfers that toner sheet after sheet. The drum lasts far longer (around 15,000 pages) and is only replaced when the printer reports that it is worn out.

What it is and which printers it fits

This DR248 drum is a compatible imaging unit designed for Brother's recent colour laser range. It is suitable for the following models:

• Brother DCP-L3520CDW and DCP-L3560CDW
• Brother HL-L3220CW, HL-L3240CDW, HL-L8230CDW and HL-L8240CDW
• Brother MFC-L3740CDW, MFC-L3740CDWE and MFC-L3760CDW
• Brother MFC-L8340CDW and MFC-L8390CDW

If your printer doesn't appear in this list, don't force the installation: check the exact code of the original drum in the manual before buying. For the print heads (the toner itself), these machines use the compatible Brother toner from their corresponding series.

How to install it and what to do if "the cartridge is not recognised"

Replacement is straightforward and requires no tools:

• Switch off the printer and open the front cover.
• Remove the drum and toner assembly. Separate the toner from the old drum by pressing the lock lever.
• Fit the toner onto the new DR248 drum until you hear it click into place.
• Reinsert the assembly, close the cover and switch on.

On Brother colour printers the drum counter is mechanical: it has no electronic chip that locks the unit, but rather an internal counter that you must reset to zero manually. If the message to replace the drum still appears after the change, perform the reset from the control panel. On many models in this range you access the toner/drum menu, select the drum reset option and confirm; on others you hold down the start button with the cover open. Consult the manual for your specific model, as the exact combination varies. This procedure is normal and does not indicate any fault with the part.

Yield and savings versus the original

The drum is manufactured to deliver the same 15,000 pages of service life as the original reference, with a stable image transfer throughout its entire cycle. The real difference lies in the cost: compatible consumables noticeably reduce the cost per page without sacrificing quality, something we explain in detail in our article on the real cost of printing. If you're torn between original and compatible, in this side-by-side comparison we print everything so you can judge for yourself.

Why buy it from Star Toner

You can buy the compatible Brother DR248 drum unit for €17.98, manufactured to the ISO 9001 quality standard and shipped from Spain. Buying compatible is entirely legal and does not void your printer's warranty: we clarify this in the guide on the legal warranty for compatible cartridges. If you're going to renew consumables at the same time, consider pairing the drum with the compatible colour toner from the TN325/TN315 series to get your machine ready for thousands of prints.

Frequently asked questions