Brother MFC-J805DW: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Brother MFC-J805DW right for you?

The MFC-J805DW is the compact 2019 INKvestment Tank all-in-one that brought a year of in-box ink to the small home-printer class. It has a 20-sheet ADF, fax, automatic duplex and a small LCD. The LC3035 ultra high-yield black yields around 6,000 pages, which made it a favorite among people tired of feeding small cartridges. It is slow, but cost per page is excellent for its size.

Best for: Homes wanting a small all-in-one with very cheap ink

Setting up the Brother MFC-J805DW

Let the initial ink charge run to completion, then join Wi-Fi through the LCD wizard or Brother Mobile Connect. Install the Full Driver & Software Package on Windows for scanning and PC-Fax. Ink levels reflect the reservoir, so do not be alarmed when the cartridge feels empty.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Brother's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Brother MFC-J805DW uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• LC3033BK black ink (3,000 pages)
• LC3035BK ultra high-yield black (6,000 pages)
• LC3035C/M/Y ultra high-yield color (5,000 pages each)

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications