Brother TN-3520 — Black Ultra High Yield Toner Cartridge
Approx. 20,000 pagesISO/IEC 19752Genuine BrotherDrum DR-3400 sold separately
The Brother TN-3520 is a genuine black toner cartridge in the ultra high yield tier for Brother’s HL-L5000 to HL-L6400 and DCP/MFC-L5500 to L6900 mono laser platform. Brother rates it at approximately 20,000 pages, measured in accordance with ISO/IEC 19752 on A4 or Letter single-sided pages. It is the top of the four-rung ladder on this platform, above the 12,000-page TN-3512, the 8,000-page TN-3480 and the 3,000-page TN-3430. It is a toner cartridge only — the drum unit DR-3400 is a separate part that outlasts several cartridges, so replacing toner does not mean replacing the imaging drum.
Compatibility — check before buying:
Fitment is the thing to get right on this range, because Brother restricts the higher-yield cartridges to the more capable machines. This cartridge fits three machines only: the HL-L6400DW, the HL-L6400DWT and the MFC-L6900DW. It will NOT fit the HL-L6300DW, HL-L6300DWT, HL-L6250DN, DCP-L6600DW or MFC-L6800DW, nor anything in the L5000, L5100, L5200, L5500, L5700 or L5750 range — Brother restricts the Ultra High Yield rung to the top three machines, and this is the classic mis-order on this platform. There is a second and larger trap: Brother runs two mono generations that look alike. The TN-3430, TN-3480, TN-3512 and TN-3520 cartridges with the DR-3400 drum belong to the HL-L5000 to HL-L6400 platform; the newer TN-3600 family with the DR3600 drum belongs to the HL-L5210, HL-L6415, MFC-L5710 and MFC-L6915 machines. They are not interchangeable in either direction. Check the exact model badge before ordering, or send it to us and we will confirm.
Best For
✓ Mono laser printing in offices and workgroups
✓ Sites that want genuine supplies with a declared ISO yield
✓ Replacing toner without touching the drum
✓ Departments printing text documents in volume
✓ Keeping a spare cartridge for a busy machine
✓ Predictable per-page costs
Key Features
Approximately 20,000 pages, measured to standard
Brother declares the yield in accordance with ISO/IEC 19752, the international standard for monochrome page yield, on A4 or Letter single-sided pages. That makes it comparable with other manufacturers measured the same way.
Ultra High Yield in a four-step ladder
Brother publishes four capacities for this platform: TN-3430 at approximately 3,000 pages, TN-3480 at 8,000, TN-3512 at 12,000 and TN-3520 at 20,000. Higher-yield cartridges are normally cheaper per page, but not every machine accepts every rung.
Genuine Brother, matched to the engine
A genuine cartridge is matched to the printer’s fuser temperature and toner-level sensing, which is what keeps density even through a long run and keeps the remaining-life reporting accurate.
Toner only — the drum lasts far longer
The DR-3400 drum is rated at approximately 30,000 pages at one page per job, or 50,000 at three pages per job. That is several cartridges worth, so buying toner alone avoids discarding a drum with plenty of life left.
Technical Specifications
| Identification |
| Brand |
Brother |
| Product Type |
Genuine toner cartridge |
| Colour |
Black |
| Part Number |
TN3520P |
| Brother Catalogue Reference |
TN-3520 |
| EAN / GTIN |
4977766755870 |
| Yield |
| Page Yield |
Approximately 20,000 pages |
| Measurement Standard |
ISO/IEC 19752 |
| Measurement Basis |
A4 or Letter size single-sided pages |
| Yield Class |
Ultra High Yield |
| Compatible Printers |
| HL Series |
HL-L6400DW, HL-L6400DWT |
| MFC Series |
MFC-L6900DW |
| Will Not Fit |
HL-L6300DW, HL-L6300DWT, HL-L6250DN, DCP-L6600DW, MFC-L6800DW and the whole L5000 to L5750 range. Those machines top out at TN-3512 or TN-3480 |
| Related Consumables |
| Drum Unit |
DR-3400 — approximately 30,000 pages at one page per job, or 50,000 pages at three pages per job. Brother publishes both figures with their conditions |
| Cartridge Ladder |
TN-3430 approximately 3,000 pages, TN-3480 approximately 8,000, TN-3512 approximately 12,000, TN-3520 approximately 20,000 — all to ISO/IEC 19752 |
| Different Generation |
The newer HL-L5210, HL-L6415, MFC-L5710 and MFC-L6915 machines use the TN-3600 family with the DR3600 drum. Not interchangeable with this platform |
| Warranty |
| Warranty |
1-Year Warranty (Singular) |
| Manufacturer Term |
Brother does not publish a warranty term for consumables that we can verify from its European documentation. Singular’s direct warranty is 1 year; beyond that we assist you with the manufacturer’s warranty process for whatever term applies. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will it fit my printer?
Three machines only: HL-L6400DW, HL-L6400DWT and MFC-L6900DW. Brother restricts this yield tier to the top of the range, so an HL-L6300DW or an MFC-L6800DW will not take it even though they are close relatives — those stop at the 12,000-page TN-3512. If you are unsure, send us the exact model number from the front of the machine and we will confirm before you order. The most expensive mistake on this range is buying across the two mono generations — the TN-3600 family looks similar and fits completely different machines.
How many pages will I really get?
Brother publishes approximately 20,000 pages to ISO/IEC 19752. That standard prints a defined set of documents at around 5% page coverage, which is representative of ordinary text. Dense reports, tables with heavy rules and pages with large black areas will use more toner per page; short memos will use less.
Do I need a new drum as well?
Usually not. The DR-3400 drum is rated at approximately 30,000 pages at one page per job or 50,000 at three pages per job, so it spans several toner cartridges. The printer tracks and reports the two separately, and will tell you when the drum is genuinely due. Note the two drum figures are conditional, not alternatives — a bare 50,000 claim is misleading.
Would a higher-yield cartridge be cheaper?
Per page, usually yes — but only if your machine accepts it. Brother restricts the top of the ladder: TN-3520 at 20,000 pages fits only the HL-L6400DW, HL-L6400DWT and MFC-L6900DW, while TN-3480 at 8,000 fits the whole range. Tell us your model and your monthly volume and we will work out which rung is actually cheapest for you.
Singular Expert Insight
On this platform the sensible question is not genuine versus compatible, it is which rung of the ladder your machine will take. Brother publishes four capacities from 3,000 to 20,000 pages, and per page the larger cartridges are normally cheaper — but the top two rungs are restricted to the more capable machines, so the cheapest option on paper is often not available to you. On this cartridge the restriction is the whole story: three machines take it and everything else in the range does not, which makes it the most commonly mis-ordered part on this platform. If you do have an HL-L6400DW, HL-L6400DWT or MFC-L6900DW, it is the cheapest rung per page by a clear margin and roughly halves the number of cartridge changes against the 12,000-page TN-3512. The other thing to watch is the generation split. Brother sells two mono families that look almost identical on a shelf: TN-34xx and TN-35xx with the DR-3400 drum for the HL-L5000 to L6400 machines, and the newer TN-36xx with the DR3600 drum for the HL-L5210 and L6415 machines. Ordering across them is the single most common error we see, and neither cartridge will physically go into the other printer. Send us your model number and monthly page count and we will tell you which cartridge is cheapest to run. The full range is in our
original toner section, and the machines in
mono laser printers.
Buyer’s Guide
Buy it if
Your machine is on the list above,You want genuine Brother toner with a declared ISO yield,The printer is asking for toner rather than the drum,Predictable running costs matter more than the cheapest box,You keep a spare for a machine that cannot stop
Skip it if
Your machine is an HL-L5210, HL-L6415, MFC-L5710 or MFC-L6915 — that is TN-3600,Your printer does not accept this yield tier,What the printer needs is the DR-3400 drum, not toner,You are not sure of the model — check with us first
Also consider
DR-3400 drum unit for the same platform,A different rung of the ladder if your machine accepts it,TN-3600 family cartridges if your machine is the newer generation,Ask us to confirm your printer model before ordering