Ink costs are one of the most important factors to consider when buying any printer, especially for households, students, or small businesses that print regularly. The Brother MFC-J1010DW is a compact all-in-one inkjet printer that’s marketed as an affordable, everyday option. But is it truly budget-friendly when you look beyond the purchase price?

This guide takes a close look at ink consumption, cartridge yields, and real-world cost per page to help you decide if the MFC-J1010DW is the right fit for your printing needs.

Quick Overview of the MFC-J1010DW

The MFC-J1010DW is a wireless inkjet printer with scanning, copying, and faxing capabilities. It’s designed for light-to-moderate home or small office use and comes with features like duplex printing, a 20-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF), and mobile printing support.

Key specifications:

• Print speed: Up to 17 ppm (black) / 9.5 ppm (color)

• Resolution: Up to 6000 x 1200 dpi

• Paper handling: 150-sheet main tray, 1-sheet bypass

• Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint, Mopria

• Ink type: Brother LC401 or LC401XL cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, yellow)
  
  

While its compact size and features are appealing, the bigger question is whether its ongoing ink costs fit your budget over time.

Understanding the Ink Cartridge System

The MFC-J1010DW uses four individual cartridges: one for black and three for the primary colors (cyan, magenta, yellow). This means you only replace the color that runs out, rather than a single tri-color cartridge.

Brother offers two cartridge sizes for this model:

1. Standard-yield cartridges (LC401): Lower upfront cost, fewer pages printed per cartridge.

2. High-yield cartridges (LC401XL): Higher purchase price but lower cost per page due to greater ink capacity.
   
   

Page Yields and Cost per Page

The cost per page (CPP) is the most accurate way to compare printing expenses. It’s calculated by dividing the cartridge price by the number of pages it can print.

Official yields for LC401 cartridges:

• Black (standard): ~200 pages

• Color (standard): ~200 pages per cartridge
  
  

Official yields for LC401XL cartridges:

• Black (high-yield): ~500 pages

• Color (high-yield): ~500 pages per cartridge
  
  

Example calculation:
If an LC401XL black cartridge costs $25 and prints 500 pages, the black CPP is:
$25 ÷ 500 = 5 cents per page (black only).

For color, because each page can use multiple colors, the cost per full-color page is higher. With high-yield cartridges, the total color CPP can average 12–15 cents per page, depending on coverage.

Real-World Ink Usage

Manufacturers base page yields on standardized tests with 5% ink coverage per page — roughly equivalent to a short memo with a small logo. In reality, most users print documents with higher coverage, especially if printing school assignments, flyers, or graphics.

We’ve noticed that:

• Heavy color printing drains the smaller cyan/magenta/yellow cartridges faster than expected.

• Duplex (double-sided) printing doesn’t save ink but does save paper.

• Draft mode can significantly reduce ink usage for internal or non-presentation documents.
  
  

For light printing (a few pages per day), standard cartridges can last months. For frequent printing, high-yield cartridges make more sense in the long run.

Comparing to Other Printers in the Same Range

When comparing the MFC-J1010DW to similar entry-level inkjets from other brands, its ink costs are competitive but not the absolute lowest. Some printers with refillable tank systems (like Epson EcoTank or Canon MegaTank) have dramatically lower CPP, but their upfront price is higher.

The MFC-J1010DW strikes a middle ground:

• Lower initial investment than tank-based printers.

• Slightly higher per-page cost than refillable systems.

• More consistent performance than some budget inkjets with combined color cartridges.
  
  

Tips to Keep Ink Costs Down

Whether you choose standard or high-yield cartridges, there are practical ways to stretch your ink budget:

1. Use draft mode for non-essential documents.
   This setting uses less ink and prints faster, making it ideal for quick internal copies.

2. Print in black and white when possible.
   Many color documents can be just as functional in grayscale, saving your color cartridges for when they’re really needed.

3. Avoid unnecessary cleaning cycles.
   While cleaning helps prevent clogs, doing it too often wastes ink. Only run it when print quality issues appear.

4. Buy multipacks or bundles.
   Multi-cartridge packs can reduce the per-unit cost, especially for color inks.

5. Keep the printer on.
   Leaving it powered on in sleep mode can reduce frequent head cleanings at startup, which consume ink.
   
   

Who Will Find It Budget-Friendly?

The MFC-J1010DW can be considered budget-friendly if:

• Printing is moderate (a few dozen to a couple hundred pages per month).

• You’re willing to use high-yield cartridges for better long-term value.

• You don’t require ultra-low CPP from a tank-based printer.
  
  

Where it’s less budget-friendly is in high-volume color printing scenarios — for example, if you run a small business producing marketing materials every week, ink costs will add up quickly.

We’ve found it best suited for home offices, remote workers, or students who need reliable printing with occasional color use.

Balancing Purchase Price and Running Costs

It’s tempting to focus on the low purchase price of the MFC-J1010DW, but for any printer, the true cost of ownership is purchase price + ink over time. For occasional users, the running costs will stay reasonable. For heavier users, the total yearly spend may approach or exceed the initial printer cost, especially if using standard cartridges.

If your main priority is minimizing total spend over several years, calculate your estimated yearly page count and match it to the cartridge yields before buying.