Brother TN770 2-Pack Review: Reliable, Pricey (8.2/10)
“‘Glad to have ink for my printer again. But I paid about as much for the ink as I did for the printer.’” That single Best Buy line captures the core tension around the Brother TN770 Super High Yield Black Toner Cartridge 2-Pack: people love the longevity and print quality, but many feel the pricing stings. Verdict: strong for reliability-focused owners, weaker for bargain hunters. Score: 8.2/10.
Quick Verdict
For the Brother TN770 Super High Yield Black Toner Cartridge 2-Pack, the answer is conditional: yes if you prioritize OEM consistency and fewer cartridge swaps; no if your main goal is lowest cost-per-page.
A recurring pattern emerged across Best Buy and Staples reviews: users describe it as dependable and long-lasting, but repeatedly call it “expensive.” Best Buy reviewer Bostonian said: “I like the high volume copies. I use this at home and it lasts.” Meanwhile, Best Buy reviewer David summed up the tradeoff: “It works better than the off brand ink, though.”
| Factor | What users liked | What users disliked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity | “lasts much much longer” | “doesn't seem like like it lasts as long as it should” | Best Buy |
| Print quality | “resulting print is always top notch” | “shadowing, spots or streaks” (sometimes) | Best Buy, Staples |
| Price | “worth the money” for fewer swaps | “paid about as much…as the printer” | Best Buy |
| Ease of install | “just slapped it in” | “can’t get the printer to accept the toner” | Best Buy, Staples |
| OEM vs third-party | “better to buy the original” | some consider refills due to cost | Best Buy, Staples |
Claims vs Reality
Marketing claim #1: “Up to 4,500 pages” yield. Digging deeper into user reports, the “up to” language becomes the entire story. On Staples, one customer described stretching a cartridge far by changing settings: “I maximized yield by changing the default settings to draft and to conserve toner… I’ve printed about 3400 pages and still have 10% of the toner left.” That’s the closest thing in the data to the marketing narrative: the yield can feel real if your coverage is light and you actively manage print settings.
But other Staples buyers describe a very different reality when coverage is heavier or expectations are literal. One review bluntly states: “not even close to 4500 pages!” and another expands the frustration: “does not print 4,500 copies or even close!” While the product is officially rated for roughly 4,500 pages, multiple users report falling short—especially when their pages aren’t sparse, email-like prints.
Marketing claim #2: Crisp, reliable OEM output. Many stories do back this up, especially from people burned by third-party cartridges. Best Buy reviewer JB Cummings said: “Brother toners are consistently trouble free and the resulting print is always top notch.” Best Buy reviewer Dr Pret echoed the sentiment with a buying rule: “I find it better to buy the original rather than 3rd party brands.”
Still, the reliability claim isn’t universal. Staples includes complaints that read like classic print-defect issues: “the ink was faulty and comes out smeared… thick black vertical line.” Another Staples reviewer said OEM is “definitely better than the generic remanufactured ones, but not always great… shadowing, spots or streaks.” The data suggests OEM reduces risk for many, but doesn’t eliminate it.
Marketing claim #3: Cost-effective high yield. The lived experience depends on what you’re comparing against. For someone tired of frequent swaps, the high yield feels like savings in time and hassle. Best Buy reviewer Redrum Kev framed it that way: “Hate changing your toner? Get this high-yield cartridge, save $$$ and time!” But for price-sensitive buyers, the upfront cost overwhelms any theoretical per-page advantage. Best Buy reviewer David said he paid “about as much for the ink as I did for the printer.”
Cross-Platform Consensus
Universally Praised
The strongest consensus is that the Brother TN770 Super High Yield Black Toner Cartridge 2-Pack is about stretching time between replacements. For home users who print intermittently, that can translate into months of not thinking about toner at all. Best Buy reviewer Bostonian said: “I use this at home and it lasts.” Another Best Buy reviewer, Weedwacker 13, described the jump from standard cartridges: “The super high yield is great. Lasts much much longer than the regular cartridges.” For anyone who treats printing as an occasional chore—tax documents, school forms, shipping labels—the “set it and forget it” theme shows up repeatedly.
In heavier-use roles, the tone shifts from convenience to operational necessity. Best Buy reviewer Juan, identifying as a teacher, explained why high yield matters in a classroom-like workload: “I am a teacher, so I give it heavy use… the high yield toner cartridge is good enough to last most of the year.” That story isn’t about premium print aesthetics; it’s about avoiding downtime during a busy year. Staples adds similar “keep the office running” framing, with one reviewer saying: “these toners always keeps my tax and accounting practice running!”
OEM trust is another recurring bright spot. People who have dealt with inconsistent third-party output often describe genuine Brother toner as the safer bet. Best Buy reviewer Dr Pret said: “Works well. Lasts long. I find it better to buy the original rather than 3rd party brands.” Best Buy reviewer JB Cummings reinforced the durability of that relationship: “I have had Brother printers and MFPs for years, and will continue to do so.” For small offices where a printer “just has to work,” those endorsements carry a clear message: reliability is the product.
Installation and day-to-day use usually sound uneventful—in a good way. Best Buy reviewer Freddy said it’s an “Easy to install cartridge,” and Best Buy reviewer Mazen described it as frictionless: “Just slapped it in and that was all.” In user-feedback terms, that lack of drama is a compliment: many buyers want toner to be boring.
Common Complaints
Price is the loudest and most emotional complaint. On Best Buy, David’s comment—“paid about as much for the ink as I did for the printer”—reads like sticker shock that lingers even after the cartridge performs well. Another Best Buy reviewer, Dean Zo, called it plainly: “Expensive but quality toner.” Even reviewers who like the product often treat the cost as a necessary evil, not a feature.
Some users go beyond “expensive” into a broader critique about access and affordability. Best Buy reviewer Mohammad urged the company to lower pricing: “They need to bring the price down so that more people can buy.” That feedback doesn’t question what the toner does; it questions who gets to comfortably keep buying it.
Yield claims also become a complaint when expectations meet real-world coverage. Staples includes multiple blunt statements: “not even close to 4500 pages!” and “not so high yield… the yield they claim to provide is not accurate.” Another Staples review hints at perceived shrinkage over time: “not what they were used to be… you pay more for less.” For users printing denser documents—reports, graphics-heavy pages, or consistently dark coverage—the advertised yield can feel like a promise that doesn’t match their counts.
Compatibility and acceptance issues show up as practical pain points. Staples has a buyer frustrated by model limitations: “it sucks this toner won’t work with mfcl2710dw… it’s only for mfcl2750dw.” Another Staples reviewer described a direct failure mode: “can’t get the printer to accept the toner.” For offices juggling multiple Brother models, there’s also irritation about interchangeability. One Staples review warns: “tn 760 and tn 770 are not interchangeable… it’s an inconvenience and ends up costing more money.”
Divisive Features
The biggest divide is whether OEM is “worth it” compared to off-brand or refilled cartridges. Best Buy reviewer David acknowledged the performance advantage: “It works better than the off brand ink, though.” Best Buy reviewer Dr Pret turned that into a preference: “better to buy the original rather than 3rd party brands.”
But Staples includes voices moving the other direction due to cost and yield disappointment. One reviewer, after feeling the cartridge didn’t last, said: “I think I am going to go with the locally refilled because I can get them for 1/3 the price and they seem to last as long.” That’s the fork in the road: some buy TN770 for peace of mind; others, after a bad run or short yield, decide peace of mind isn’t worth the premium.
Trust & Reliability
Trust concerns in this dataset cluster around quality consistency rather than scams. When users say “faulty,” they’re describing tangible print defects, not counterfeit suspicions. A Staples reviewer reported: “the ink was faulty and comes out smeared… thick black vertical line.” Another described intermittent artifacts even while preferring it to remanufactured cartridges: “sometimes we get some shadowing, spots or streaks.” Those stories suggest occasional bad units or printer/consumable interactions that feel like reliability breaches.
Long-run reliability stories are more positive than negative, especially on Best Buy where people repeatedly frame the cartridge as long-lasting. Best Buy reviewer Dadman called it “the most cost effective way to run copies,” and Juan’s teacher-use case described it lasting “most of the year.” Even a more lukewarm Best Buy take (“It just doesn't seem like like it lasts as long as it should.”) still concedes it works and prints well—just not to the buyer’s expectations.
Alternatives
Only alternatives mentioned in the provided data are third-party/compatible and locally refilled toners, plus the general “off brand” category users compare against. If you’re choosing between the Brother TN770 Super High Yield Black Toner Cartridge 2-Pack and compatibles, the narrative splits into two camps: performance-first vs price-first.
Performance-first users point to fewer headaches. Best Buy reviewer David said OEM “works better than the off brand,” and Best Buy reviewer Dr Pret said it’s “better to buy the original rather than 3rd party brands.” On the other side, price-first users cite the economics. A Staples reviewer who felt the yield fell short said they’d switch because refills are “1/3 the price” and “seem to last as long.” The alternative, in other words, isn’t a different premium brand in this dataset—it’s a different risk tolerance.
Price & Value
Current pricing signals create immediate sticker shock for some buyers. Best Buy reviewer David described paying so much he compared it to the printer itself: “I paid about as much for the ink as I did for the printer.” Even satisfied users routinely attach “expensive” to their praise, like Best Buy reviewer Dean Zo: “Expensive but quality toner.”
Resale and deal-hunting behavior shows up through market listings rather than user stories. eBay listings in the data indicate a spread from “open box” around $71.95 to other listings showing very low numbers, suggesting wide variability by condition, seller, and listing accuracy. For buyers trying to maximize value, community tips in the reviews lean more toward stretching yield than chasing listings: the Staples reviewer who hit 3400 pages with 10% left credited “draft” and “conserve toner” settings.
A final value tension comes from compatibility: buying the wrong cartridge for your model is a fast way to turn “value” into wasted time. The Staples review complaining it “won’t work with mfcl2710dw” reads like a cautionary tale—value depends on matching the exact supported printers.
FAQ
Q: Does the Brother TN770 really last 4,500 pages?
A: It depends on coverage and settings. A Staples customer wrote: “I’ve printed about 3400 pages and still have 10% of the toner left” after using draft/conserve settings. But other Staples reviews say “not even close to 4500 pages!” especially when printing heavier-than-5% coverage pages.
Q: Is it worth paying more for genuine Brother toner instead of off-brand?
A: Many users say yes for reliability. Best Buy reviewer Dr Pret said: “I find it better to buy the original rather than 3rd party brands,” and David said it “works better than the off brand.” Still, some Staples buyers consider refills because they feel OEM yield isn’t worth the premium.
Q: What are the most common complaints about TN770?
A: Price and yield expectations. Best Buy reviewer David said he “paid about as much…as I did for the printer,” and multiple Staples reviews argue it’s “not even close to 4500 pages!” A smaller set of reviews mention print defects like “smeared” output or streaking.
Q: Is installation easy?
A: Often, yes. Best Buy reviewer Mazen said: “Just slapped it in and that was all,” and Freddy called it “Easy to install.” However, Staples includes at least one report of a printer refusing the cartridge: “can’t get the printer to accept the toner.”
Q: Will TN770 work in any printer that takes TN760?
A: Not necessarily. A Staples reviewer warned: “tn 760 and tn 770 are not interchangeable,” calling it an “inconvenience” for offices with multiple printers. Another Staples review complained it “won’t work with mfcl2710dw,” reinforcing that model compatibility checks matter.
Final Verdict
Buy the Brother TN770 Super High Yield Black Toner Cartridge 2-Pack if you’re a teacher, home office user, or small-practice owner who values fewer toner swaps and wants OEM “trouble free” printing. Avoid it if you’re extremely price-sensitive, print high-coverage pages that may fall short of “up to 4,500 pages,” or manage mixed Brother fleets where TN770 compatibility is a headache. Pro tip from the community: one Staples reviewer boosted longevity by switching to “draft” and “conserve toner” settings, saying prints “still look perfect to me.”
