(This is for anyone who bought one for Christmas and is now tearing their hair out.)

The following applies to: Brother HL-2150N, Brother HL-2040, and possibly Brother HL-2170W, Brother HL-2142. Basically anything that uses: Brother DR-2125 Drum Cartridge, Brother TN-2130 Black Toner, Brother TN-2150 High Yield Toner.

These problems can happen straight out of the box, like they did in my case, but fixing them is easy if you know how.

Problem 1. The toner light comes on even when you haven’t used very much. The machine may not even let you print.

Brother’s solution: Buy a new toner unit.

Real solution: use the rest of toner in the unit you have already have. After all, you paid for it! Step 1 - Put small pieces of electrical tape over the round holes on either side of the drum unit (they’re near the middle). This stops the sensor light from going through the toner cartridge and makes the printer think there is toner still in there - which is usually the truth anyway. This tape should stay in place until you finally use all your toner. Step 2 - Be an 1337 hax0r and use the secret ninja reset code:

1. Open the front cover and leave open while completing the following steps.
2. Turn the printer off.
3. Hold the ‘go’ button (the white plastic bit underneath the cover) while turning the printer on. All panel lights should come on.
4. Release the ‘go’ button.
5. Press the ‘go’ button 2 times.
6. Wait a few seconds. The panel lights will come on.
7. Press the ‘go’ button 5 times.
8. The toner light should be off.
9. The paper / error light should be on or flashing.
10. Close cover. The ready light should be the only light on.

Note: putting sticky tape inside your printer may void the warranty, or even cause the printer to catch fire. Use flame retardant electrical tape if possible, and don’t use more than necessary.

Problem 2. Printed pages have blank horizontal lines about 8.5 cm apart.
Brother’s solution: clean the drum unit or replace it. Good advice, but remember to start by cleaning it. The manual is not very clear about how it’s done, so here’s what you need to do:

Take out the toner and drum by pulling firmly, then separate them using the green lever. The drum unit is the black one, and the drum itself is the dark brown, shiny roller thing. Roll the drum around using the gear on the left. It should be smooth and shiny all over. If you see a matte black line, or spots for that matter, clean them off. Find a tissue or a piece of cloth and rub it over the drum with your fingernail. You can rub fairly hard without scratching the drum. Make sure it’s completely clean and smooth, then put everything back together. Push the drum and toner in firmly.

You can now go out and spend the money you would have spent on new drum and toner units on something you actually need, like groceries :)

If these tips were of any help, or you have more tips of your own, please leave a comment.