Best Compatible Toner Cartridges for HP LaserJet Pro M404 🖨️
The HP LaserJet Pro M404 is one of the most popular mono laser printers in Australian offices — and for good reason. It's fast, reliable, and produces sharp text output. But if you've been buying genuine HP toner to keep it running, you've probably noticed how quickly the costs add up. 🐾
Ollie and Noodle have sniffed out the best way to keep your M404 printing without the sting of OEM prices: quality compatible toner cartridges at up to 60% less.
Which Toner Does the HP LaserJet Pro M404 Use?
All three variants of the M404 — the M404dn, M404dw, and M404n — use the same cartridge family:
| Cartridge | Part Number | Page Yield | Best For | |-----------|-------------|------------|----------| | HP 59A Standard Yield | CF259A | ~3,000 pages | Light to moderate use | | HP 59X High Yield | CF259X | ~10,000 pages | Busy offices & high-volume printing |
The only difference between the three printer models is connectivity — the toner is identical across the range.
Genuine vs Compatible: The Real Cost Comparison
Let's talk numbers. This is what printing actually costs per page in an average Australian office:
| Cartridge | Type | Price | Page Yield | Cost Per Page | |-----------|------|-------|------------|---------------| | HP 59A (CF259A) | Genuine | ~$85 | 3,000 | ~2.8¢ | | HP 59A Compatible | Compatible | ~$35 | 3,000 | ~1.2¢ | | HP 59X (CF259X) | Genuine | ~$185 | 10,000 | ~1.9¢ | | HP 59X Compatible | Compatible | ~$75 | 10,000 | ~0.75¢ |
For a busy office printing 2,000 pages per month, switching from genuine to compatible 59X toner saves roughly $130 per year — per printer. Add a few printers to the fleet and the savings get serious.
What Makes a Good Compatible Toner for the HP M404?
Not all compatible cartridges are equal. Here's what separates quality compatibles from the cheap-and-cheerful ones you'll regret:
Chip Compatibility
The M404 communicates with its cartridge via a small microchip. Low-quality compatibles often use outdated or mismatched chips, triggering "cartridge not recognised" errors after HP firmware updates. Quality compatibles — like the ones at FetchInk — use updated chips that stay compatible with the latest M404 firmware.
Toner Formulation
The M404 is a precision machine. The toner needs to fuse correctly at the right temperature to produce sharp, smear-free output. Our compatible 59A and 59X cartridges use toner formulated to match HP's specifications — which means you get the same crisp black text the M404 is known for.
Drum & Component Quality
The drum is the heart of the cartridge. Cheaper compatibles cut corners here, leading to banding, grey background shading, or inconsistent density across the page. Quality-tier compatibles use drums manufactured to OEM tolerances.
HP LaserJet Pro M404 Compatible Toner at FetchInk
FetchInk stocks compatible HP 59A and 59X cartridges with Australian-warehoused stock and flat-rate shipping. A few things worth knowing:
- Free shipping on orders over $200 — easy to hit if you're stocking up on a few cartridges
- WA flat rate $12.50, rest of AU $18 — no nasty freight surprises
- In stock, ready to ship — no wait on international fulfillment
- Same-business-day processing on orders placed before 3 PM AEDT
If your office runs multiple M404s, our bulk order pricing makes the economics even better. Contact us to discuss volume pricing.
Avoiding Firmware Update Issues
HP periodically pushes firmware updates to their printers that can block compatible cartridges from cheaper suppliers. This is a real issue — but easily managed:
- Disable automatic firmware updates on your M404 (Settings → Printer Maintenance → Firmware Update → Notify, don't auto-install)
- Only update firmware when you need a specific feature or security fix — not automatically
- Buy from suppliers who maintain chip updates — FetchInk's compatible cartridges are regularly refreshed to handle the latest HP firmware revisions
If you've already updated firmware and are seeing cartridge errors with compatibles, contact us — we'll help you work through it.
The M404 Family: Which Model Do You Have?
| Model | Duplex | Connectivity | Use Case | |-------|--------|-------------|----------| | M404n | No | Ethernet | Shared network printer, light use | | M404dn | Yes | Ethernet | Workgroup with duplex printing | | M404dw | Yes | Wi-Fi + Ethernet | Flexible office or home office |
All three use identical toner — so if you're running a mixed fleet, you can standardise on one cartridge model across the board.
How to Install Compatible Toner in Your HP M404
It's straightforward:
- Open the front door of the printer
- Grasp the cartridge handle and pull it straight out
- Remove the new compatible cartridge from its packaging
- Pull the orange plastic tab to remove the sealing strip (pull firmly, smoothly — the whole length)
- Rock the cartridge gently side to side 5–6 times to distribute the toner evenly
- Slide the cartridge back in until it clicks
- Close the front door — the printer will initialise the new cartridge
The M404 may display a "non-HP cartridge" message on first install. This is normal; select "continue" to proceed. The printer will function normally.
Bottom Line
The HP LaserJet Pro M404 is an excellent printer — and compatible toner keeps it that way without the OEM price tag. Whether you're running a single M404dw at home or a fleet of M404dns in a busy office, quality compatible cartridges deliver the same output at a fraction of the cost.
Shop HP 59A compatible and HP 59X compatible cartridges at FetchInk, or contact our team if you need help identifying the right cartridge for your setup. Ollie and Noodle are standing by. 🐾