Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !Drum-related messages continue after a correct drum replacement and counter reset.
- !Print quality degrades sharply before the drum can be replaced.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Consumable check
Plan a drum replacement before the machine reaches a full stop condition.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Safe first step
Keep printing only while output quality remains acceptable.
- 3
Consumable check
Make sure you replace the drum unit, not just the toner cartridge.
Background
What this message usually means
Brother shows Drum End Soon when the drum unit on this office laser family is near the end of its service life. It is a warning-stage message that lets printing continue for now, but a drum replacement should be planned before the machine moves to a stronger stop message.
Before the message
What users usually notice first
Messages like this often appear after the printer fails one of its normal startup, supply, or paper-path checks and cannot return to ready state cleanly.
Diagnosis
Likely causes
The installed drum unit is nearing its rated service life.
High page volume pushed the drum toward replacement sooner.
The machine is warning ahead of Replace Drum or Drum Stop.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -Brother treats toner and drum as separate consumables.
Avoid wrong turns
Common misreads of this message
- -Treating the message like a confirmed failed part instead of a support clue about which system has stopped the printer.
- -Assuming any supply-related wording means the next step is automatically to buy a cartridge, toner, drum, or printhead.
See also
Related codes in this family
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Boundary
When to stop troubleshooting and move to support
Use the message once to classify the problem, then move to support if the printer still cannot return to ready after the first safe checks.
Keep browsing
Where to go next
Back to MFC-L5700 / L5800 / L5900 / L6700 / L6900 office laser family
Browse the rest of this printer range and compare nearby messages.
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Source notes
Brother's official Drum End Soon article says the drum is near end of life and users can continue printing until print quality is no longer acceptable or Replace Drum appears.
Built around official Brother support pages for the MFC-L5700, L5800, L5900, L6700, and L6900 office laser family. Exact message wording can vary a little by model and region, but the core troubleshooting stays close across the shared platform.
Printer error codes can vary a little by firmware, region, and exact model variant. Use this guide as a family-level starting point and stop if the next step would require disassembly or service-mode changes.
Known family variants: MFC-L5700DW, MFC-L5800DW, MFC-L5900DW, MFC-L6700DW, MFC-L6900DW
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference