How To Buy Copiers / Printers / Scanners
Buying a combination copier/printer/scanner can be confusing. If you are not familiar with the products, it can be difficult to find the right copier to suit your needs. Here are some considerations to take into account if you are considering buying a printer or copier.
The first step is to determine exactly what your needs are. What will you be using your printer/copier for? Is this a copier for your home or personal use? Or is it for a home business? Or will you use the copier at a large office? About how many pages per month will you print? Where will you put the copier? Do you have a limited amount of space and will need a smaller unit? Will you be copying documents or photos? If photographs are involved, you may need a higher scanning resolution to reach the quality you require. Will you need to print in color? Will the copier be connected to a computer or network and how? Or, are you simply looking for a stand alone unit? Once you have answered these questions, you are ready to determine which grade copier will best suit your needs.
PC grade copiers are typically small, desk-top sized units designed specifically with the single user at home in mind. PC grade copiers are usually simple to set up and use. Most have an instant-on feature, meaning you do not have to wait for the copier/printer to warm up before using it. The printer cartridges can almost always be replaced by the owner without any special tools or instruction, and they are the least expensive grade copier to purchase.
These copiers, however, are only designed to print up to 1,500 pages per month, and they are expensive to use (average seven cents per page printed). These copiers are also fairly slow, copying and printing only about five to ten pages per minute. A major setback about these copiers is that to repair, you will typically be required to mail it to the manufacturer.
Business grade copiers are the most common type of copier purchased. If space is an issue, it may be possible to find a business grade copier that will fit in the allotted space. These copiers typically can withstand up to 50,000 copies per month, and only cost an average of one to two cents per copy. Business grade machines can typically be outfitted with any features necessary, including common features such as sorting and stapling. These copiers can be counted on to last for about six or seven years of hard use, and are likely the best copier for the money. These copiers can often be serviced in-house, which means you spend less time without a copier. This grade copier is the most versatile, spanning the greatest range of size, price, and features.
Commercial grade copiers are designed specifically for large offices or those persons requiring a very large number of copies in a very short period of time. They typically copy and print very fast, up to 50 pages per minute. Their operating cost is usually very low, less than one cent per printed page. They typically require maintenance every 100,000 copies or so, and will almost always be serviced in-house. It is possible to print more than 100,000 pages in a month with a commercial grade copier, and they are typically very reliable for a very long period of time.
Some problems with these copiers include a large purchase price (often from $25,000 to $40,000), their typically large size, and often noisy operation. If considering a commercial grade copier, you may want to strongly consider buying a used copier to help offset the purchase price.
Once you’ve decided what you need your copier to do and have a general idea of the features you’ll require, you are ready to start looking. But where should you look? A good place to start is at an office supply store. This may or may not be the best place to buy, but the knowledgeable sales staff will be happy to answer any additional questions you have, and may be able to help you foresee problems before they arise. Also, by going in person to a physical store, you will get to see and maybe even try out a few copiers that you might be considering. After this, you might consider shopping on the Internet to try to find a better deal. Be careful, however, depending on the size of your copier, the shipping charges might increase the price considerably!
One increasingly popular option is to lease a copier instead of buying outright. Now, this is more likely to be a smarter option if you are interested in a commercial or high-end business grade copier. There are two major reasons to consider leasing. First, by leasing a copier, you do not have such a high initial cost. You simply make monthly payments over the life of the lease. Second, with as quickly as technology is advancing, you may not wish to keep the same copier for more than a couple years. The main problem associated with leasing is that the cost is greater in the long run. If you choose to lease, the most important thing is to make sure your monthly copying estimates are correct.
If the high initial cost is seen as a large problem, then an option other than leasing is to purchase a pre-owned copier. Buying a copier used significantly lowers the purchase price, and can still offer years of reliable service. The best way to buy a used copier is from the manufacturer. Most manufacturers lease out new copiers, and then sell them when the lease is up. In these cases, the copiers will typically have been well maintained, and should function well for many years. You may want to be more careful if you are considering purchasing a pre-owned copier from its previous owner. Find out why they are getting rid of it. Make sure it works and has been maintained appropriately and serviced regularly.
Whether you are buying or leasing a copier, one thing you make sure you understand before finalizing the deal is the warranty you’re getting. There are many different warranty types and options, and you will want to understand exactly what is covered in case something breaks or your copier refuses to work. On new copiers, warranties often range anywhere from 30 days to one year, but it is possible to get comprehensive warranty coverage for up to three years, though you may have to pay extra up front for this security. Some warranties only cover limited parts or certain malfunctions, while others are truly comprehensive warranties. If you are purchasing from a supply store, the sales staff should be able to explain, in detail, the warranties and options.
Buying a copier can be difficult, confusing, and expensive. However, if you take your time, research all your options appropriately, and ask enough questions, then you can wind up with the right machine for the right price. Remember to scope out your need before you start shopping for copiers. Make sure the copiers that you are considering are really going to meet your needs. If you may have the need to upgrade to newer technology every few years as it becomes available, consider leasing your copier. If you aren’t incredibly comfortable with your knowledge of copiers and their features, you should strongly consider purchasing from a supply store where a sales representative will be available to answer all of your questions.