Office photocopiers are essential items of technology in the modern office. These office copiers can also print, scan, send digital images to emails (and fax numbers, if required) along with a range of other functions. This makes it vital to choose the right photocopiers for office operations and a decision must be made on whether purchasing or copier lease is the best option for value and long life for your equipment.
The first decision is choosing the right brand, whether you are renting or leasing. It is hard to go past Epson, Sharp copiers and Canon copiers as they are the clear industry leaders. They manufacture quality print devices, that when serviced by a reliable partner will ensure high quality print output throughout their effective lives of more than 5-years. This is important because your average office copiers, without a preventative maintenance program, might start encountering problems and poor print quality after three years.
You should also consider the output of the office photocopiers you require for your business. If you need to print in high volumes, you will need a high-end machine that can match that volume. It is advisable to seek the advice of a professional copier dealer to determine the speed of the machine that best suits your needs. Printing more pages per month than recommended by the mulitfunction printer copier manufacturer will impact your productivity and lead to premature failure.
You do get what you pay for with office copiers. The bottom line is the better brands are going to last longer and produce better quality prints and copies.
How is a printer's lifetime determined?
There are environmental factors that will impact how long your printer will last, even the higher quality ones. For example, extremely hot, poorly ventilated and dusty locations are likely to impact the reliability and effective life of a printer copier.
The capacity of your office photocopiers is important as well. If you rent or lease a printer that has a capacity of 5,000 pages per month, you might be able to push it for 8,000 pages a month in the short term. But if continued over a long period it will result in more and more breakdowns causing inconvenience and loss of productivity, before needing replacement before reaching its effective life.
That is why a free of charge audit by Axia Office of your printing and copying requirements is essential. That way you can get office copiers that will meet your demand and will ensure they havie a long functional life.
What makes a copier "grow old"?
The main reason office photocopiers need to be replaced early is because they have not been serviced under a preventative maintenance program. All copier manufacturers specify intervals for service and the replacement of parts, like motor vehicles. However, most service providers only conduct a service call when a part fails and causes a breakdown. This is what is commonly referred a as a breakdown service. This will lead to more regular breakdowns, and ultimately replacement of the machine before it has reached its effective life.
Axia Office provides a preventative maintenance program for all machines under contract.
The other significant cause is using the copier to print many more pages than specified by the manufacturer. Sometimes that’s unavoidable because a growth in business activity. However, if the photocopier is under a managed print plan with Axia Office an account manager would recognise this before it becomes a problem and come up with a cost-effective solution.
How do I make my printer last longer?
At each maintenance interval, our service technicians complete all checks and replace all parts in accordance with the manufacturer’s service manual, thereby addressing problems before they occur. And, unlike your car service, the cost is included in your contract. It also allows us to prioritise you if your equipment breaks down. Clients A, B & C may have preventative services already booked; however, as those are not urgent, if you have a breakdown, you are prioritised, and from the time of your call, you’ll receive complete services in less than four hours.
A comprehensive preventative maintenance agreement is the most effective way of ensuring quality prints throughout the effective life of your printer. This involves completing all checks and replacing parts at each maintenance interval in accordance with the manufacturer’s service manual, thereby addressing problems before they occur.
Using genuine manufacturer parts and components is also essential. Third-party parts are much cheaper but are never of the same standard.
Understanding the lifespan of a copier
On the information we have provided, it becomes clear that many factors will influence the lifespan of an office copier and due diligence is required before purchasing or leasing machines for your company.
It is important to choose the right brand (Canon, Epson and Sharp are the leading options) and get the best possible supporting service agreement as well. By getting a professional copier dealer, like Axia Office, to conduct an audit of your printing and copying requirements, you will find a machine that will stand up to your demands without premature wear and tear.
Maintaining and repairing printers and copiers
When office photocopiers break down, they can cause enormous issues with productivity. To prevent them from breaking down, a regular preventative service plan with a reputable photocopier dealer is essential.
A preventative plan undertakes regular servicing of your photocopier and replacement of parts before they reach the end of their effective life, thereby addressing issues before they become a problem.
Is it time to buy a new printer or copier?
If your office photocopier is over five years old, there is every chance you can upgrade to a new copier, with more productive features, for a cost including the new machine for less than you are paying for the service of your old machine.
When it comes time to purchase or lease a new office copier, there are several industry-leading solutions you can choose from, including:
Canon ImageRUNNER ADVANCE DX C3820i and C3830i: These models are best suited for small businesses with limited budgets and reduced printing and copying requirements. These models have high resolution printing and scanning capabilities and are a compact size that is perfect for a smaller sized office.
Canon i-Sensys MF735Cx: A highly compact model best suited for small businesses with a lack of space. Packs plenty of features, allows you to print from mobile devices and holds 250 sheets of paper.
Canon Color LBP622Cdw: One of the best budget models on the market. It can create its own WiFi hotspot so you don't require a router and it has handy security features for an economy machine.
Sharp MX2651: Another solution best suited for small business that has an affordable price tag for the base model and then you can add features as required.
Canon ImageRUNNER ADVANCE DX C5840i or DX C5850i: These Canon models are best suited for mid-sized businesses and include features like built-in hard drives with data encryption and the ability to integrate easily with business systems.
Sharp MX 4071 and MX 5071: Reliable options for medium businesses that feature more memory and hard drive space than its competitors.
Epson WorkForce WF-C878R: For the environmentally conscious or businesses seeking sustainable solutions, this is the industry leader when it comes to low consumption rates of inks and other materials.
Epson WorkForce Enterprise WF C20600, WF C20750 or WF C2100: More environmentally friendly models that balance performance and energy efficiency.
Canon ImageClass C1127IF: When you just want a printer and copier with no bells and whistles, this economical model is best in class.
Sharp MX-C304W: Sleek, compact design meets high-quality colour printing and a range of features including voice operation and various add-ons so you can customise this model to your requirements.
You can either lease, buy, or manage your printing services
Axia Office provides managed print services tailored to the needs of businesses of all sizes in Sydney.
We have helped thousands of business owners, including those in the real estate, education, and professional services sectors, become more adept at handling their printing needs, and we believe that we can help you, too. For more information on managed printing services including high-quality machines, regular scheduled servicing and rapid repair services, give Axia Office a call today.
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