First time copier buyer, need advice.

[avicarmi]

My final comment would be to get a service contract. At the minimum for parts & labor. Copiers are pretty much all moving parts.
LMK if you have any questions.

Thanks for the info on the Kyocera.

Oh, yet another question...

my boss/owner does not want any maintenance contract with the printer, neither fixed monthly, nor the ones that charge per page (say 1cent b&w and 5cent color).

what do you think? is a maint contract needed with these machines? or are they just like an HP color laserjet, for which you will not even consider a maint contract?

Thanks,

-avi

[avicarmi]

Samsung is another good choice the model mentioned is good we have one in our office scans prints faxes copies the scanning is a little difficult to set up but it's a good MFP. I still think a Canon or a Panasonic is a better choice, be sure to get a service contract on any piece of equipment you decide to get. If price and speed needs to be in a certain range then take a serious look at the Panasonic, the nice feature about these copiers is that the end user can replace all of the consumables, drum units toner cart., and waste toner container. The only thing that I don't think they will do is dual scan. Here's a link to there web site

Learn about Panasonic's C3 Series Multifunctional Products

Thanks,

my boss still wants me to get the stand alone Fujitsu document scanner, so that scanning into searchable text PDF, dual (i.e. single pass) scanning, is not a top requirement anymore.

he does not want any maint contract, neither fixed price, nor per page.

can't the user replace toner/drum in the other machines (i.e. the Canon/Ricoh/Kyocera)????


Kyocera in their propaganda/PR mentions that they are "ultra reliable" and drum lasts for 300,000 (which for us will probably be the life of the unit, as I do not see us printing/copying 300000 in 5years)

Kyocera has a three year "dealer" warranty.

-avi

[tmaged]

We are a Sharp & Kyocera dealer (no longer Toshiba). Both these machines, Sharp MX-4501 & Kyocera 400ci are excellent machines. The only reason I'd give an edge is the Kyocera warranty & life of supplies. Both have all the features you're looking for.
The Kyocera warranty is for the dealer however not the end user. Without a service contract, They'll bill you for labor & may choose to bill you for parts.
I've been a tech for 9 years and wouldn't buy a machine without a some type of service contract. Not from any manufacturer. With all moving parts, there is just too much to go wrong.

[gwalters]

No service contract???

ok, I am not a tech, but that is crazy, short sighted and just not smart.

If he really wants that...why?

If he has been burned in the past...how?

The dirty little secret is this, COPIERS ARE ALL THE SAME machine-wise.

Perhaps he should get another big-screen, go to Office Depot, get five Deskjets and a flat-bed scanner...hook em all up through ElectriNet, and you're good to go....

Seriously, when a business owner says "I don't want a service agreement..." red flags start going off all over the place and people start running into the night - but -

if that is a main concern, get an HP - PERIOD.

All you need to do is buy toner and maint kits and you will be fine; at that volume, you won't need a maint kit in a long time and a CPC contract is not required.

When you do start to need service, there will plenty of HP service people around...

Good luck

[avicarmi]

No service contract???
...

Perhaps he should get another big-screen, go to Office Depot, get five Deskjets and a flat-bed scanner...hook em all up through ElectriNet, and you're good to go....
...

if that is a main concern, get an HP - PERIOD.

Good luck

changed our mind again... now back to getting just the color laser jet (HP 4005dn, or 4700dn, possibly the 6015?) as we likes HP, giving up on the copier based machine, as it seem too complex, requires service contract, etc...

maybe a mfp based on the HP4700?

will get the Fujitsu document scanner, too.

thanks,

-avi

[tmaged]

changed his mind again...
-avi

Only women can be that indecisive.

[blackcat4866]

I like the Kyocera myself. The Sharp is a huge improvement over previous Sharp color, but not over the other manufacturers.

If you've had desktop printers or black & white copiers before, you'll experience more service on any color MFP. There is a common misconception that this is some sort of flaw. That is incorrect.

Color MFPs have (4) times the mechanical parts than a black & white MFP, and statistics dictate that you will see your technician more often. I must repeat what the other techs have said up until now. It's crazy to have a color MFP without a service contract. A billable service call can easily run $1,000 and I have written estimates for preventative maintenance call over $3,000. If you've got a strong stomach, and are willing to pay when the time comes that's great. More often, when a color MFP is ran without a service agreement the customer tries to cheat on parts, then slowly (or quickly) runs the machine into the ground, then bitches that the machine is a piece of crap. The answer to that is "No it's not a piece of crap. When it needs maintenance, it needs maintenance. No shortcuts." Please feel free to quote me on this. If you go without the service agreement you are heading straight down this road.

=^..^=

[avicarmi]

I like the Kyocera myself. The Sharp is a huge improvement over previous Sharp color, but not over the other manufacturers.

If you've had desktop printers or black & white copiers before, you'll experience more service on any color MFP. There is a common misconception that this is some sort of flaw. That is incorrect.

Color MFPs have (4) times the mechanical parts than a black & white MFP, and statistics dictate that you will see your technician more often. I must repeat what the other techs have said up until now. It's crazy to have a color MFP without a service contract. A billable service call can easily run $1,000 and I have written estimates for preventative maintenance call over $3,000. If you've got a strong stomach, and are willing to pay when the time comes that's great. More often, when a color MFP is ran without a service agreement the customer tries to cheat on parts, then slowly (or quickly) runs the machine into the ground, then bitches that the machine is a piece of crap. The answer to that is "No it's not a piece of crap. When it needs maintenance, it needs maintenance. No shortcuts." Please feel free to quote me on this. If you go without the service agreement you are heading straight down this road.

=^..^=

which is exactly why we gave up on a color MFP, and are now looking at HP Color LaserJet 31ppm or 40ppm, and the Fujitsu document scanner.

the LaserJet would not need a main contract, will it???

-avi

[blackcat4866]

I can't speak about the HP offering.

Is prntrfxr out there? =^..^=

[time2fly]

Good luck with your HP like blackcat said you'r crazy not getting a service contract especially for color. Most service contracts include toner and anything else that will go wrong. I installed a brand new Canon irc 3380 when they first came out 3 days after install the building had a power problem that blew the main controller it wasn't a spike but a low power condition, they had a service contract and avoided having to pay close to 2,000.00 for a new board. I would guess that your HP would cost just a little more than that to replace. Most manufactures I'm sure won't cover under there warranty this sort of malfunction.

[gwalters]

Yup, HP CM4730, that's the ticket

[avicarmi]

Only women can be that indecisive.

fliped again, for the last time :-)

just placed an order for a Kyocera TASKalfa 400ci (40ppm) with the dual auto doc feeder (single pass duplex)

no service contract.

$6900 (including the feeder, and stand)

-avi

[blackcat4866]

California is far enough away that there's little risk of us having to argue about the prompt replacement of maintenance parts. You can have that argument with someone else. =^..^=

[avicarmi]

I highly recommended that we get a maint contract, and if we do not want to, we should just get a plain color printer, but both the owner and the CFO overruled me... They want to "control their costs".

it is their money after all.

-avi

[time2fly]

Your bosses don't seem to be very intelligent people if they think that not getting a service contract is controlling there cost because when they least expect it and at the worst possible time something major is going break in that copier and there going to wish they purchased a service contract. Most copier companies will go to a contracted service call before a charge call. I don't know much about that brand of copier but if it's like the couple b&w ones I used to work (km2050 or 2350 something like that) on the drums are an expensive part to replace. If the one unit you are buying is a color I can tell you that replacing a transfer belt is probably more that a b&w drum. ebay would probably be the best place to get to get some parts if you feel good about buy from someone you don't know. NOT A VERY SMART DECISION...Good luck and may GOD be with you.