Another "better brand" thread!

Campgirl · 02-05-2008

Greetings, Earthlings!

i would appreciate someone helping me with this question

my boss would like to know which of the following brands/models would be best to purchase for our office:

Panasonic DP-8060

Konica Minolta Bizhub 500

or

Kyocera KM 4050 and/or 5050

she just wants general feedback on which one consumers have had better success with

thanks for your time

**blackcat4866** · 02-06-2008

I can't speak for the Panasonic or Konica Minolta, but the Copystar/KyoceraMita 4050/5050 is a really reliable machine. It's probably the most reliable black & white I've ever worked on. Low maintenance. Cheap to operate.

tech1224 · 02-06-2008

I agree with Blackcat here. I have worked on Pan. Toshiba, and CS-Kyocera. The CS-4050,5050 is a very good machine and cost per copy is very low.

**10871087** · 02-06-2008

I have a bunch of experience on 2 out of the three machines you are talking about. I will give you my $0.02 worth.

Kyocera KM-4050/5050 - Great machine, proven technology, workhorse, easy to work with for techs, network engineers, and end-users, long PM cycle.

Konica Minolta bizhub 500 - Great machine, proven technology, workhorse, not as operator or technician friendly but still an outstanding choice.

Panasonic DP-8060 - I haven't worked on a Panasonic in a few years, They make an "OK" machine but they are certainly not one of the top manufacturers these days.

A couple other opinions

Service: The most important thing to look at is service. It takes a few minutes to sign a deal but you will be living with the copier and the service department you bought it from for the next 3-5 years. After you narrow your choice down one or two machines make a call to the dealer and talk to the service manager. Talk about how to go about obtaining service and supplies for your machine and what they think about the equipment along with what kind of response times to expect for service. Any guarantee of a 1 hour response usually means a phone call, what good is a phone call if you machine is broken. Good dealers can usually get to a "down" machine within about 4 hours depending on your location

Service Contract: Get a full coverage service contract on your equipment, your wouldn't buy a new car and drive it around with no insurance would you? a full coverage contract usually includes all Parts, Labor and Supplies (excluding paper and staples).

Network Install: Network installs can be easy or difficult. Make sure you discuss any non-standard applications you may use in your business ahead of time and make sure the dealer will fully install the equipment on your network as part of the deal. Many dealers include 2-4 hours of network time to complete the install and will want to bill you for the rest but I would negotiate a full install on your network with your sales rep. Service contracts usually do not include network support so make sure your network install allows for a follow-up call if necessary within the first two weeks.

Key-operator: I would recommend designating a key-operator in your office to be the main contact for copier related issues. It will make for a better service experience in the long run. One (or two) people that will place service calls and supply request with your dealer, this will help insure good communication and insure you are getting your problems resolved.

**Elle** · 02-06-2008

gee i wish i had this kind of info before i became a service tech

and as for which machine the nice lady needs in her office.....i only work with Kyocera in that list - i seldom get to see my customers with the 4050/5050 machines - they are very easy to service too, as long as you stick with OEM toner these machines don't seem to need much attention apart from our scheduled maintainance.

**10871087** · 02-06-2008

Originally Posted by Elle

gee i wish i had this kind of info before i became a service tech

and as for which machine the nice lady needs in her office.....i only work with Kyocera in that list - i seldom get to see my customers with the 4050/5050 machines - they are very easy to service too, as long as you stick with OEM toner these machines don't seem to need much attention apart from our scheduled maintainance.

Good point about the toner. Make sure they use OEM toner and other supplies. You can probably demand that they add it in as part of the terms of the service agreement and then you key-operator can verify the packages when they are received.

Campgirl · 02-06-2008

Thank you very much for your responses

this was very helpful to our office

it seems Kyocera is the way to go

cheers!

**Scorotron Wizard** · 05-22-2008

10871087 (If only I had a pound for every time I entered that) has given some sound advice, I am slightly biased to Konica Minolta as I reckon they have good build quality and I have been working on them since the 80s, however I have worked on Kyocera for a few years and recently I went to a 5050 with a key operator, the only reason I was there was because the 'Time for maintenence' light was on. The previous call was the installation. So 1/2 a million copies and no breakdowns. That is good so good that I am worrying that engineers wont be needed soon

**kingpd@businessprints.net** · 07-21-2008

I like Kyocera Mita as well. Their DM's were also more sociable.

If you like the 5050 model you can also shop around for an NEC IT5050 (it's the exact same thing) or the Copystar CS-5050 (it too is the same).

From what I've heard Copystar is the "nonbrand" owned by Kyocera Mita so sometimes less expensive. NEC rebrands from Konica Minolta and Kyocera Mita so they may be less expensive but have less dealer coverage.

If you find in the future that your volume of copying/printing goes up, get the 6030. It's faster, more expensive for the hardware but less expensive for cost per page.