Should You Repair or Replace Your Office Photocopier?

When replacing makes more sense

Lean toward replacement when:

• The machine breaks down repeatedly. Constant call outs cost more than a newer machine over time.
• Parts are getting hard to source, or the model is discontinued.
• Running costs are high. Older machines often burn through toner and drums far faster than current models.
• Downtime is hurting you. If staff regularly cannot print or scan, the hidden cost to your business is bigger than the repair bill.

A simple rule of thumb

If a repair costs more than about half the price of a comparable replacement, and the machine is already several years old, replacement is usually the better long term call. If it is well under that, repair.

Do not forget the running costs

The purchase or repair price is only half the picture. Older photocopiers can quietly cost a fortune in toner, drums and parts. Sometimes a newer or refurbished machine pays for itself in lower running costs alone, even before you count the downtime you avoid.

The middle option: a refurbished machine

You do not have to choose between an expensive repair and a brand new machine. A quality refurbished photocopier gives you near new reliability at a fraction of the price. It is a great option if your current machine is on its last legs but you are not ready to finance a new one. See used and refurbished photocopiers.

Questions to ask before you decide

• What will the repair cost, and what else is likely to need attention soon?
• Are parts still available for this model, and for how long?
• How many pages has the machine done compared with what it is built to handle?
• How many times has it been repaired in the last year?
• What does it cost the office in lost time when it is down?

Write the answers down. If most of them come back favourable, repair. If several come back unfavourable, start thinking about the next machine.

A quick decision table

This is a guide, not a rule. The model, the page count and the condition decide.

Parts and support for your model

The least costly repair is one for a model that is well supported. For a popular commercial machine from a major brand, parts are usually available for many years. For an old or unusual model, they may not be. When we diagnose a fault we say whether the part is easy to get, because a repair that depends on a part that takes weeks to find is a different decision.

The costs people forget

• Toner and drums, which differ widely between models.
• Power use, which is higher on an older machine.
• Downtime, because a machine that is repeatedly broken costs time as well as money.
• Service calls, which add up on a machine that needs one every few months.
• The time of the person who becomes the unofficial printer expert.

A machine that has been cheap to repair is not the same as one that has been cheap to own.

If the machine is leased

A leased copier is usually not yours to repair or replace without the provider. Read the agreement, check who is responsible for service and ask about the end of the term. If the machine is yours, or the lease has ended, phone us and we say what the fault looks like and what it takes to fix.

When you need more than the old machine gives

Sometimes the machine is fine and the office has changed. More people, more colour, bigger paper, a security requirement or a scan workflow that the old machine cannot do. In that case a repair is not the answer, and a bigger, newer or different machine is. We ask what you print and say what suits. See new photocopiers, ex demo photocopiers and used and refurbished photocopiers.

What we do on the call

Phone with the make, the model, the symptom and roughly how old the machine is. We say what that symptom usually means, what a repair involves and what the machine is likely to need next. Then we give you an honest view of repair or replace, and a price for the repair on the call. If the repair is not worth it, we say so, and we do not push a sale.

Three examples

A four year old colour multifunction in a medical practice starts misfeeding. The fault is a worn roller. Repair: it is a short job and the machine has years left. A twelve year old mono copier in a warehouse needs a new fuser and has a drum near the end of life, and the model is hard to support. Replace. A busy accounting office has outgrown a small machine, which is fine mechanically, but it cannot scan the way the office now works. Replace, and trade the old one in.

Each case is different, and that is why we ask on the phone and give an honest view before anybody is booked.

The environment matters

A copier in a clean, cool room with good paper lasts longer than one in a hot shed with dust and damp. If your machine has had a hard life, expect more wear than its age suggests. If it has been looked after, expect less. We ask about the room as well as the machine.

Asking for a second view

If another company has told you to replace your copier and you are not sure, phone us with the model, the age and what was said. A second view costs nothing, and we will say honestly whether a repair is worth considering. Sometimes the answer is the same, and sometimes it is a roller.

If you decide to replace

A replacement does not have to be new. A refurbished or ex demo machine suits many offices, and a trade in puts the old one toward it. We explain the options on the phone.

Not sure? Get an honest opinion

This is exactly the kind of call we help Brisbane businesses make every week. We will assess your machine, tell you honestly whether it is worth repairing, and lay out your options of repair, refurbished or new, with no pressure. Phone (07) 3073 5255 or use the contact page. Our guide is my copier worth repairing sets out the factors in more detail, and you can see photocopier repairs for the service side.

Keep reading around Brisbane

Is my copier worth repairing?How we weigh repair against replacement, honestly.→Printer and photocopier repairsCopiers and printers repaired at the desk where they broke.→Used and refurbished photocopiersTested and warranted used, refurbished and ex demo commercial copiers, delivered and set up.→News and tipsPosts on keeping, moving and replacing office copiers.→