The current economic environment has lead to companies rethinking their desire to always have  new business class copier printer scanners. Leasing a new copier printer scanner is just like owning a new car, once its out of the show room it looses 30% of ti value but you are still liable for the full price! The trend to obtain recent model dealer select used printer copiers network equipment has driven the some brands of used copiers higher. Why?  Simple: dealers know which brands are durable and will provide trouble free usage for their clients.

What models and manufacturer are most in demand?  Currently, the number on based on review of three major off lease equipment companies (companies with an inventory of 3,000+ machines) are the Kyocera KM3035, 4035 and the 5035.  When they are received in from off lease they do not least more than a couple hours in inventory before a dealers grabs them. Kyocera copier printer scanner are know for their very high reliability and very long lasting maintenance kit. The Kyocera maintenance kit ha an estimated like of 400,000 pages.  The far superior than Canon, Ricoh, Minolta, Toshiba, Sharp and other brands.

Beyond the Kyocera the next brand are Ricoh and then Sharp brands.  Be very careful when purchasing a used refurbished copier printer  from a company going out of business.  We get calls all day long form people who said hey got a great dealer only to learn the machine is 7 to 12 years old and it needs maintenance. Copier printer scanner maintenance can run into the hundreds of dollars.  the company is going out of business so do you think they maintained their copier printers?

Before you buy a machine get the meter count, supply/maintenance status page and the then call to get the true value of the used copier printer before you buy. Or post a question here. for a quick reply.  The used refurbished printer copier resource is updated everyday and a simple questions will tell you if you are getting a deal or not.

What the the normal cases of lines on printer copier fax machines?  Resolving lines on pages is as easy as cleaning the glass in the adf area and as difficult to repair rebuild copier printer fuser assembly.  First, lines are caused usually caused by one of the three following printer copier repair problems: dirty glass in the scanner area, bad drum/blade,  or fuser assembly maintenance needed.  depending upon your printer copier scanner follow the following steps to determine the cause of your printer repair maintenance needs.

First, does the line show up when you are printing, copying or both? If the copier printer fax multi-function equipment is producing lines only when you fax out then the problem is the scanner glass. You will need to open the ADF (automatic document feeder) which is the part you feed the pager you are trying to copy or fax out.  Fine the scanner glass which is usually 1 inch in length and 11 to 17″ long. Cleaning the scanner glass is a regular Copier printer maintenance that does not require a technician. Remember, I am not talking about the large glass on the flat bed of your copier printer scanner.  The automatic feeder has a separate scan glass in the ADF area usually designed for easy access.

If you are getting lines if when printing or if the scanner glass is not the cause then you need to check the fuser and/or drum/developer unit of your printer copier fax multi-function device.  Depending upon you equipment this may require a copier printer repair technician to perform the task. If the line are horizontal across the page they the get a bit lighter after a few pages (you need to print several pages at one time) then its the drum unit causing the problem. If the lines are pencil thin then it is usually the drum unit too.

The fuser assembly on your copier printer may need a complete maintenance kit or replacement depending upon you model if your printer copier repair problem consist of thick lines or lines that are not solid all the way down the page.  Put out the fuser assembly and see if the upper heat roller coating is wearing away.  when repairing copier printers the technicians can determine the problem if less than 30 minutes. Remember to get certified printer copier repair maintenance service technicians. Be careful of one man operations or companies that can not explain over the phone print copier repair costs.

Here is the next batch of copier repair codes for Ricoh, Savin, Gestetner and Lanier printer copier scanner MFD machines.  These copier repair maintenance error codes are actual codes to report printer copier repair problems to service technicians.

SC380 – Data transmission time out

SC381 – Charge potential abnormal

SC-382 Data transmission time out video

SC-383 VL adjustmnet error

SC-383 Data transmission time out connect copy

SC-385 ID sensor VSG adjustment error

SC-386 Data transmission time out

SC-387 Development gamma error

SC-388 Data transmission time out

SC-389 Development gamma calculation error

SC-390 CRC error/TD sensor adjustment error

SC-392 TD Sensor initial error

SC-395 Development output adnormal

SC-400 Transfer roller leak error

SC-401 Transfer output abnormal

SC-401-1 Transfer roller leak detected

SC-401-2 Transfer roller lease open

SC–402 – transfer roller leak

SC-403 Transfer belt position sensor

SC-405 – Transfer Belt position abnormal

SC-406 – Transfer roller position abnormal

May of the copier printer repair maintenance service codes are not very explanatory.  You will need the Ricoh, Savin, Lanier and Gestetner repair maintenance service manuals to determine the correct course of copier repair procedures.   The copier repair maintenance service manuals details the meaning of the codes and gives the the step by step procures to repair the copier printers.

First, let make a general statement that none of the above copier printer scanner fax machine manufacturer say: they all make a bad model once an a while and some of them make many bad models. However,  looking at the past 3 years history on actual service calls and by actual technician as that are NOT committed only one particular brand there are some clear winners.  many copier printer scanner companies only offer one brand due to the fact they have to invest large sums of money to become FACTORY AUTHORIZED.  IN fact, many manufactures of copier priers force dealers to be only related to one brand of they will not get authorization. What does this mean to you?

Simply put, if you talk to a Sharp dealer then Sharp is best, if you talk to a Xerox dealer then Xerox is best, if you talk to a Canon dealer then Canon is best.  So how do you know which one is actually the best copier printer scanner? Talk to independent dealers, check the copier printer Bertl reports,  Best Buy reports, consumer reports and finally the resell value. However, when you check the resell value on a used copier printer do not ASK the dealer! Why because their book value is usually way, way higher than actual value.

Ok in the resell market the HOTTEST printers (the hardest ones to get by dealers) are Kyocera 3035, 4035 and 5035 in the black/white models and for color copier printers Ricoh colors MPC series.  How is this know?  This is determined by how long a particular model of copier printer stays in inventory of major wholesale distributors of used copier printers. These distributors supply copier printer dealers with used machines to resell or export.  Presently, of the three largest dealers the Kyocera 3035, 4035, and 5035 do not last even one day!

Why are Kyocera so good? Because they are very clean operating, extremely reliable and very long duty cycle (time between replacing the copier printer scanner maintenance kits).

What is the biggest name used copier printer machines? Canon and Ricoh however, they are not the best.  Which ones do independent resellers stay away from due to problems, excessive repair costs and poor quality? Toshiba, Xerox  and Minolta.  Beyond the model what else should you consider when selecting a used or reconditioned copier printer fax? duty cycle, number of current pages on unit, warranty, age (this is a big one) and reliability of the dealer (is it a one man show or a company with several repair technicians?).

Just like many other companies HP is making policies that reflect hard economic times. recently HP has discontinued many parts and maintenance kits for various plotters and printers .the hardest hit area we notice is the HP plotter repair and maintenance parts. If you need your HP plotter repaired take notice: parts are getting more expensive and harder to find on models 2 years or older.

Case in point HP T100 and T1100 series plotters. This machine is just about 2 years old and HP has no or very limited parts for repairs.  It’s an expensive machine ($2,00 and up) but HP in there cost cutting measure has stopped selling greatly needed parts for the machine.  One of their representatives on the phone stated they have cut less profitable parts from their inventory. I otherwords BE VERY VERY CAREFUL when you purchase an HP plotter now.

HP passes you to a reseller who sells the part for more than retail.  Basically the reseller has a special deal with HP and it leaves customers out in the cold!  This reminds me of a recent email I received about a HP printer repair.  In Iraq a soldier called HP fro technician support on a printer just over 1 year old.  They referred the soldier in IRAQ to see an HP repair center or HP will charge him $50 for a the phone call. The solution to the problem was the soldier taking the HP printer and he made a video of  him shooting it with an automatic gun. The video and reason for he video had over 2,000,000 views the last time I show it! How is that for a response to poor HP repair support?

If you need help choosing the right plotter or printer for your organization without bias towards any particular brand see Advanced Business Computers. If you need HP printer repair help or assistance with other maintenance for copiers, fax or printer repairs please  do a post here.

Happy holidays!!

The economy has created a big win fall for Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Canon and other manufacturers of printers and copiers. They know companies are buying the lower costs printer scanner copier machines thinking they are reducing costs.  However, they fail to realize that they are saving a few dollars at first and then paying through the nose for the supplies!

We just receive a call from a new client. The own a Canon D880 copier and a HP M1522 printer which they recently purchased (3 months ago).  they purchased these units because they were low in cost but they did not take into account the cost of the supplies and how often they will need to purchase cartridges.

They are purchasing one Canon D880 toner and three HP M1522 toners per month.  They are spending approximately $297 per month on just supplies to produce 6,000 to 7,500 pages of print.  In other words, they are supping as much every month in supplies as the machines cost!   Plus, when something goes wrong, printer repair or Copier service, the low end machines are not worth fixing.  It’s better to get a higher end business class machine that is low in cost to use and designed for many years of use.

What did they do? They opted to get a Kyocera KM-2560 for $210 per month including all printer copier supplies, repairs, parts etc and then they gave their HP printer and Canon to a local church as a write off.  Unless you are producing less than 2,000 pages per month you will save with the proper copier printer lease.  Business class office equipment saves companies money and headaches in the long run.  Ff you are not sure contact us to get a free over the phone evaluation on whether its better to buy a low end copier printer fax or a higher end copier printer  scanner.

The economy has created a Bonanza for people looking for auctioned used copiers printer for pennies on the dollar.  However, if you are not very careful then you will get a big headache and spend hundreds of additional dollars on copier maintenance of printer repair kits.  Think about this the company is auctioning off a used piece of equipment from a company that is no longer. It’s very important to know the equipment you are purchasing or have a reliable copier printer repair company review the digital printer or copier first.

Yesterday a client called stating their office neighbor is closing his company and offered a color Canon copier printer to him for $1600 dollars.  No warranty and the equipment was maintained by another company.  The actual price is not bad for the machine however, without knowing the copier printers current toner, developer and drum status he could be walking into a big expense.  The digital copier printer scanner toners alone (set of toners) cost $497. The developers cost (set) $754 and the drums several hundred of dollars.   I asked the client to fine out the current toner level, current page count, the developer and the drum status for the machine. The digital copier printer seller didn’t not know how to provide the information.

He asked us to go and check the service records of the color Canon copier printer and this is what we found. The toners were 75% used. It had a page count of 547,435 pages and needed the full set of developers.  The drums were in good condition but the fixing unit (fuser) would need replacing in less than 5,000 pages – about one month base on the clients usage.  Needles to say he did not get the machine because the $1600 used copier printer unit would have actually costs him over $3000 within a month! If he wanted a copier printer service agreement on the unit the repairs would need to be done first prior to the maintenance agreement on the printer scanner copier.

Some used copiers printers are great bargains however; you need to know the equipment before you lay down your money.  It’s always recommended to have a qualified copier printer technician repair service center to check the machine first. Ask what would a copier maintenance agreement including all repairs and supplies costs.  Currently the top black and white machines are Kyocera, Ricoh (Lanier, Ricoh, Gestetner and Savin) and Sharp for repair-ability and low printer copier maintenance costs.

Does your company lease or have a maintenance agreement for copier printer scanner multi-function office equipment from Sharp, Xerox, Canon, Minolta, Toshiba, Ricoh or other company?

Do you know your options at lease end can greatly reduce costs while improving efficiencies of your office?

First let’s be realistic: Leasing companies are interested in one thing and one thing only Lock you into a 3 to 5 year lease so nobody else can offer you better equipment, pricing or service.  They want to move new hardware and lock you for several years because they have quotas to meet from Canon, Sharp, Ricoh, Minolta or they loose their dealership.

Point One: How do you know?

Do the following:  ask your dealer what brands they offer new.

If they only  offer one brand or a brand series all made by the same company then you know they have quotas to meet and they have an agenda to move hardware whenever they can.

“…they, the copier printer leasing companies such as Canon, Sharp, Toshiba, Minolta, Xerox and Ricoh, have an agenda to trap you for years”.

If this is the case, be careful! Just because it’s a well known brand does not mean it’s the most cost effective or efficient equipment for you!

Point two:  Bugging you to upgrade your copier printer way before renewal time. This is another copier printer leasing company tactic to trap you even longer and to move more equipment again. If your equipment is functioning well and it meets your needs then why are they bugging you?  If it’s not working well or meeting your meets whey did they offer it in the first place? Why repeat the same mistake with people who only have one interest – sell more copier printers to get big fat commissions  and trap you again for a longer period.

Simple: They need to keep moving equipment to meet quotas and they do not want to take a chance that another company may offer you better equipment at a competitive price.  This is a tactic to lock you up for many years.

Ask quotes first.  Get the right copier printer scanner lease the first time.  Look at the copier lease agreement and make sure it spells out the exact cost to buyout the equipment before you sign. Do not let them have a 90 or even 60 advanced notice period for cancellation or buyout – it should be no more than 30 days!

Does your company lease or have a maintenance agreement for copier printer scanner multi-function office equipment from Sharp, Xerox, Canon, Minolta, Toshiba, Ricoh or other company?  Do you know your options at lease end can greatly reduce costs while improving efficiencies of your office?

First let’s be realistic: Leasing companies are interested in one thing and one thing only to Lock you into a 3 to 5 year lease so nobody else can offer you better equipment, pricing or service.  They want to move new hardware and lock you for several years because they have quotas to meet from Canon, Sharp, Ricoh, Minolta or they loose their dealership.

Point One: How do you know?  Do the following: ask your dealer what brands they offer new. If they only  offer one brand or a brand series all made by the same company then you know they have quotas to meet and they have an agenda to move hardware whenever they can.

“…they have an agenda to trap you for years”

If this is the case, be careful! Just because it’s a well known brand does not mean it’s the most cost effective or efficient equipment for you!

Point two: Bugging you way before renewal time. This is another tactic to trap you even longer and to move more equipment again. If your equipment is functioning well and it meets your needs then why are they bugging you?

Simple: They need to keep moving equipment to meet quotas and they do not want to take a chance that another company may offer you better equipment at a competitive price.  This is a tactic to lock you up for another bunch of years beyond your original contract of 3 to 5 years!

Point Three: Over billing for pages you do not use. This is the third and most abused tactic of copier printer scanning leasing companies. Include pages in the lease that they know you will never use. They will ask you what is your estimated monthly volume then they add a few thousand pages and quote you the bunch of pages at a seeming low price.

Did you know 87% of he companies who fall for this tactics actually costs you 243% to 380% more per page than quoted because you never use up all the allocated monthly or quarterly pages?

Why pay for pages you never use? There is no page overage or lease refund! You pay the monthly price even if you do not print a single page.

“….costs you 243% to 380% more per page than quoted.”

Why are these three points important?

Simple: Your company’s’ business is to make money. You do this by offering your product and service while keeping costs down on your needs to make a profit. Every dollar you save in actual costs and efficiencies increases your profits and pay check.

You have better options: Wait for Part II or request copier printer scanner maintenance and lease information form Advanced Business Computers Inc.

Problem with printing to a digital copier or copier printer. It takes too long to print the document.

Cause One:    The higher the resolution the slower the print job. The laser printer does not start printing until it receives the full letter document into the printer copier memory.  The more details your printer copier document ha the longer it will take to download to the equipment. Try limiting the amount of graphic or increase the amount of memory in your printer or copier printer.

Cause Two: Older computer upgraded with a new operating system. The printer or print copier scanner can only receive the document as fast as the computer can send it.  The new operating systems have more overhead and will cause an older printer copier to seem slow but the actual problem may be the computer. Make use your computer has MORE than the minimum amount of RAM for your operating system to help speed downloads to your digital printer or printer copier scanner office machine.

Cause Three: Using older type of connector instead of faster or slow network. If your copier printer scanner is on a network then that’s another bottle neck. Your document must go through your computer to a network switch which routes it to the actual printer copier. Check to see if your are using 100 or 1000 switch. Does your computer have a 1000 GHz connection or the slower 100? Upgrading you network switches and network adapter will speed up the whole network and the printer copier speed.

If you need assistance in speeding up your computer or are looking for suggestions on how to improve your copier printer work flow contact Advanced Business Computers Inc.