Have you ever had your office copier break down or misfeed when you really needed something done? It seems like no matter who you buy your equipment from there is always going to be an issue with it at some point. Wouldn’t it be great to have all the keys facts on how reliable the copier is before you make that big purchase?
We will enlighten you on which questions to ask yourself before buying, what criteria you should look for, our Top 5 copier choices, tips on servicing your equipment and what to look for in a service tech.
No matter who you decide to purchase equipment from, there is no guarantee that it will never have any malfunctions or issues. However, we would like to give you all the right tips to help you make an educated decision before you offload company money on something you will be more confident with.
Ask Yourself These Questions
It’s important to know exactly what your office needs are before you buy a new copier. There are major differences in a copier you use occasionally, compared to a high-volume copier that deals with hundreds of tasks per day for a large number of employees.
Additionally, you should know what steps to take when something does go wrong and you need repairs at the drop of a hat.
So, before anything else you should begin by asking yourself these questions:
- Which features of an office copier are the most important to my business?
- Does this copier have a repair company nearby?
- How accurate will my invoice be?
- Can my equipment be serviced remotely?
- How reliable are the service technicians, and can they fix my issues with a call or visit?
- Are there any added security features for this copier?
- Should I be buying or leasing?
Now that you now know how to select your device, keep reading to learn how to determine which is the most reliable.
Reliable Copier Criteria
There are many factors to consider before buying your next office copier, but here are some of the ones we have found to be important criteria when selecting the best.
Security – Does this copier have features that help secure your data? Look for features such as ID card access, network user authentication, biometric, common access, and more. The more security features available to you, the more peace of mind you’ll have.
Image Quality – Each copier is different when it comes to the print quality and each performs at different levels in the following areas:
Print Density – This measures the density of an image that has been printed with blocks of all solid colours based on the average of two readings each for cyan, yellow, and magenta, plus 4 different locations for black output.
Colour Print Quality – How well does it print graphics and photographic images?
Black Print Quality – How does it handle high volume print outs of text, line art, solids, halftone range, and halftone fill?
Gamut Variance Readings – This assesses the distance between different colours.
Reliability – The manufacturer of the machine runs the recommended number of impressions on the copier and then assesses the number of jams or misfeeds that occur during that test. For example, a machine that claims an average monthly cycle of 200,000 prints would then be put through 200,000 sheets of paper to find out how many times an error occurs.
Ease of Use – This comes down to how intuitive the interface and design of the machine is. How easy is it to function in the areas of scanning, copying, printing, job management, feedback and multitasking?
Additional Features – Does your device come with added apps or tools that benefit you? Look for added features such as hard drive capacity, additional memory, mobile printing, and much more.
For more information on how to select the best office equipment for your office, head on over to our article on Buying A Copier.
Top 5 Copiers
We have narrowed it down to a Top 5 using a list provided from Buyer’s Lab, an industry-trusted resource for all things copiers. Also, be sure to check out this article for a detailed report on these machines.
1. Canon imageRUNNER Advance C7580i II (Colour)
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- Market Entry Year: 2018
- Speed: 80 ppm
- Dimensions: 48″ x 27-1/8″ x 37-1/8″
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 9 |
2. Canon imageRUNNER Advance C5560i (Colour)
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- Market Entry Year: 2018
- Speed: 60 ppm
- Dimensions: 47-2/7″ x 24-3/8″ x 29-1/4″
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 7.5 |
3. Ricoh MP 2555SP (B&W)
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- Market Entry Year: 2017
- Speed: 25 ppm
- Dimensions: 35.9″ x 23.1″ x 26.9″
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
| 10 | 8.5 | 8 | 10 | 7.5 |
4. Kyocera TASK alfa 8052ci (Colour)
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- Market Entry Year: 2016
- Speed: 80 ppm
- Dimensions: 41.45″ x 26.97″ x 31.10″
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
| 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
5. Canon imageRUNNER Advance C3530i (Colour)
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- Market Entry Year: 2018
- Speed: 30 ppm
- Dimensions: 45-1/5″ x 22-1/4″ x 29-1/4″
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 6.5 |
Even the most reliable devices will still be in need of regular servicing and upkeep. Before you make that service call, here is what you need to know.
Servicing Your Equipment
Depending on the service contract terms you agree upon, your provider should be regularly visiting your office and making necessary repairs to maintain your equipment.
Which brings us to service contracts.
A service contract will typically cover anything that is directly related to the device itself but not the network in which it operates. Most service contracts these days will also include all your toner and preventative maintenance parts and labour.
Some dealers will also provide complimentary use of a loaner unit if your device cannot be immediately repaired; however, this isn’t an industry standard, and you should always check with the dealership if they offer this service before signing a service contract.
What is not covered by a service contract?
Basically, any damage to the equipment that is not internal or is not a fault of the device itself. A service contract is unlikely to cover a malfunction directly caused by a user fault (something someone at your organization did to the device or the network it uses).
If you’d like more information on navigating service contracts, pop on over to our article on Why you Need a Service Contract for Your New Copier.
Once you’ve placed a service call to your service provider, how long does it normally take to receive a response? A sign of a good dealer is to receive a reply within 30 minutes or less of your original service call. Which is followed by an on-site visit from a technician usually within 2-3 hours or less.
These technicians are trained to provide you with quick and reliable service as soon as possible. You shouldn’t have to deal with a broken piece of equipment for too long as that can lead to reduced productivity and even a loss in revenue.
Be sure to check up on customer reviews for your dealer for added reassurance.
If you’ve made it to the end of this article on reliable office copiers and you still have some questions, we would love to hear from you and we would love to see you in our showroom. You can see some of the copiers we supply working in action from one of our many reliable sales associates.
Cody Turner
Digital Content Specialist
Office Interiors
