What Should the Price of My Copier Be?

This is an excellent question that is asked by every potential buyer. It is so open ended, however, that you should be prepared to work closely with a good consultant to help you to define exactly what your business needs are before you can arrive at a reasonable answer.

I like analogies….and in this case the analogy of buying a car is a pretty good one. Is the car for personal or business use? How many miles will you drive each month? Do you have to transport heavy materials? How many passengers will you need to carry with you? Will children be passengers? Are safety ratings important to you? Is gas mileage of importance to you? Will you be towing a trailer? What is your budget? Should you lease or buy? Wow! As we think about it…….the questions are almost endless but they are somewhat  intuitive and we can answer them in short order.

When acquiring a copier/printer the questions are not as intuitive and that is why I stress the need to use the services of a consultant/adviser who is knowledgeable and can assist you with the questions that need to be answered. A great source is a representative from an Authorized Dealer.

The first basic question is do you need a black & white print only or do you need color printing capability? The second question is what quantities will you need to print on a monthly basis? This is critical in determining the speed of the copier which is directly related to the power and durability. Also of importance is what size paper will you need to print on (letter, legal, 11 x 17 or special sizes) and what is the weight of the paper such as special heavy stock or textured paper. There are also considerations related to “finishing” such as collating, stapling, hole punching, booklet making and folding which can all be accomplished with the addition of options. Scanning and document management are also considerations, along with the question of laser printing vs. ink jet printing.

It seems like a lot to consider, but a professional adviser can get you through this systematically and efficiently to help you determine what class and size of equipment that you should consider. The next step is determining whether direct purchase or lease and what term of lease is best for you. At the end of the day you will be a happy consumer if you have gone through the steps and answered all of the questions that will lead you to the answer of your original question: How much should my copier cost?

With that being said here are some general guidelines for pricing of copiers without a Service Contract:

Home Use Copier/Printer: Big Box Stores may be your best option as they offer Brand Names at low prices. Be careful not to purchase a $99 copier just to learn that replacement ink will cost you $250 each time. Do your homework, in many cases it’s better to purchase a $599.00 unit and have a much lower toner/ink cost. Do the math before you buy! At some point, depending on your volume, moving to a lease for a Business Desk Top Copier with a Service Agreement that includes your toner will make sense …..even for a family that has 3 children in HS doing homework projects, or a business concerned about security risks.

Business Desk Top Copier: 35 page per minute b&w and color laser copier/printer with scan and fax capability. Letter and legal-size paper only. You can expect to pay $1,600 to buy or $60.00 per month for a 36 month lease. Entry Level Business Console Black & White Copier: 35 page per minute b&w laser copier/printer with scan capability and two paper drawers. Letter, legal and 11×17 paper. You can expect to pay $3,500 to buy or $110.00 per month for a 36 month lease. Entry Level Business Console Color Copier: 35 page per minute color laser copier/printer with scan capability and two paper drawers. Letter, Legal and 11 x 17 paper. You can expect to pay $4,500 to buy or $135.00 per month for a 36 month lease.

Business Console Color Copier: 60 page per minute color laser copier/printer with scan capability, fax, 4 paper drawers, 250 sheet single scan document feeder, stapling finisher with booklet maker and tri-fold/ bi-fold capability. Letter, legal and 11 x 17 including heavy bond paper. You can expect to pay $17,500 for this fully loaded copier unit or $340 per month for a 60 month lease. This does not include your service agreement.