Refurbished, reconditioned and ex demo photocopiers on the Sunshine Coast

Reconditioned photocopier Sunshine Coast: same idea, different label

Some sellers use reconditioned for a deep job and refurbished for a light one, and some the other way round, so the label proves nothing. The list of work does. On a reconditioned photocopier we replace what is worn: usually the feed and separation rollers, the fuser parts that have reached the end of their life, the drum or imaging unit if worn, and the cleaning blades. The paper path is cleaned and the machine is tested on real jobs.

Ex demo

An ex demo photocopier has been used to show the model off, not to run an office. It has usually done few pages and spent its life in a showroom, so wear is close to new. It is still not new and is sold as used. Ex demo machines come and go, so phone and ask what is available. We do not list stock or prices on the website.

What we do before a machine is sold

• Strip down and clean the paper path, rollers, fuser and optics
• Replace worn parts and not leave them to see how long they last
• Check the drum or imaging unit, transfer belt and toner system
• Check every tray, the bypass, document feeder and finisher
• Run real copy, print and scan jobs, including the network and scan to email
• Wipe the internal drive
• Record the counters, so you know how many pages it has done

Which parts go and why

Feed and separation rollers wear steadily and cause most misfeeds, so they are replaced. The fuser's rollers and the thermistors that regulate its heat are replaced when worn. The cleaning blade behind the drum goes because a tired blade leaves streaks. The drum or imaging unit is replaced when it is near its end. Parts that are fine are kept.

On a colour machine there is more: the transfer belt, the developer and the colour calibration. We run colour jobs and check the balance before it is sold, and tell you what was replaced.

Refurbished or new

Both can be bought outright, rented or leased. For most small and medium offices a refurbished copier is better value, and we say honestly when it is not. The new side is on our page for new and A3 photocopiers.

What a meter reading does and does not tell you

The meter is the page count, and it is the first thing a sensible buyer asks for. It tells you how hard the machine has worked. It does not tell you how much of that work its parts have done, because parts get replaced. A machine with a high count and a new fuser, rollers and drum may be in better shape than one with a lower count and everything original.

That is why we pair the reading with the list of what was changed. A reading on its own is a number. A reading with the work done is information.

The counter trap

Machines count the pages their wear parts have done and prompt for replacement at set limits. On many machines those counters can be reset from the panel. A reset does not make the part any less worn. It makes the prompt go away. A refurbished machine whose maintenance prompts have been cleared and nothing else has been done is a machine that will ask for the same parts again soon. Ask for the parts to be named.

Parts support, toner and the age of the model

A well made machine is not much use when the maker has stopped supplying parts for it. Before a machine is listed for sale we check we can get the parts and the toner for it. That is the reason some models never make it to the floor, even in good condition. If a model has reached the point where parts are scarce, the honest advice is to put the money towards a younger machine.

A few notes on the makes

These are our own observations, not a manufacturer's claims. Kyocera builds its TASKalfa and ECOSYS machines around long life drums, which suits refurbishing because the drum is rarely the first thing to go. Toshiba e-STUDIO machines are common and well supported, so parts are easy to find. Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE machines carry a lot of electronics and are worth checking carefully for stored faults. Ricoh machines have a reputation for being straightforward to work on. Konica Minolta bizhub colour machines need the colour and transfer parts checked with care. Sharp MX machines are sturdy workhorses, and Fujifilm and Fuji Xerox machines have a wide installed base.

Who a refurbished machine suits

A second machine for a department. A small office on a tight outlay. A builder's yard, a rural supply counter, a church office, a school that wants a spare for peak times. For these, a refurbished copier is nearly always sensible. A business that prints heavily every day, wants the newest security features or wants the longest uninterrupted run is better off with a new machine, and we say so.

From the first phone call to a working machine

You ring with how many people print, roughly how much, colour or mono, and A3 or A4. We tell you what we think suits and what we have, or can find. You hear what was done to the machine and what is covered. It is delivered, connected to your network, set up for printing and scanning and tested with your own jobs. Staff get a short walk through. Nothing is locked in until you have said yes.

If you would rather sell than buy

The other side of this is a copier you no longer want. We buy used commercial machines, and the figure is agreed on the phone. See sell your photocopier and relocation and removal for how collection works and what happens to the drive.

Makes we refurbish

The ones we repair every week: Toshiba e-STUDIO, Kyocera TASKalfa, Canon imageRUNNER, Ricoh, Konica Minolta bizhub, Sharp and Fujifilm, plus workgroup printers from HP, Brother and Epson. Because our technicians repair them daily they know which models make good candidates and which do not, and the ones that do not never reach the floor.

Signs of a poor refurbishment

Ask the questions, and trust a seller who answers them plainly.

• Looks new outside, and no record of what was done inside
• A seller who will not give the meter reading
• A test page only, no real jobs
• Worn rollers left in because they still work
• A drive that has not been wiped
• No answer on what is covered if it fails

What we will not refurbish

Some machines are not worth the work. A model with scarce parts, a failing controller or frame damage does not reach the floor. We would rather say no than sell something that comes back in a month.

Warranted, delivered, looked after

The machines we sell are warranted, and we explain what is covered on the phone before you decide. A refurbished machine from a service business has somebody to fix it, and that matters as much as the work done before the sale. It is delivered, connected to your network and set up for printing and scan to email: see installation and setup. Technicians are trained, experienced and certified, carry common spare parts, and 98% of repairs are fixed on the first visit.

A well refurbished commercial machine can work for years, because the wear parts are fresh and the frame was built to last. How long depends on use and care. A regular check of rollers and fusers extends the life of any machine.

Up the range

Maleny, Nambour, Eumundi, Kenilworth, Gympie. Small offices and farm supply counters have the same copier needs as a Maroochydore firm and fewer people to fix them. Ring before the van is loaded and we pack for your make. Next steps: used photocopiers, second hand photocopiers, or sell your photocopier.

More for Sunshine Coast offices

Used photocopiersUsed photocopiers and office printers, tested and looked after.→Second hand photocopiersTested second hand commercial copiers, delivered, connected and warranted.→Photocopier salesHow a sale goes with us, from the first call to a working machine.→New and A3 photocopiersNew A3 copiers, delivered, set up and serviced by us.→How to choose a photocopierWhat to ask before you spend a cent on a copier.→Photocopier hire, rental and leaseFour ways to pay for a commercial copier, set out in plain words, with what to ask before you sign.→