We’re dependant on our fax machine for receiving orders for some products we make. Seems every couple years our machine suddenly quits acting normal and we take it in, the tech tells us what it will cost (that’s IF they can fix it) and we end up buying another one instead.
So what’s up? Anyone have a fax machine that has lasted more than a couple years? Things drive me to distraction the way they break down.
thanks – Jim
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Replies
Our Panasonic KX-FP-151, bought at Office Max on sale several years ago is still going and going...
The previous Brothers died in the second year. To send it back to be looked at and repaired was not sensible with the newer, cheaper ones.
We also eat or starve via faxes. Our old Sharp refuses to die after years of 15-20 transmissions/day. All the numbers are worn off the keys. Most of our traffic is outbound. This is a thermal paper machine from an era when they all were. I've been looking forward to plain paper for too long now. I think it keeps going for spite.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I've had great luck with HP faxes and printers. Just buy mid priced ones - Not the cheapest ones they offer.
Second place is the first loser. [Mance Bowden ]
There are also online fax services like eFax. You send and receive over the internet. Works great for receiving. For sending you of course have to scan hard copy stuff... but for things like MS Word docs (or anything digital) it is easy. I think it is something like $13 a month. Not particularly cheap.
bit
Why not fax directly out of the computer.
I used to use Delrina, then Communicate Pro!, but I'm trying out Bidgie - freeware.
I may end up having to buy a commercial progra.
My 10 year old Sayno thermal keeps working. I want to buy a plain paper one, but what the hay.Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada
I use the HP Office Jet K80...combo printer-fax-scanner-copier. Never have used the scanner function. Faxes are quick, print quality is high, copies are good.
Do it right, or do it twice.
Jim,
We have a Sharp UX-P200. It cost us less than $100.00, uses plain paper, and has a 2 yr extended warranty through Circuit City. The warranty even covers lightening strikes, so ours stays on all the time.
Hi Jim
Try asking the person at the store what the "duty cycle" is. This is a rating of the amount per month it was designed for. (Copiers are the same way). The little $75 special is for the occasional home use. You might also want to check out computer programs that receive faxes as a back up you only need to print the ones you want.
Cheers
Mac
BTW - eFax offers a free receive trial. You get to receive all the faxes you want but you can't send.
bit
Jim
Can't tell you what's good, but can say that the Brother units are junk.
Jeff
Guess I've just been lucky. I've heard of problems with Brother fax machines, but ours is more than four years old and still works. We use it daily and often send/receive docs of ten plus pages.Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
Hi Has
I don't know if the problem is for all the Brother Machines or just this particular line.
I had no problems with old machine (till it died.)
My brother has a Panasonic and like it.
Jeff
Consider a PC based solution.
I used a circa 1994 486 running DOS (a heck of a lot more stable than windows) as a fax "receiver" --- rock solid - never lost any incoming to paper jams or out of memory etc, and it ran fine until 2-3 years ago. (Fax board dies and you can't get D(OS based boards anymore.)
For awhile, I was receiving as high as 40-60 pages a day, more recently, just a few but getting them is critical.
I used a cheapo unit for the few sends I had to do.
I use the cheapo for both right now, but will be back to a PC based fax/print server running on a linux box I'm building.
Some other things I liked about it - having a PC based log for proof - having an automatic digital copy which I can back up if desired - can do PC based markup for collaberative work.
_______________________
ROCK IS DEAD!
Long live paper and scissors!
Fax machines and PCs are as important to our businesses now as power mitres and tablesaws. Don't know what I would do with out a fax machine.
But I'm sure no conessueir, the Brother I bought five or six years ago is still spitting out thermals. I'd like it to die so I have an excuse for getting an HP or Panasonic plain paper unit - right after I use up the case of thermal rolls I just bought.
Excellence is its own reward!
I got a Brother thermal that's probably seven years old.
Never a problem.
I would have no qualms about spending some bucks on a new one but why?Tom
Jim - Take a look at the extended costs (toner?) of what you choose. I have an old Panasonic thermal that works great. I wanted to get all modern last year, so I got a Sharp plain paper unit (low cost). It creates its imaging via a roll of some sort of toner/pigment that is expensive to replace. I donated the machine to a local animal shelter and went back to using the thermal for now.