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printer to repair or not repair

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Target:
if you have a good relationship with the repair tech's ask them what they think.

In my (limited!) experience most of those guys don't have a vested interest in selling new machines, but they will be aware of your circumstance/usage patterns, the performance of the machines in question, and their relative value in that context.

worst case scenario they'll tell you buy a new one, and if they do, they can probably give you good advice on which models are best for your circumstance. 

Edvard:
^^ +1  :Thmbsup:

techidave:
actually, Target, I have asked them and they say both machines are very much worth repairing.  I don't very often buy new machines from him so he does benefit that way from me. He likes the 4100 and the P3005 because they are a business class printer, durable, the parts are easy to get and easy to replace.

to repair or not repair wasn't really the question of the OP.  It was at what point do you stop repairing them and buy new... that was the question.  the printers in question, have less than 72000 pages run through them so they have lots of life left.

I probably will repair once, and then buy new the second time.  98% of the time my machines don't need repaired again.  some of my teachers don't even put a thousand pages a year on them.  so repairs tend to last me a very long time.

40hz:
My rule of thumb for out-of-warranty laser printers is not to try fix anything mechanical if it requires cracking the main case to get at it.

Logic boards, fusers and transfer units (in many models), and other things that can be got at with a screwdriver, pulled from the case, and readily swapped for a new assembly in the field are fine. Disassembling and reassembling anything beyond that has seldom (in my experience) worked out very well for the customer.

YMMV.

Stoic Joker:
Logic boards, fusers and transfer units (in many models), and other things that can be got at with a screwdriver, pulled from the case, and readily swapped for a new assembly in the field are fine. Disassembling and reassembling anything beyond that has seldom (in my experience) worked out very well for the customer.-40hz (September 10, 2013, 06:06 AM)
--- End quote ---

LOL ...Rule of thumb...that I honestly do believe is actually carved in a piece of rock somewhere... IT people, hate printers. Possibly because they are also the primary impetus behind having to interact with users. [/BOFH mode off]

OTOH, If you deal with printers on a daily basis, there really isn't much on them that is that difficult to replace. As it's really just a matter of grokking the (kitchen) appliance like design concept (which I have always hated TBH). But the ever popular business class Multi Function Printers (MFP's) being in the thousands ... It's generally not economically wise to plan on tossing them out to fast.

A lengthy repair on site is expensive. But if a temporary replacement can be provided, and the machine can be brought in-house ... The cost of the repair can be much more easily controlled.

This is why I brought up the MPS contract angle earlier as it works out quite well for both sides. Customer gets an easily managed/more consistent printing cost to work with. And the provider gets a recurring revenue stream that affords them the option of eliminating (old/poorly spec'd/defective)problem child devices because they can be replaced (with a new/properly spec'd device) under the contract at no cost to the customer. It also allows older hardware to stay in the field longer if it's an ultra reliable model like the LaserJet 4100's because spares are kept available (on site for large contracts) and provided by the MPS to keep down time to an absolute minimum.

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