What reconditioning should involve

The word refurbished is unregulated, so ask what was actually done. A proper process strips the machine down, cleans every assembly, replaces feed and separation rollers, replaces developer and drum units, updates firmware to current, restores factory settings, and runs a print and scan test of at least a couple of hundred pages before the machine ships.

What you should not accept is a machine that was wiped down, meter-reset and put back on a truck. Ask for the meter reading at reconditioning and the list of parts replaced. Any dealer doing this properly has both on file.

What you give up

Warranty length, primarily. Expect 90 days parts and labor on refurbished against a year on new. That gap matters less than it sounds if the machine goes onto a service contract immediately, which is what we recommend and what most customers do.

You also give up the newest security firmware track. On a machine handling sensitive scanning this can be decisive — support for current certificate standards and encryption is not always backported to older platforms. If your IT department has an opinion about device security, ask them before choosing refurbished.

Where refurbished is the right answer

  • Second and third machines that supplement a primary device
  • Branch offices, warehouse floors and shop offices with modest volume
  • Non-profits, churches and schools working against a fixed budget
  • Temporary sites where a five-year commitment makes no sense
  • Replacing a failed machine quickly without a capital approval cycle

Where new is worth the difference

When the device is the primary machine for a whole floor and downtime affects everyone. When you need current security certification. When you want a full five-year lease term, since funding sources rarely write 60-month terms on used equipment. And when the running cost difference matters — newer engines are frequently more efficient per page, which over 20,000 pages a month closes part of the price gap on its own.

Compare our refurbished copiers against the equivalent new machines in the full catalog, or ask us to quote both for the same role.

Common questions

How long does a refurbished copier last?

A properly reconditioned machine with a modest original meter typically gives four to six more years of normal office service. Ask for the meter reading at reconditioning — a machine that has already produced a million pages has less life left than one that produced two hundred thousand.

Can you lease a refurbished copier?

Yes, usually on shorter terms of 24 to 36 months. Funding sources are cautious about long terms on used equipment because the residual value is harder to predict.