If you need a printer for your business, you’re spoiled for choice. With dozens of models from hundreds of brands, you can always find a machine that’s perfect for you. This is true regardless of whether you need an Inkjet printer for your admin, a thermal printer for labels, or something more industry specific.
When looking for the latter, you need to choose wisely. If you have a factory that products bottled water, for example, you need a printer that can create labels and apply them – a machine that is considered specialist.
But there are still plenty out there, so you’re presented with a tough choice. Do you splash out on a brand-new printer or try to get a second-hand model for a lot less?
Should you Buy a Refurbished Printer?
On paper, a refurbished printer looks like a great deal. You get the machine you need, at a fraction of the cost of the new equivalent model. If we use the same example as before, a factory might be able to find a refurbished printer that’s perfect for their production line more easily than sourcing a brand new one.
For offices, the decision is far simpler. You just need to establish what you need your printer for, then you’ll be able to narrow your search and be picky about size, brand etc.
But many business owners fall into the trap of not buying a printer that suits them. That’s why foresight is so important; you might not need to print stickers just yet, but you may soon realise how much they can benefit you. Scalability is also a major factor; you don’t want to outgrow your printer after only a year or two.
With all of this in mind, you need to be cautious when picking the perfect printer. But there are some benefits to choosing a refurbished model.
Advantages of Refurbished Printers
There’s a difference between ‘refurbished’ and ‘second-hand’, although they are very much related. Second-hand printers might be worn out machines that the previous owner is keen to get rid of before their new one arrives. They could be fraught with issues, or simply aren’t good enough for your work, regardless of purpose or industry.
A refurbished printer, on the other hand, will have been professionally inspected, cleaned, and tested to ensure it’s still working well. We refurbish thermal printers of all shapes and sizes, making them almost as good as new, ready for their next owner.
If you choose a good, refurbished printer, it will last you for many years. The parts of a printer that wear out the fastest are easily replaceable, while things like the engine are designed to last for a decade or longer if you take care of it.
Refurbished printers can also come with a warranty that guarantees that they will work well for a long time. This is something not all business owners know about, always keep an eye out for companies that provide warranties with their machinery!
When investing in your business, you want as much bang for your buck as possible. A refurbished thermal printer can be a third of the price it was when new, and if it still works well, that’s extra budget you can invest elsewhere.
But before you start shopping on the second-hand market, there are some things you need to keep in mind.
The Disadvantages of Refurbished Printers
If you buy a refurbished printer from a reliable source, it will work well and will often be backed up by a warranty. However, your printer should be with you for the long haul, constantly humming away while it helps you promote your business, create shipping labels for products, and even help when it’s time to reorganise your office.
A refurbished printer may work great for a year or two, but once that warranty has run out you may start to see some issues. You can extend the lifespan of your printer with cleaning and servicing (more about that in a moment!), but this will only go so far.
When recommending the best printers, we always talk about scalability. If you need to replace your printer every few years to keep up with the demands of your business, this will cost more than buying one that could handle a lot more than you need it for right now.
If you’re buying an older model, you might also be missing useful features compared to cutting-edge counterparts. The quality of your prints reflects the quality of your business – if it’s not good enough because of outdated tech, your company looks dated as a result.
Although you can access manuals for older printers easily thanks to the internet, having an older printer can result in less available support. Normally you can contact the manufacturer directly, but they may not be able to help you with your machine, especially if it’s more niche than standard office thermal printers.
Thankfully, you can trust Label Line to keep your printer running.
Servicing and Maintenance for Refurbished Printers
Printer repairs are our bread and butter. We’re experts in all leading brands and plenty of the more obscure ones, so it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll know how to help you whenever you get in touch.
If your printer lets you down, we can sort it out straight away with the relevant spare parts, which our warehouse is full of. Often the fix is simple, with a peripheral needing replacing to get your machine back up and running.
But we can also help you to prevent these issues forming in the first place. With one of our printer servicing agreements, we’ll visit you to take a look at your machine on a regular basis, at a time that suits you. By dismantling your machine, we can assess the condition of all of its parts. If any are looking worn out, we’ll help to arrange replacement before they let you down. We’ll even give the machine a thorough clean to keep it working at its best.
If you rely on your printer for work, don’t let your business grind to a halt by not taking care of it. And if you decide that a refurbished printer is right for you, keep us in mind in case it starts to let you down.