Sharp AL-1631

Reviews say the Sharp AL-1631 is the best choice for a budget, black-and-white, digital desktop copier, but you'll need realistic expectations. Cheaper home-office desktop models aren't meant to withstand a busy office's constant abuse, nor do cheaper desktops handle duplex copying (both sides of a page at once). The Sharp AL-1631 is built for a maximum use of about 2,000 pages per month, and a top speed of 22 pages per minute (probably less in real-world use). On the other hand, reviews say the print quality is good, there's a 30-page document feeder and you can resize from 25 percent to 400 percent of the original size. The Sharp AL-1631 weighs 42 pounds. If you don't need to copy that much, consider the Canon PC150 (*est. $75), a personal desktop copier.

The go-to source for copier reviews is Better Buys for Business, which rates an enormous range of models after thorough testing. But as it's geared to businesses, it skips some lower-end models and doesn't review the Sharp AL-1631, though it covers the similar AL-2030 (which can handle an extra 500 pages per month). We found a smattering of owner reviews at Amazon.com, Epinions and OfficeDepot.com, with the gist being that the AL-1631 isn't meant for "workhorse" duty by multiple users.