Best Fax Machines

Laser fax machines are quickest

Laser fax machines are fastest, but also more expensive. Their toner cartridges also last longer than inkjet cartridges, so they cost less in the long run on a per-page basis. Most laser fax machines are monochrome only.

While lower-cost machines are certainly acceptable for most home and business use, the Brother IntelliFax-4100e (*Est. $300) gets rave reviews as a high-speed option for busy offices. After 20 user reviews at Staples.com, it rates 4.5 out of five stars, and all posters say they would recommend the fax machine to a friend. After two dozen reviews at Amazon.com, it rates an impressive five out of five stars. The sole complaint is that it is not compatible with VoIP (Internet) phone service. Reviews elsewhere, such as at Epinions, are similarly complimentary.

At its price of around $300, the Brother 4100e fax machine is almost certainly overkill for most consumers and home offices, but for mid-sized business where faxing is both constant and mission critical, users say it's worth the expense. The built-in Super G3 fax modem has a speed of 33.6 Kbps, and is capable of transmitting as fast as a page every three seconds, though perfect conditions and a compatible fax modem on the receiving end are needed for such speedy throughput. Additionally, the paper tray has a 250-sheet capacity, and the Brother fax machine can accept an optional second tray. The auto document feeder has a 30-sheet capacity. The 8 MB of built-in RAM can store up to 500 fax pages in memory. When receiving faxes, the Brother can print up to 15 pages per minute. Parallel and USB inputs lets the Brother 4100e double as a computer printer. It can broadcast faxes to up to 182 locations.

For a small home office, Brother offers a still powerful but less pricey alternative that's also been well received by users. The Brother IntelliFax-2820 (*Est. $175) earns a Best Buy rating from Consumer Guide, but the review is one of the briefer and less helpful ones on the site. User reviews are a tad less glowing than the IntelliFax-4100e, but still positive overall. After nearly 45 reviews at Amazon.com, the fax machine gets a rating of four out of five stars, while Staples.com users give it 4.3 out of five stars after nearly 50 reviews. Staples compiles common pros and cons, and the only consistent complaint (by three users) is that it is noisy. Interestingly, however, far more users (31) describe the machine as quiet. Other positives include that the Brother IntelliFax-2820 is accurate, fast and efficient. However reviews at Epinions are a little more mixed. While positive reviews dominate, a couple of users report issues with paper jams.

While there is a significant difference in cost between the Brother 4100e and the 2820 fax machines, the latter is certainly less powerful. The 14.4 Kbps fax modem is only half as fast, though it can still transmit pages at a healthy six pages per second, conditions permitting. The paper tray holds 250 sheets, but there's no ability to add a second tray. The automatic document feeder is less spacious, holding only 20 sheets. However, the built-in memory can hold the same 500 fax pages and the printer can still spit things out at a respectable rate of 15 pages per minute. It can broadcast faxes to even more locations than the 4100e (up to 270).

The Canon Laser L170 (*Est. $240) is another laser-based fax machine that's worth considering for high-demand business users. The Canon's 33.6 Kbps modem can send a page in as little as three seconds, and its printer can kick out up to a rated 19 pages per minute, though real-world speeds are likely to be slower. The paper tray can accommodate up to 250 sheets and the automatic document feeder has a capacity of 50 sheets. The built-in memory can hold 450 fax pages, and the L170 can broadcast to up to 142 locations. Owners posting to Amazon.com largely give the Canon Laser L170 fax machine mostly good grades, but some report paper-handling problems.

Inkjet machines for occasional faxing

Inkjet plain-paper fax machines are typically less expensive than laser models, but user reviews are also typically less impressive. Still, we found a few that seem to leave users more satisfied than others. The Brother IntelliFax-1860C (*Est. $100) falls into the latter category. While feedback isn't overwhelming in terms of numbers, and a few complaints -- most notably about paper-tray issues -- are seen, when all user reviews at all sites are considered together, it looks like the best current option.

The Brother IntelliFax-1860C is capable of both monochrome (black and white) and color faxing and printing. It's equipped with a high-speed 33.6 Kbps modem that can send pages in as little as three seconds (assuming there's a compatible fax machine at the other end). The built-in 16 MB memory can store up to 300 pages in memory. Each color ink comes in an independent cartridge, which means that only the color that's out needs to be replaced. However, we did see a user report that says the printer will not work if any of the cartridges are completely dry. The paper tray is rather small at just 100 sheets. The automatic document feeder has a capacity of 20 sheets. Maximum print speed is rated at 20 pages per minute color and 25 pages per minute black and white, though real-world output is likely to be slower. A nice touch is that the ink packed with the machine is in full-capacity cartridges, not starter cartridges as is sometimes the case with other fax machines or printers. A USB interface lets this fax machine double as a computer printer.

The step-up Brother IntelliFax-1960C (*Est. $170) is nearly identical save one feature. Instead of a basic corded telephone as offered on the 1860C, this fax machine includes a 5.8-GHz cordless telephone system. While one handset is included, up to three additional Brother BCL-DL10 cordless handsets (*est. $80 each) can be added, for a total of four. Additionally, an integrated answering system can store up to 29 minutes of messages. Reviews are generally positive as well, though some of the complaints we saw ironically enough revolve around the answering machine rather than the fax. Additionally, if you don't need/want the cordless phone and answering machine features, the Brother IntelliFax-1860C is a better value.

If you don't need color printing or faxing, the HP 640 (*Est. $60) monochrome inkjet fax machine gets nice recommendations in some user reviews and is a good alternative to the more expensive Brother IntelliFax-1860C color inkjet fax machine. The fax modem isn't the fastest, but still can send pages in as little as six seconds each. The paper tray holds up to 50 sheets and the automatic document feeder can handle ten pages at once. Internal memory can hold up to 50 pages. Fax broadcasting ability is far lower than that of the Brother 1860C (5 vs. 160 numbers). Only a starter black ink cartridge is included.

Amazon.com users are largely pleased with the HP 640 fax machine. One user had problems getting it to work properly with a two-line phone system, while another had issues with distinctive rings and a third received an apparently defective machine. All others are relatively to completely pleased, and the fax machine receives four out of five stars overall.

Thermal ribbon fax machines are largely obsolete

With the dropping prices of other technologies -- notably inkjet -- ribbon transfer thermal fax machines seem to make less and less sense. However, one-ultra budget printer might be acceptable for home or home-office users who just want to send an occasional fax.

Selling for as little as $20 from some vendors, the Brother FAX-575 (*Est. $30) is about the least expensive fax machine available. While the fax machine is the subject of an unflattering review at Consumer Guide, users largely say that as long as you don't expect too much, it is an acceptable performer.

Features are basic. The fax machine can auto-sense whether an incoming call is voice or data, and route it to the fax machine or handset as appropriate. The paper input can accept up to 50 sheets, while the automatic document feeder can hold ten sheets. The 9,600 bps modem can send a page in about 15 seconds, and the built-in memory can hold up to 25 fax pages.

Consumer Guide, which isn't widely known as a critical reviewer, finds lots of negatives. They say that the transmission speed is too slow for serious consideration even in a small business or home office setting, and that the unit lacks a paper tray, making jams more likely. The print ribbons are not too pricey (*est. $30 for two), but each only produces around 150 pages. That means consumables costs can quickly add up if you do a lot of faxing or copying (there is no option for using the FAX-575 as a computer printer).

Still, all those negatives aside, users give the Brother FAX-575 lots of feedback and relatively high marks. More than 100 owners have weighed in at Staples.com, and around 90 percent say they would recommend the fax machine to a friend. The happiest owners are those who only send or receive a few faxes a day or less. There are also lots of reviews at Amazon.com -- nearly 75 when we last visited -- and feedback follows a similar pattern.