Fax Machine or MFP?

There's still a place for dedicated fax machines

Dedicated fax machines are a disappearing breed. Most computers are equipped with a fax modem -- although some versions of the Microsoft Vista operating system make it more difficult to fax from your computer. Additionally, many multifunction printers include a built-in hardware fax modem, and those are a popular option for both business and home users.

Experts say that there's still a place in the world for the dedicated fax machine. Using a scanner and computer to fax a hard copy takes longer than simply feeding a document through a fax machine. If you need to send or receive multiple faxes, a standalone fax machine is easier and faster to use. Keep in mind that plain-paper fax machines can also make a limited number of copies. If you need to send more than a handful of faxes per week, you'll get your money's worth from a dedicated fax machine.

Few professional reviewers are still covering this category. Consumer Reports discontinued their fax machine reviews nearly a decade ago. HomeOfficeReports.com is one resource, but they don't cover specific machines. Instead it rates a manufacturer's whole product line, assessing factors such as relative cost, ease of setup, ease of use, features, support and more. ConsumerGuide.com also reviews fax machines on occasion, and we see a small handful of informative and even critical reviews there. However, the best sources for information are user reviews posted to Amazon.com, Staples.com, Epinions, BestBuy.com and elsewhere. In some cases, machines have amassed a considerable amount of feedback -- certainly enough to form clear indications of which ones are winners and which are not.

Some of the most consistently negative user reviews we've seen involve the Panasonic KX-FL511 (*Est. $145). Paper jams seem to be a major headache with this laser-based plain-paper fax machine, and a lot of the worst complaints center around that issue. We've also seen complaints about high consumables cost and a hard-to-ignore low-toner alert that sounds well before toner is actually exhausted. Finally, several users have said that long-term reliability is questionable, adding that their fax machine broke down within a year. While a couple of happy users can be found, the advice of most is to stay away.

Experts recommend buying a plain-paper fax machine. Older fax machines use rolls of special, thermal-transfer paper that is difficult to write on and tends to curl and fade over time. Although some less expensive modern fax machines still use thermal-printing technology, they do so on regular, plain paper. More expensive plain-paper models use inkjet or laser printing, the same as PC printers. Inkjet fax machines are faster and a bit more expensive than thermal printing, while laser fax machines are fastest and most expensive. However, laser fax machines aren't as expensive as they used to be. The Panasonic model above notwithstanding, you can now find good laser fax machines for less than $200.