Desktop Copiers Reviews

Best Desktop Copiers Reviews: (out of 7)
Better Buys for Business, Consumer Guide.com, Let's Go Digital

Best Desktop Copiers: (out of 29)
Sharp AL-1631, Canon PC 150, Xerox CopyCentre C20

Fast Answers - Best Desktop Copiers

Top Rated	What the Research Says
• Sharp AL-1631 (*est. $350) >> Where to buy	Light-duty office copier. According to reviews, the Sharp AL-1631 does the basics well, producing good-looking monochrome copies quickly. This model doesn't have an automatic duplexer, but it does have a 30-page document feeder for copying multi-page documents. Some owners grumble about slow start-up, a common complaint for copiers. The Sharp AL-1631 desktop copier can copy up to legal-sized pages, and users have control over exposure and a 25% to 400% zoom range. Speed is rated at 22 pages per minute, but reviews say that's optimistic. The Sharp copier has a 21" x 19" footprint and weighs 42 pounds. (compare prices)
• Canon PC 150 (*est. $75) >> Where to buy	Personal desktop copier. Owners say the Canon PC150 is a good choice for personal use, and with its integrated handle, users say it’s easy to take with you to a job or seminar. That said, the Canon PC-150 doesn't have an automatic document feeder, and it can't automatically print on both sides of a page. It handles letter-sized pages only, and you can't reduce or enlarge copies. However, it is an inexpensive desktop copier, and it only weighs 19 pounds. The Canon is only rated for four pages per minute. Be aware that the replacement toner cartridge costs more than the copier itself. (compare prices)
• Xerox CopyCentre C20 (*est. $1,300) >> Where to buy	Full-featured desktop copier. We didn't see any reviews for this model -- professional or otherwise -- but Xerox is highly regarded in general, and this model has two features small offices want most -- automatic duplexing and electronic collating, which is great for making multiple copies of multi-page documents. Its speed is rated at 22 copies per minute. Users can control exposure and zoom (25% to 400%), and the Xerox can perform paper-saving tricks like printing two pages on a single page size-by-side (booklet style). The Xerox copier is Energy Star rated, with an automatic shut-off to cut down on running costs. (compare prices)
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What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated December 2006

Published by Better Buys for Business, the 91-page Low-Volume Copier and Multifunctional Guide is one of the most impressive reviews we have seen anywhere in terms of detail and thoroughness. Recommendations are based on extensive testing, the exhaustive commentary leaves no questions unanswered, and the spec charts are comprehensive and detailed. We found other solid information on desktop copiers at Consumer Guide, as well as Amazon.com and Epinions. Consumer Reports has a report on copiers in their archives, but it was published in 1997, and we judged it to be too old to be useful.

Multifunction printers are vastly more popular than desktop copiers in home offices and small offices. A multifunction printer is a good choice if you mainly print, and only once in a while need to copy, scan or fax. If you need higher volume copying of up to 10,000 pages per month, a dedicated desktop copier is a good choice. Most desktop multifunction printers are usually faster at printing than copying. Some mainstream multifunction printers only produce about four copies per minute, and that's awfully slow if you need lots of copies!

The best desktop copiers have an automatic document feeder for batch jobs, along with a duplexer for double-sided printing. We found few desktop copiers that are able to collate, although many multifunction desktop printers have electronic collation. This means you can print or reproduce several copies of a multi-page document, and the printer will stack the pages in order. The Xerox CopyCentre C20 (*est. $1,300) does have electronic collation, but it costs far more than a multifunction printer.

While HP now no longer manufactures copiers, you might see the HP 610 Digital Color Copier (*est. $350) still available in stores. However, this color copier gets very low marks from owners at Amazon.com, most of whom give the model only 1 star out of 5. The main complaints are that the replacement ink is too expensive and that cartridges don't last very long. While a few like the print quality of the copies, many feel the HP 610 is unreliable. Brother has also stopped making standalone copiers, and Canon only has two remaining desktop copiers. Sharp has only one model. ... Continued

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Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (With Retailer Links)
1 each	Hewlett Packard Digital 610, Xerox Phaser 6110MFP , Canon PC150 , Canon PC 430 , Sharp AL1631 ,

It's getting harder and harder to find standalone copiers, since multifunction printers are now much more popular. Hewlett Packard and Brother no longer make desktop copiers. Canon only makes two analog models, and Sharp only makes one. Xerox makes a larger number of copiers, but most are floor models.

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