Is That Old Printer Still Worth Your Time and Money?

In this day and age when the fast and the powerful printers reign supreme, you may as well turn your nose up on the idea of buying an old printer. After all, with all the new and multi-featured printer models available today, why should you even entertain the idea of purchasing an old printer?

However, do not be too quick to dismiss the capability of old printers to perform well when it comes to meeting sophisticated printing demands today. That old printer that you may be sneering at for being slow and noisy may yet outperform that new peripheral you have got on your desk.

They are also less fussy because they seldom throw temper tantrums. Most importantly, those outdated ribbons that dot matrix printers use and the toners that old laser printers feed on - they are actually cheaper than some of the newer types of printer ink cartridges that you can buy today.

But before you go on a rush to buy an old printer, check first if getting an old printer is the right option for you. As great as old printers still are, they may end up being a waste of time, effort and money for you in the long run.

Also, there are a few tricks to buying an old printer. Here are seven of them.

1. When you go out to buy an old printer, make sure to print a test page first. Printing a test page will tell you three things. First, it will show you that the veteran machine you are looking at is still working. Second, it will give you a glimpse of the printer's output. Third, it will make you see if the quality of that output is worth it for you.

2. As that old printer churns out its test page, listen carefully to whatever sounds it makes. Does it sound like the printer has a loose thread somewhere, or is that just the noise of the printer head doing its job? If the noise does not grate too much on your nerves, that old dog is still fine.

3. Take a look inside the hood of the printer. It may look battered on the outside but still good on the inside. It could also be the other way around. Check for rust or scratched linings inside the printer. See too much rust and the lining has been shredded beyond recognition? Do not buy it.

4. Before you go out to buy that old printer, do your homework first and check the requirements of the printer software you commonly use. Check these requirements against the specifications of that old printer. If they match, go ahead and get it.

5. Ask the seller how many pages the printer has approximately printed out in its lifetime so far. If the output is more than half a million pages, consider other options.

6. Calculate how much the printer will cost you per month. By calculating cost per month, just compute how much paper and ink this printer will charge to your wallet in the course of a month. If the cost is cheaper than that with a new printer, go for it.

7. Caveat emptor - buyer beware. Some people out there use so-called deals with old printers to scam buyers looking to save money. Do not buy an old printer without a 30-day guarantee in case it conks on you, and pay for it using a credit card if you can.

This Article is written by John C Arkin from MyOfficePortal the contributor of Office Supplies Information & Resources. More information on the subject is at myofficeportal.org, and related resources can be found at Office Printer Buying Tips.

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