Fax Machines
You’re starting a small business soon. You know someday that you’ll definitely need to fax some documents over to the suppliers and buyers in the course of doing business with them. While there has not been any dramatic advancement in fax technology in recent times, it still pays to get some of the best fax machines for your office use so that you can save in the long run. Every cent counts when you’re just starting out.
Fax Machine Buying Guide
1) Inkjet, Laser Or Thermal?
Inkjet fax machines use ink to print out incoming fax documents on plain paper. They are fairly cheap and suitable for use in light office usage requirements such as home or small office that does not receive many faxes per day.
Laser fax machines use light emitting diode (LED) or laser and toner to print out high quality fax documents on plain paper. They are usually expensive but since they are designed to be reliable and robust to tackle the heavy stress imposed on them from an office environment, they are best used in mid to large corporations which often rely on fax machines for businesses.
Thermal fax machines use heat to superimpose ink from a ribbon onto a roll of thermal paper. They are the cheapest but what you get is curled thermal papers with poor print quality that fade rapidly over time. They are best used for home office only. For light office usage requirements, inkjet fax machine is generally preferred over the more robust and frequent usage laser fax machine.
2) Fax Sending Speed
It’s obvious that the faster the sending speed, the faster the fax is transmitted over the phone line which means less phone charges, saving you more in the long run. Newer and better models are able to transmit up to 36.6 kbps (kilobits per second) or about 6-10 pages per minute as compared to older models that transmit 14.4 kbps or 9.6 kbps. But do take note that any 2 fax machines communicate at the lower of the 2 fax sending speed so hopefully the fax machine at the other end is quite fast too.
3) Memory Needs
This refers to the memory needed to store incoming or outgoing faxes internally before an action is executed. In general a 512 MB memory can store about 20 pages internally with options for more with extra memory cards. This is particularly useful in 3 situations.
a) Out-of-paper situation: Firstly should there be out-of-paper situation, the internal memory will store incoming fax images until paper is loaded.
b) Quick Scan: Secondly, if you have multiple pages to fax, you can scan the 2nd page and put in memory after which it will begin transmission as soon as the 1st page is finished.
c) Dual Scan: Thirdly memory is useful when there are simultaneous incoming and outgoing faxes going on; you store outgoing faxes in memory while waiting for incoming faxes to come through. When the line is clear, outgoing faxes will then takes place.
4) Paper Size
While all fax machines are capable of handling standard A4 (8.5" x 11") size paper, there are some legal documents that are about 11" x 17" in size so you might need to consider those as well.
Fax Machine Reviews & Ratings
We found top-notch and excellent fax machine reviews over at Home Office Reports. Expert reviewers reviewed some of the best fax machine models from top rated makers such as Brother, Canon, HP, Panasonic, Sharp and Xerox. Fax machine ratings based on sending speed determines the best fax machines in their class.
Best Fax Machine (Inkjet)
Fax machine Reviews #1: Two thumbs up with good fax machine reviews from users is the best rated Brother FAX-1860c Color Inkjet Fax Machine. With Super G3 fax modem speed of 33.6kbps, you can transmit a single page, black or color in as little as 3 seconds. Equipped with 16MB internal memory to store up to 300 pages in case of out-of-paper situation while Dual Access allows you to scan docs into memory while waiting for line to clear. 4-cartridge ink system ensures that you only replace color that’s out. A great money saver. At less than $100, this best fax machine from Brother makes a great home/small business investment.
Best Fax Machine (Paper)
Fax Machine Reviews #2: A model getting modest fax machine reviews from users is the best rated Brother FAX-575 Personal Fax, Phone and Copier. Perfect for home office, this compact Brother fax machine features modest 9.6kbps fax modem speed capable of transmitting a single page in 15 seconds. This best fax machine from Brother is equipped with built-in 512kb memory stores up to 25 sheets in out-of paper situation. Includes 10-page Auto Document Feeder with 50 sheet input paper capacity. Doubles up as home telephone as well.
Best Fax Machine (Laser)
Fax Machine Reviews #3: Speeding its way to greater heights with impressive fax machine reviews from users is the best rated Brother IntelliFax-4100e High Speed Business-Class Laser Fax Machine. Featuring high speed Super G3 33.6kbps fax modem, sending fax from this Brother fax machine is a breeze (about 3 seconds). This best fax machine from Brother comes equipped with 30-page feed and 250-page storage capacity so it’s suitable for high usage office environment. With 8MB internal memory, it is capable of storing up to 500 pages of incoming faxes in out-of-paper situation while Dual Access permits scanning to memory in as little as 2 seconds per page while waiting to receive or transmitting faxes.
Resources: Fax (Wikipedia)