Buying a photocopier for sale outright means you own it from the day it arrives: no lease, no monthly rental and no finance house. You still need toner, parts and service, usually on a click charge contract, so the price on the quote is only part of the cost. This page explains what pushes the price of a new copier up or down, the service you still need, warranty, delivery and installation, and how to compare quotes from independent copier dealers and office printer suppliers.
What sets the price
The price of a new copier rises with each of these:
- Speed: a faster engine in pages per minute costs more and is built for more pages a month.
- Colour: colour machines have four toners, more drums and a transfer belt.
- A3: A3 copiers are bigger and heavier than A4 models.
- Options: a stapling finisher, booklet maker, extra paper decks, a single pass document feeder, fax and secure print all add to it.
Buy for your real monthly volume. A machine run near its limit breaks down more, and one far too big wastes money. Read the page count on your current machine first, and tell every dealer the same figure, so the quotes are for the same class of copier.
You still need a service contract
Owning the machine does not pay for running it. Most dealers offer a service contract on a copier you bought, priced per click and usually including toner, parts and call-outs. Without one, you pay for toner, parts and every technician visit as it happens. Ask for the click rates, any minimum monthly billing and the yearly escalation before you choose a machine, because a cheaper copier with dear clicks can cost more over a few years.
Warranty, delivery and setup
Ask what the warranty covers, for how long, and whether it depends on using the dealer's service and supplies. Check what the price includes: delivery up stairs or in a lift, unpacking, the cabinet or stand, setting it up on the network, installing drivers on your computers, and scan to email. All of that is covered under copier installation. Ask too whether the dealer is an authorised reseller for the maker, which can matter for parts, firmware updates and warranty claims.
Comparing dealer quotes
Ask each dealer to quote the same thing: the speed class, A4 or A3, colour or mono, the options, and the service contract at your page count. Then add the machine price to the clicks over three to five years. If that total is more than you want to spend at once, a refurbished copier or a lease may suit you better.
Check the delivery date, who installs it, and how quickly a technician responds under the service contract. A fair price with slow support costs you in downtime.
What to put in your request
- Pages a month in black and in colour
- A4 only, or A3 as well
- Options: finisher, paper decks, fax
- Delivery access: stairs, lift and doors
- Whether you want a service contract
Photocopiers for Sale for offices, schools and home offices
- Home offices: a desktop printer is usually the better buy; copiers suit higher volumes
- Small businesses and shops: a bought A4 copier with a service contract for toner and repairs
- Corporate and head offices: copiers bought outright across floors with one service contract for all
- Schools, colleges and universities: a fast mono A3 copier bought from the capital budget for exam papers
- Medical practices, clinics and hospitals: a bought colour multifunction copier with secure print and scanning
- Law firms, accountants and agents: an A3 copier bought for contracts, plans and large scanned files
- Government and municipalities: copiers bought on tender against a written specification
- Factories, mines and warehouses: a solid mono copier bought for the depot, with service for the dusty air
- Churches, NGOs and community groups: a new entry level copier bought with a donation or a fundraiser
Frequently asked questions
How much does a new photocopier cost?
Should I buy a printer or a copier?
Can I buy a copier and get service from someone else?
Do you sell copiers yourselves?
Photocopiers for Sale by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg