After more than 35 years of fixing printers, copiers and scanners in Marin and Sonoma, the question we hear most is: “Should I fix it or just buy a new one?” The answer isn't always what you'd expect from a repair shop. Sometimes we honestly tell customers to replace. Here's how we think about it.

The 50% rule, and when to break it

General rule: if the repair costs more than half of what a comparable replacement costs, consider replacing. The catch is that it assumes similar quality. A $300 repair on a $400 consumer printer? Probably replace. The same $300 repair on a $2,000 commercial laser? Definitely fix.

Age matters more than you think

0–2 years: almost always repair

Under or just out of warranty
Parts are readily available
Technology hasn't moved on
Exception: a major component failure on an inexpensive printer

3–5 years: case by case

Consider pages per month
Look at total cost of ownership
Factor in features you now need

5+ years: lean toward replacement

Parts become scarce
Newer models are more efficient
Exception: commercial-grade equipment with low usage

Red flags: when we tell customers to replace

Multiple recurring issues. Three or more different problems in 12 months means the printer is telling you something.
Parts availability. When a part takes weeks to arrive and costs a large share of a new machine, it's time to shop.
A technology gap. An old inkjet that costs far more per month in cartridges than an efficient laser would.
The “Frankenstein” factor. When it's running on parts from several different models.

Green flags: when repair makes sense

Single component failure. A worn fuser or paper-feed mechanism is often an economical fix.
Commercial-grade equipment. A $400 repair on a $3,000 copier is a no-brainer, even at seven years old.
Low page count. A six-year-old printer with 20,000 pages is barely broken in.
It does exactly what you need. Why complicate things?

Patterns we see in local offices

Real estate offices print high volumes in color and tend to repair until parts run out.
Law firms value reliability above all and often replace at the first major failure.
Medical offices sometimes have to upgrade for security and HIPAA features.
Small retailers are cost-conscious and repair until it stops being economical.

Our gut-check questions

How much is downtime costing you? If you're losing business, replace.
What would you buy today if this died tomorrow?
Are you happy with the print quality, speed and features?
How long do you plan to stay in this office?

Cost per page tells the truth

Add up toner or ink, paper, repairs and maintenance, and the productivity lost to downtime, then divide by pages printed. Sometimes an “expensive” new printer pays for itself in supply savings within a year or two.

Rules of thumb by printer type

Inkjets under $300: repair in the first three years if the fix is modest; after that, usually replace unless usage is very light.
Laser printers $300–$800: repair for the first four years unless it's a major component; after that, weigh the repair against replacement.
Commercial equipment $1,000+: almost always repair for the first seven years; after that, decide based on usage and parts.
All-in-ones: if the scan or fax side fails, replacing the unit often makes sense; if it's the print engine and everything else works, repair.

The environmental side

Repair keeps equipment out of landfills, and we've been a Green Business since 1989. But don't sacrifice efficiency: an old, power-hungry laser can cost more to run than a new one. Whatever you decide, we recycle old equipment and cartridges.

Questions to ask any repair shop

What would you do if this were your printer?
How long do you expect this repair to last?
What's the next thing likely to fail?
Which models would you recommend if I replace it?

Any reputable shop should give you straight answers. We'd rather fix your printer once every couple of years than sell you a new one that breaks every six months, and when replacement makes more sense, we'll say so.

When to Repair vs. Replace a Printer: A Technician's Honest Guide