Unfortunately, the lifespan of office equipment isn’t forever. It’s good to have an idea about how long your office printer will last. Thankfully, we live in a world of multifunctional printers. This means one machine can be an office photocopier, printer, fax machine and collator. Their lifespans are similar to a typical printer, meaning you will only have to replace one piece of equipment when it’s time to. The lifespans differ from office to office. An office that constantly uses a colour copier is likely to have different results from a business that only needs a printer from time to time.
It’s helpful to know what the lifespan of your office equipment is when making decisions regarding your office. Here, we outlined some basic guidelines when it comes to the lifespan of office equipment.
What the Studies Say
A study by Lexmark determined how long the typical lifespan of a printer is. The lifespan really depends on how often the printer is used. A multifunctional printer in a big office will have a different lifespan than a small business copier. They determined that in high volume offices, a printer typically lasts 48 months. As you can imagine, a printer in a low volume office usually lasts longer. About 60 months.
This time frame is determined by a financial tipping point. This time frame is the most efficient for the amount of money you’ll be spending. Once a printer is too old, it will start using up more energy and parts may need to be replaced. Ultimately, the study shows that most offices replace their printers less often than they actually should.
Leasing May be a Good Option
Most people who buy office equipment want to make it last as long as possible. When you lease, you don’t have to keep the office equipment until you run it into the ground. You can lease the office equipment for an amount of time that’s comfortable for you. You can keep the predicted lifespan of office equipment in mind.
Usually, a lease of office equipment is a contract of 36 months. This can be extended to 48 or 60 months if you believe that a long-term lease is a good option for you. It makes sense to lease a multifunction printer, as this means you aren’t continuously replacing different equipment.
