Repair Your Printer Problems or Buy New?

Gone are the days when having a printer right alongside your computer on your desktop was considered a luxury. Now it's generally considered standard and printers often come bundled with computer systems. The only drawback to this is that often the need arises to repair printer problems as part of that bundle.

As the prices have come down dramatically for printers, both the desktop variety and the larger office printers, the question often comes up of whether it makes more sense to attempt printer repair, printer refurbishing, or just go out and buy a completely new printer.

In many cases, it makes sense to simply replace the tired printer, especially if it was a low-end model that you spent less than $200 on. Attempting to repair printer components that are part of the less expensive printers can sometimes lead to more additional expense and frustration than it's worth.

However, if you have a more expensive printer then it might make more sense to try to get your printer repaired rather than replacing it right away.

There are some considerations to keep in mind in making the decision about printer repair.

Time - How quickly do you need your printer to be back up and running properly? If you only use it occasionally, then you will probably have the time to try to either learn how to repair it yourself, take it to someone who can repair it, or send it to the manufacturer for repair. Each of these options can take from days to weeks before you have a fully functional printer again. If you use your printer heavily, and have an urgent need to be able to print, then replacement will be your fastest solution.

Ink - If you do a lot of printing, have you stocked up on ink cartridges from the giant warehouse store? If so, do the new models of printers use the same cartridge? Often manufacturers change the ink cartridges used in their newest printers, so you could be stuck with an inventory of ink that cost you more than the printer did.

Ability - Do you have the skill to do basic computer printer repairs yourself? If so, you may be able find the information you need either online at the manufacturer's website or through a printer repair forum, such as FixYourOwnPrinter.com which is a popular forum for repair tips and help.

Convenience - If you decided you don't have the ability to fix the printer yourself, is there an authorized service center located near you where you can take it for repair? To be sure your repair is done properly, it is best to find service that is authorized by the manufacturer which generally assures they are using replacement parts form the manufacturer and not from a third party. If there is not a service center nearby, your only choice may be to ship it to the company for repair, and the time and expense involved may not make it worth it to you, unless the machine is still under warranty.

Having a printer on every desk has certainly made printing out your work or your pictures a great convenience, but when it's time to repair printer problems, the convenience can sometimes turn to frustration in the search for easy and economical solutions.