Advice Needed for Purchasing/Servicing Xerox 700

[digitalnorth]

Hi all, I am opening a small digital print shop. I had a printing business for 14 years previously, left the industry 6 years ago and now want to start up again. I previously had a digital printing business with a combonation of Xerox and Canon copiers.

My question is this: I am looking at leasing a Xerox 700 copier with a Fiery and booklet finisher. The machine is $8500 Canadian. The reseller is located 2 hours away and their service on Xerox would be slow by print shop standards. I am wondering if anyone has experience with the Xerox 700 and their opinion on how reasonable it would be to not have a service contract based on the fact that a lot of the Xerox parts are user replaceable. The vendor told me that it's not necessary to have a service contract as I can get the parts and toner myself. The other option would be to get Xerox to service it, but not sure how much they will charge me based on me buying it elsewhere. Any thoughts?

 

[MailGuru]

IMHO, having a production-class color digital press, without a service contract, is a recipe for disaster. While many of the parts are, indeed, user-replaceable, a trained technician would know exactly which part to replace. Using the "shade-tree-mechanic" method of replacing parts until the problem goes away can get quite expensive, and, you may have replaced (and paid for) parts that did not need to be replaced.

A "per-click-charge" service contract is a revenue producing item for Xerox in, and of, itself. It makes no difference whether you procured the machine through Xerox, or, a Re-seller. Your price will be determined by the age of the machine, # of current clicks on it, and your estimated volume. However, when buying from a re-seller, make sure the machine was under maintenance when it was de-installed, or that it is "certified" for Xerox maint. If not, you may have to pay a fee upon installation to have it brought up to specs so that it can even be eligible for Xerox maint.

Also, IMHO, if you're going to make a successful go at this, your time and resources need to be dedicated to the the business of running jobs, getting more customers, and running the business. The last thing you need is to be spending time trying to fix the printer so that you can get a job out that you promised on time.

-Best

MailGuru

 

[dabob]

We have a 700 and see the service guy at least 2 times a month - sometimes 3 times a week . . . would never have a digital press without a service contract . . . .

 

[mojoprime]

yeah, i would have to agree, particularly on this specific machine. service contract seems almost mandatory.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

Service contract is a must unless you are a Xerox Certified Technician and have a warehouse of their parts available 24/7. Even if you had that, you'd have to have a SECOND person that would know as much as you do about the machine, so you aren't the main operator at all times.

Service for any digital production press is a must.

 

[digitalnorth]

Ok, thanks all. Sounds like good advice. I am hoping that Xerox will service the machine as the price is very good.