In today's economy, many companies consider purchasing used mailing equipment (including used inkjet addressing systems) rather than buying new. This works fine for machines that are completely mechanical-a collection of moving parts. But an inkjet addressing unit is more than that. It includes computer technology and so is subject to obsolescence in a number of areas. Anyone looking for used mailing equipment should be aware of these areas, because that "low price" might not be as attractive if the machine is unusable 6 months after purchasing it.
Of course, that's not to say that used inkjet addressing machines ought never to be considered. Even a machine as old as 8 years, so long as it's received the right kind of upgrades, can be a good bargain. The trick is finding out whether or not that inkjet addresser can do what you need it to do. To do this, you should work closely with a reputable used mailing equipment dealer, and watch out for some of the following:
IMB Compatibility: Under new USPS regulations, mailers must begin using the IMB code by 2013. Can the used inkjet addresser produce this barcode? Can it produce it automatically or will you need to jump through hoops and use complicated workarounds to do it with True Type Font?
Windows Compatibility: Does the used mailing equipment run on Windows XP... or even 98? If so, is it capable of running under a newer Windows OS? Many of the XP machines will not run on Windows 7. If this is the case, you might have trouble with the system if the attached computer needs to be replaced in the future or if you need a solid network structure between your XP computer and Windows 7 computers. Many manufacturers stopped supporting their XP based inkjet systems, and developed a new generation of equipment to run on Windows 7.
Driver Board Obsolescence: Can you still purchase new driver boards if one of them fails? Over the course of several years, many manufacturers move to new driver boards to keep up with evolving PC technology; and the older driver boards are discontinued. If this is the case, you could end up with a boat anchor as soon as there is a board failure. Or even an expensive upgrade costing more than the value of your machine.
Printhead Technology: Is the inkjet machine cartridge based or does it use a commercial printhead with an ink supply unit? The cartridge systems are great, but only if the cartridge is available and is still an industry standard. If the cartridge is fading from today's market, then the machine itself is almost useless. Commercial printheads are great as long as they are still supported by the manufacturer, and if they print cleanly with no voids in the image.
Warranties: Does the dealer guarantee the used office equipment for more than a couple of weeks? It could take that long just to uncover a bug in the equipment-especially if it's not in full operation immediately.
I've had many customers call me after purchasing used inkjet addressing systems that are old and obsolete. Some of them have needed as much as $10,000 of upgrades in order to make the equipment useable. Most of them had no idea what they were getting into when they saw the small price tag on the machine.
Play it safe. Deal with a reputable company with a good history when searching for used equipment.
Rick Krieger (owner of Adresser Based Systems) keeps his customers on the cutting edge of Mailroom Equipment, used mailing equipment and used
