A dealer quotes you $260 a month for a new color copier, then mentions they can put you in a remanufactured version of nearly the same machine for $150. That is a big gap. So what are you actually giving up, and is the cheaper lease the smarter one? The answer depends on your volume, your risk tolerance, and how the service contract is written. Here is how to compare them without getting talked into either one.
What Remanufactured Actually Means
Remanufactured is not the same as used. A used copier is sold as-is with whatever wear it came with. A remanufactured copier has been taken apart, worn parts replaced, cleaned, tested, and reset to factory specs. A properly remanufactured unit from a reputable shop can perform close to new, often with a fresh warranty. The catch is that quality varies a lot by who did the work. There is a real difference between a machine rebuilt to strict standards and one that was wiped down and called refurbished. For the wider view on buying pre-owned equipment, see is leasing a used copier a good deal.
The Real Savings, and Where They Shrink
On the lease payment, the savings are real. A remanufactured mid-volume copier often leases for 30 to 50 percent less than the same model new. That $150 versus $260 gap is typical, and over a 48 month term that is more than $5,000 in difference. For a budget-conscious office, that is meaningful money.
But the payment is only half the cost. The other half is the service and supply contract, and here the gap often shrinks. Some dealers charge a slightly higher cost per page on remanufactured units to cover added service risk, or write a shorter service term. Run the full number, not just the monthly lease. Our breakdown of copier lease cost per month for a small business shows how the lease payment and the click charges combine into your true monthly cost.
When Remanufactured Is the Right Call
A remanufactured copier lease makes the most sense for low to medium volume offices, roughly under 5,000 pages a month, where the machine will not be pushed hard. At that usage a well rebuilt unit can easily last the full lease term. It is also a strong pick when budget is the main constraint and you would rather put the savings toward payroll or growth. And it is smart when you want a higher-end machine than your budget allows new, since a remanufactured flagship can cost less than a new entry-level unit while offering better finishing and speed.
When to Pay for New Instead
Spring for new when your volume is high, say above 8,000 pages a month, because a heavily used machine gets pushed toward its limits and reliability matters more than the monthly savings. Buy new when downtime is expensive for you, such as a busy front office where a dead copier stops the day. And buy new when you want the latest security and connectivity features, which older remanufactured models may not support. The rule of thumb: the harder you will run the machine, the more the reliability of new equipment is worth paying for. If you go with a fair market value lease on either type, know how the end-of-term value works, which we cover in fair market value copier leases.
What Most Guides Miss
Most comparisons treat this as new versus remanufactured hardware and stop there. The detail that actually protects you is the warranty and parts guarantee on the remanufactured unit, and almost no buyer asks about it. On a new machine, parts availability is a given for years. On a remanufactured one, ask two questions in writing: does the machine carry a warranty for the full lease term, not just 90 days, and does the dealer guarantee parts availability so a repair will not be delayed for weeks waiting on a discontinued component. A remanufactured copier is only a bargain if it stays running. If the dealer will guarantee full-term parts and service in writing, the savings are real and safe to take. If they hedge on either, the low payment is hiding a risk that could cost you far more than you saved when the machine goes down and cannot be fixed fast. One more thing worth checking is the meter reading, since a remanufactured copier is not brand new and a machine that already ran 300,000 pages has less life left than one rebuilt at 80,000. A reputable dealer will tell you the count without hesitation, and if they dodge it, treat that as a warning. Get the guarantee and the meter reading in writing, then take the savings.
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