Another way to get some good info on copier reliability is to ask other shop owners who have recently purchased the copier you're considering. That way you'll get unbiased opinions. Of course, it's probably safe to assume that if you already own a copier from a particular vendor, and it's reliable, then a new copier from that vendor will also be. Vendor loyalty runs strong in the reprographics business. Hand in hand with reliability comes service.
Good service can be the difference between black and red ink in the ledger.
You can't really test a manufacturer's service before you buy, but you can ask other owners about service. Try to find an owner in your geographic area, who is using the same rep you'll be using if you buy the copier. This is important, since a company's service is only as good as the rep. The next question you need to answer is what exactly do you want your new copier to do. Increased productivity closely followed reliability on the list of things our interviewees said they sought in new copiers.