This Is The Fax To Buy For Personal Or Small Business Use
Written: Mar 06 '01
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Pros: Panasonic quality; holds 150 sheets of paper; 28 page memory; fax-quality copier; internet faxing
Cons: Takes up a bit of room on computer desk with paper trays out
The Bottom Line: Panasonic has the model that will meet your needs ~ high quality machines that consistently do their job
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| JDinPA's Full Review: Panasonic KX-FP121 Plain Paper Thermal Fax |
Note: This review is on the Panasonic Compact Plain Paper Fax Model KX-FP250. There was no category listing for this model on Epinions yet ~ when this model is listed, I will move this review to it's proper spot.
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Before I bought this Fax, Model KXFP250, by Panasonic, I had spent years fighting with three other faxes that never did work quite right. I would have frequent paper jams, an incoming fax would not be fully transmitted, and with one machine, if I was not there to hit the start button I would not receive my fax - the automatic receive feature worked less than 50% of the time.
There are numerous models and brands of fax machines out there. Spend some time looking at just what you want in a fax machine. You may not want to pay for features you will never use, but you do want to pay for a high quality machine that will perform consistently each time you need to use it.
The Fax Machine that I have been using for over 1-year now is the Panasonic Compact Plain Paper Fax, Model No. KX-FP250. It has worked properly from the first day that I plugged it in, and I know that I can depend on it when I need it. While I am not a "read the instruction book" kind of person, the manual that comes with this fax machine is well written in regular language with plenty of pictures to help you see just what to do. I tend to just "wing it" and figure it out by what I think works - and I will tell you, you really can do that with this fax machine. I do however suggest you look through the manual to find out all the features that you do get - and there are lots! - then you can decide to follow the directions or just fiddle with it until you figure it out!~ lol
So what are some of these features you will find on this model? I will tell you of course, and I am sure you will see that this model by Panasonic really does cover it all!
Help Button ~ there is a button on the fax itself that will walk you through any of the features it has; you just scroll down the list til you find the feature you are trying to set up
Paper Tray ~ this model will hold up to 150 sheets of plain paper; several models out there will only accomodate up to 50 sheets; Paper faxes hold the print better and "show" better than what the paper rolls will give you (my opinion here!)
28 page memory ~ this means that lets say you are receiving a fax, but run out of paper or ink - the fax is received and held in storage until you fill the paper tray or replace the ink cartridge. Your fax is not lost. You can retrieve without any problems.
Document Size ~ this model will handle documents up to 8 1/2" in width and up to 23 5/8" in length; I have found that having to copy even small items that are postcard size are "grabbed" easily by the fax machine and go through without problem. While I have sent legal size documents out, I have not tried to fax a document 2 feet long yet!
Transmission Time ~ the time it takes to send/receive printed text is at about 15 seconds per page; not zippy fast, but the quality is sharp and clean; The fax will pick up any marks or color changes on the paper you are having faxed out, so if you are faxing old documents or smudgy paper it will come out looking at way as well.
Scanning ~ You do have the option to change just how crisp and clear you want your print to be (see above comments) You may select the Standard Mode with 98 lines/inch, the Fine/Half Tone Mode with 196 lines/inch, or the Super Fine Mode with 392 lines/inch. The higher the number the higher the sharpness, and the higher the sharpness level the slower the actual transmission or reception time will be.
Number Storage ~ This model comes with a Jog Dial which can store up to 100 numbers/names in it's directory. You can make any number/name Secret so that others cannot access any or all of your directory. The Jog Dial is a round dial that rotates around to the left or right - the LCD backlit screen will display your directory by capital letters, lower case letters, numbers or symbols as you rotate the dial around. If you cannot remember someone's name for example, but you know what it starts with (first or last name) you can turn the dial until you are at that letter in your directory and then scan all listings. You do have to have some recall though! lol
Fax Auto Redial ~ This model will automatically redial the number up to 5 times (in case the number is busy or there is not answer); you will receive a journal report if the fax did not go through due to problems with the other line.
IQ-Fax ~ This function is available on this model, but you must apply to FaxSav (paperwork included in the instruction book) to have this activated. There is no application fee or monthly fee, but you do need to pay for the faxes you send this way. What IQ-Fax does is allow you to send a fax via the internet to any fax machine in the world - this services will send your fax when the cost is the lowest and does so on a secure encrypted line.
Delayed Transmission ~ You can program your machine to send a fax at a set time; you do not have to leave the documents in the machine, but can fax at a later time from the fax's memory~ cool!
Multiple Fax Numbers ~ You can send the same fax to multiple numbers at the same time using the "Broadcast" key on your fax machine
Reducing Document Size ~ If you will be receiving documents that are larger than the paper you have in the paper tray, you can reduce the page size printout that you are receiving; likewise, this model has the ability to enlarge documents as well
Copies ~ This fax machine will make up to 99 copies of any given document. In addition you can print out your documents collated is you want~!!!!
Film Cartridge ~ You will be using a long cylindrical film cartridge for this machine. There is no ink or powder to mess with. You unwrap the cartridge and click it into the holders. Everything is easily understood and the machine inside as well as the cartridge itself have arrows and instructions on it. This model is a thermal printer and the cartridge lasts for about 300 or so pages. One cartridge can run you about $30-$35 so look around for a better deal.
There is a 1-year warranty with this Panasonic. You can call a toll free number (1-800-435-7329) for assistance or questions.
I hope I have given you enough information to have you at least checking out this model and it's competition when you decide to buy a fax machine. Like I said earlier, I have been using this fax machine for over a year now and have not had one problem with it. It has proven itself time and time again, and I am so glad to be rid of all the headaches I had with other brands!!!
Thanks for reading! Judy
Recommended:
Yes
Machine age (Months in use): 12 months
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Epinions.com ID:
JDinPA
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Member: ~*~ Judy ~*~
Location: The Endless Mountains
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