Fax machine prices vary quite a bit. At the low end, you can find thermal transfer or inkjet fax machines for around $100. However, these are home-office machines, not built for the daily stress many businesses put on their fax machines. If your business depends on the fax for important documents, you should spend the extra money to get a true business-grade fax machines. If you want to see actual examples of what other BuyerZone.com users paid for fax machines, check out our real-world fax machine pricing article.

More durable fax machines retail for anywhere from $400 to $2,500. Faster machines with multiple paper trays, broadcast capabilities, and more memory for receiving faxes and storing numbers will push you towards the higher end of the scale.

The ongoing costs of toner or ink are another important consideration: be sure to figure out the cost per copy. An inkjet cartridge may cost $20 and produce 400 pages, while a laser toner cartridge could $150 – but produces 5,000 pages, making it a much better deal.

Service contracts
Fax machines tend to be very reliable. However, as with most office machines, fax machines can be purchased with service contracts to provide protection against the cost of repairs or replacement parts.

If you don't anticipate receiving a high volume of faxes - say, more than 50 pages a day - you could skip getting a service contract and apply the savings toward any repairs the machine may need during its typical five-year lifespan. If your estimated fax volume is higher than 50 pages per day, however, purchasing a service contract is well worth the money.

The price for such contracts varies depending upon the level of service you request. You can expect to pay anywhere from $65 to $200 per year for a basic service contract. Typically, these annual contracts include two service calls every six months. Make sure your agreement includes a backup machine in case of a breakdown.

If you choose to forgo the service contract, you will still need to periodically clean the scanning window as well as any dust filters within the machine.