Scanner recommendation?

[always_learning]

I saw in a thread in the last week or two (I can't remember what it was actually about and can't find it!) that many people here scan, then shred, important papers and save the files in various locations.

In the interest of getting rid of an incredible amount of paper, I think I want to do this, so I'm looking for scanner recs. I don't know if it's as much of an issue as in the past, but it needs to work on a mac. I don't know if I have a preference for wired/wireless, but I think wireless?

If it matters, what I'm wanting to scan is mostly old tax docs, IRA docs, etc. I have over 25 years of docs and the pile is incredible. I already have a flatbed scanner that takes forever to scan a single page so if there is something faster, I'd be in heaven.

I do have a lot of printed photos and some slides that I'd like to scan as well, but would be willing to buy something different if that would produce the best outcome.

I did search and found a thread (http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/recommend-a-scanner-51573.html) from over 10 years ago and thought it was probably too dated for how fast tech moves, so I thought I'd ask in case anyone makes a new rec/has other things to add.

Also, would I be better off with a flatbed scanner or one of those with the feed-through feature?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Walt34]

For documents I use our Dell E525w all-in-one printer but unless you're also in the market for a color laser printer that's probably more money than you want to spend and more bulk than you want on your desk. But it does work well.

 

[zinger1457]

I would also recommend an all-in-one printer. There are some good monochrome laser all-in-one printers out there, can usually find them on sale for a little over $100. I have a Brother and it has held up well for many years.

 

[misanman]

We have a Fujitsu i500 sheet feed. Put pages in hopper and hit scan and it does both sides lickety split. Comes with useful software as well. Connects Visa WiFi.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

We have the Epson ES-500 and love it. The best part? It's fast...VERY FAST. It is quite expensive, however and might be more than you need. It is high speed and has several modes in which it will scan. I could list it all, but Amazon (or similar retailer) can give you the details.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M4NANZ6/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[24601NoMore]

Highly recommend the Fijitsu ScanSnap. It's a sheet feeder and has an adjustable paper guide to take various size paper (full pages, receipts, etc).

Don't do a flatbed - you'll frustrate yourself no end trying to place, line up and scan a page at a time. I've had various flatbends over time..ask me how I know .

The ScanSnap is a paper feeding beast. I bought mine after reading a similar thread either here or at BH on what many retirees use to do exactly what you're describing. I think it was a couple hundred $$ but worth every penny.

Oh, and it's wireless (at least mine is), too which is REALLY nice vs having to run yet another USB or other cable to your PC..

 

[braumeister]

Another vote for ScanSnap. The current version is lightning fast, does both sides of the paper at the same time, converts it with OCR so the PDF is searchable, and automatically determines which end is up (if you put the sheets in the wrong way). Two clicks and I have a PDF saved of the document and the original goes right into the shredder.

 

[Ronstar]

Another vote for ScanSnap.

+1

 

[Chuckanut]

Which model Scansnap do people use?

 

[braumeister]

Ix500

 

[24601NoMore]

Looks like Fujitsu has come out with an upgrade to the venerable IX500..the IX1500. The software appears to have been re-written also and is now ScanSnap Home vs. ScanSnap Manager. ScanSnap Home looks to be nicer than Manager but I haven't tested it yet. The new software appears to be backward compatible with the IX500 in addition to working with the new IX1500.

Neither scanner is cheap ($400+), but these have been the gold standard of home scanners for a while now..

Good luck! Your post inspired me to get back to my digital filing quest..I have a pile of things to clean up and scan and finally now that I'm ER'd have time to do it!

 

[easysurfer]

I picked up a used Doxie One portable scanner a few months ago. Doesn't need an attached computer to scan, saves to an SD card. Great for receipts and does photos too. Has both supporting Win and Mac software.

Don't think the model of this scanner is made anymore, though there are other models.

 

[mountainsoft]

I have an Epson V500 flatbed scanner that I use for photos and negatives, or with sensitive documents I can't risk bending or can't scan otherwise. Very nice quality but the scan speed is slow.

As others have mentioned, the Fujitsu ScanSnap IX500 ScanSnap iX500 Wireless Duplex Scanner for Mac & PC - Fujitsu United States can't be beat for scanning receipts, bank statements, magazine pages, etc. Just load the pages in the feeder and press a button to quickly scan both sides of all pages and have them saved to a PDF file. Compared to the flatbed scanner it's like night and day.

The IX500 is quite small, so it doesn't take up much room on your desk. I paid a bit over $450 for mine last June. I had my doubts but it was well worth the money.

Oh, I started out using the IX500t wireless which worked fine, but I find it scans and saves a bit faster using a wired connection. Wireless does work well though if you can't place it near your computer.

 

[OldShooter]

Scansnap. eBay is your friend. Note, too that Xerox sells/sold these too on a private label basis. Same hardware and software, just different labeling.

 

[Cobra9777]

We have a Brother all-in-one... monochrome laser printer, with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder for scanning or copying, but with flatbed functionality too. Price was $100 on Amazon. Print quality is good. Scanning is ultra-fast. We don't do much high-volume scanning or printing but it's nice to have the capability if/when needed.

 

[Jerry1]

We have a Brother all-in-one... monochrome laser printer, with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder for scanning or copying, but with flatbed functionality too. Price was $100 on Amazon. Print quality is good. Scanning is ultra-fast. We don't do much high-volume scanning or printing but it's nice to have the capability if/when needed.

We have a color all-in-one, but otherwise, same as Cobra. You definitely want a document feeder. We like that ours is wireless so we can put it anywhere, but a wire wouldn’t be a deal breaker.

 

[jazz4cash]

I just bought an HP Officejei 69xx all in one to replace an old HP 4500 which had a clunky wireless connection. The default setup is for web services which kinda freaks me out since I never knowingly agreed to permit router access. I believe this is due to HPs ink subscription model that you must decline 20 times during setup. Haven’t bothered to reconfigure but it’s creepy to think of data going out to a remote server and coming back to the printer in the next room. The HP scan software is so-so but I haven’t played with it much either. Many years ago I had a Compaq PC with a scanner in the keyboard and a great software program called Paperport that I’d love to retry.

 

[always_learning]

I glanced at the Scansnap that several of you mentioned and will have to read up on that.

It's definitely pricier than what I'd prefer, but if it cuts my time in half, then it would be worth it.

It sounds light years ahead of the flatbed/printer combo I currently have. With that one, I have to scan, name, and save each page separately and then merge by hand because the multi page function doesn't work for some reason. With a single page taking upwards of 20 seconds to scan, It's pure torture.

 

[OldShooter]

I glanced at the Scansnap that several of you mentioned and will have to read up on that.

It's definitely pricier than what I'd prefer, but if it cuts my time in half, then it would be worth it. ...

The version I have is Xerox Model 3125. I can turn it on, scan a few pages, and be done before my flatbed is done warming up and fussing with its calibration.

Specs are here: https://www.xeroxscanners.com/downloads/manuals/DM3125/DM3125_Datasheet.US.pdf Scan speed is roughly one page every second and a half. You won't be able to keep keep the paper fed that fast on a continuous basis.

Edit: I see that Xerox is selling them on line for $300, marked down from $500: https://www.xeroxscanners.com/en/us/products/item.asp?PN=DM3125 If you're not comfortable with eBay, this would be a good option for you.

Re cost, here is a pretty good looking one on eBay:https://www.ebay.com/itm/Xerox-DocuMate-3125-Document-Scanner/273664682648 for less than $150 shipped. I downloaded all my software to make sure I had the most current versions. There are lots of other ones available too. Looks like a new one can be had for about $300. If you can figure out the equivalent Fujitsu model number there are probably many more available under that id.

Edit: I see that Xerox is selling them direct for $300, marked down from $500. That would be a pretty good option if you're not comfortable with eBay. https://www.xeroxscanners.com/en/us/products/item.asp?PN=DM3125