Epson GT-30000 Color Scanner (B106011F)

After owning several other scanners which I use for a variety of office purposes including image storage, document control, etc I found I needed one with 11 x 17 capability. Not being able to find too many choices on an internet search this was available and in my price range. When it arrived several parts had come off either during shipping or perhaps were never installed during manufacture. Whichever, I found myself becoming a scanner assembly worker. I had to get my tool kit out for the construction which took quite a bit of time. I would have just returned the unit but was told that this is a common issue with this particular scanner and I needed to get to work as soon as possible. After several hours I managed to get the pieces figured out and installed. When I powered it up for the first time the light unit flickered and smoke poured out. Now I don't know if this was part of the damage I encountered upon opening the carton or a new set of problems. I really needed to use the thing so I took the chance and loaded some documents into the feed unit and watched the results. There were dark and light places over the captured image of the document which also came through when I printed from the captured image. I guess for storage of documents for reference purposes this thing would probably do the job. But for printable image storage this was not going to do the job. I finally decided I had wasted enough time and returned the scanner for a credit. I don't think I want to take the chance of repeating the experience so I am in the process of looking for an alternative brand. I don't recommend Epson. Recalling my experience with this company, I've had other issues with their products. From strange software gliches to poor hardware build quality, Epson has produced a lot of frustration for me with this model scanner being no exception.

In short if you want a decent scanner that will work out of the box and do an adaquate job, avoid this particular product. Epson may make better products than those I've had the experience of owning. And it may just be a fluke. But for this kind of money someone should have done a better job inspecting and testing the unit before shipping.