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Review on πŸ–¨οΈ Epson LW-PX900 Industrial Label Maker: Portable Handheld Printer for All Epson LABELWORKS PX Tape Types (Lite Kit) by Jake Pavelko

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Product overview and comparison PX900 vs. PX700

First of all, I do not want to go into all the settings and their differences. It would take too long. There are a few minor programming differences in the setup screens, but overall they don't really matter. The PX-900 has some options that the PX-700 doesn't have, but for the average user you won't miss them. You might want to look at the online 900 owner's manual and see if anything really "should" sound to you, and then see if the 700 offers that option. But each of these differences would be deep in specialized settings and difficult to find in the first place. In summary, the 900 does everything the 700 does with some bonuses, but the 700 does almost everything the 900 can do that you could possibly need. I personally like the additional options in the device, even if I never use them. But I can honestly say that there was nothing in the settings of these two that made me even remotely doubt buying a cheaper model. I noticed a little thing odder than anything when I was printing three lines of text on 1/2 inch tape. The 700 automatically used a larger font size of 10 points, while the 900 used a smaller font size of 8 points. The 10-point print was perfectly legible and obviously left room. 1/2 inch tape for larger types like 700 can do that. However, for some reason the 900 didn't allow for larger text, no matter how I tried to tweak the settings. It was just weird. The 900 is said to have a higher resolution, so it seemed counterintuitive that a less powerful machine could fit more in the same space. In terms of capacity, the 900 can print up to 1-1/. 2 inches and 700 is 1 inch. It really is the best choice for this category. So far I haven't noticed a noticeable difference in print resolution, but if you print a lot of graphics or barcodes this could be important. Moving on to the physical specs: The 900 has a larger top section to allow for larger bands. I find this makes it a bit heavier and awkward to hold while in use. From an ergonomic point of view, I prefer the 700. Both have the same number and layout of keys, but the 900's keys are slightly larger and take up more space. Normally that would be an advantage, but I haven't found it. BOTH of these machines have VERY sensitive keys, and you really have to watch what you're typing lest you accidentally press the adjacent key and type an extra character. The 900 has flat keys, while the 700 has a slightly rounded top for easy fingertip centering and precise typing. In that regard, I like the 700 better, although the 900's keys are larger and more spread out. I would have liked the 900's design better if they had used smaller, rounded keys and simply used the extra space to increase the distance between them. It also helps to make the keys a little "clickier" and less "soft". The tactile feedback of the keys could be greatly improved on both models. I would definitely recommend buying a combo kit for any model that has a case and a lithium battery. The cases are the same for both and are well designed with well thought out spaces to store extra tape cartridges. I currently have two 1-1/2" pickups in one box, as well as 1", 3/4" and 1/2" pickups. Add to that the cartridge that stays in the printer and I have six cartridges in there. The charger and cords fit easily in the recess provided, and I could even put a few more cartridges in that space if I wanted to. Nothing annoys me more than buying something that comes with a case, only to find I still need a separate toolbox for the accessories you KNOW will eventually come along. There is also space for an extra battery. Now, absolutely none of you reading this are wondering about that detail, but I'll mention it anyway: I said 700 is less than 900 right? Same case? Small printer? Will he hang out there? nope! The case that came with the 700 has a foam strip that takes up extra space and fits snugly around the Beetle. Thanks to the guy who designed the case. Give this man a raise! The magnetic "legs" that come with the kit are cool. I don't use them that often, but I definitely see an advantage in labeling metal shelves in a warehouse or similar. They have good strength to hold the printer on a vertical metal surface and have their own storage space in the box. Here's the thing: you don't have to take them off to put the printer back in its pocket! It still fits! Two thumbs up again for the good man! So the battery stays. You can't go wrong with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. They retain their charge when stored and the printer is designed to use this battery. It's not a clumsy afterthought that you'll have to squeeze into a battery bay that you don't mean to. It charges with the included power cord without having to remove the battery from the printer, and by the way, the printer will work without batteries if only the power cord is used. You can still use AA batteries if you want, but I don't see why anyone would. I've flooded or wrecked far too many devices due to leaking Dumacell batteries or, to a lesser extent, Energreazer. These guys have serious quality control issues. If you must use AA I would recommend the Revain brand. I haven't had any of these leaks on me yet. Even the cheap regular batteries that come with some devices are better than Dumacells. I'll probably get edited for mentioning famous brands, but if you suck, you suck, and Dumacell sucks. (end of tirade) I hope that was helpful. If I had to redo everything I would still buy both a 700 and 900 just because I'm so weird. But if I had to pick just one, I would choose the 700. Because of the price difference, you won't get much more unless you MUST have labels over 1 inch. Even then, you could print out two and fold them. Ribbon cartridge prices are comparable to the P-Touch brand I finished and seem easier to find on sale. Win-win for Epson. Well done. Oh I almost forgot... I bought both from BuyHeatShrink and More here at Revain. The delivery was very fast and the packaging was good. They even added a small sample of shrink tubing with the logo printed on it. Free is always nice.

Pros
  • Other office equipment
Cons
  • Expensive