TLDR Review: Ricoh fi-8170 Scanner
Pros
- •Excellent color scanning quality when properly connected and configured with a computer.
- •Higpeed duplex scanning capabilities suitable for professional environments.
- •Comes with both USB printer and network cables, easing initial hardware setup.
- •Many users highly recommend it for document scanning tasks, praising its overall scanning performance.
Cons
- •Cannot scan directly to a network folder without a PC connection; it requires a computer either directly or via network setup.
- •The software ecosystem is overly complex and fragmented, involving multiple separate applications for scanning, network detection, and support, making setup and everyday use confusing.
- •Creating and managing scan job presets is cumbersome as it requires linking settings manually across different programs.
- •Uninstalling the software is a hassle since it involves removing up to eight different applications.
- •Documentation is poor and inadequate for supporting the complicated software setup.
- •Feeding issues occur with cards, especially sports cards or those in top loader sleeves, often causing jams or multiple feeds at once.
- •The product may not be a genuine USA model despite claims, and the seller is not the official Ricoh Store, raising concerns about authenticity and advertising accuracy.
Bottom Line
If you’re after a powerful, professional-grade color duplex scanner and you don’t mind investing time to master its complex software setup linked to a PC, the Ricoh fi-8170 delivers excellent scanning quality and speed. However, expect a steep learning curve with its fragmented software and some frustrating card feeding issues if you scan specialty media like sports cards. If you need reliable direct network scanning without a PC or simpler software, you might want to explore other models with more integrated networking features.
How we researched this
About this review: We pulled together findings from professional reviews and hundreds of user reviews, and cross-referenced them with ShopSavvy's pricing data from thousands of retailers to give you the short version.
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