The Best of the Three I've Tested
If your scanning needs are like mine, I can quickly explain why I believe the Canon DR-C225 II is the best scanner for you. I’ve tested this DR-225, the Canon imageFORMULA R40, and the Epson WorkForce ES-400 II. Let me explain how I use a scanner so you can judge the relevance of my comments for your decision. I only use my scanner to archive (i.e., go paperless) and email hard copies of docs. Usually I scan a page or two, but sometimes I'll scan 500 pages or even more. All my docs go to PDF format. I rarely scan photos, but if I do, I’ll use the flatbed on my multifunction printer. (If I have lots of photos I use scanmyphotos.com. They are great.) I do not need wireless. You may think that you’re not going to use a scanner that much. I would encourage you to be openminded. Once you get it, you might use a scanner much more than you think you would. I started with these three scanners because they are in my price range, they are highly rated, and they use TWAIN drivers. (TWAIN drivers are a somewhat important consideration. I will explain why at the end of my review, in the details section.) There are two reasons I eliminated the Epson scanner. One is that both of the Canon scanners have the ability to automatically sense text direction and rotate pages so they are vertical. That means it doesn’t matter how you put the document into the automatic document feed (ADF). Put it in upside-down or right-side up and it still comes out right-side up. This is especially handy if pages are inconsistent, that is, if there’s an inadvertent upside-down page or two. The Epson does not have this capability. So you always have to put the docs into the ADF upside down, facing toward the back of the ADF. Another reason I eliminated the Epson is that it will not copy pages with Post-It notes. Both of the Canons and the Epson can detect double-feeds and you can turn this capability off. I turned it off because Post-Its will signal a double-feed and the job shuts down. Sometimes what I scan has Post-Its and I want them in the scanned document. Or, I will sometimes tape a small pieces of paper to a document I’m scanning. For example, I might tape small receipts, a clip of a spreadsheet, or a business cards to the back of a document. Even with the auto feed detection off, the Epson detected a double-feed and stopped scanning. Once I shut the double-feed detection off, the Canons scanned the pages just fine. Even if I taped an index card to the back. The Epson stopped scanning, even though I tried several times. (Note: I find the double-feed detection unimportant. I had my previous scanner for 9 years, scanned tens of thousands of pages, and just didn’t have double-feed problems.) Deciding between the two Canon scanners was a tough call. One minor consideration is the output tray of the R40. In my test of the three scanners, I scanned the same 300-page document that was a tough test. The doc had different page sizes, different thicknesses of paper, many pages had staple holes, some had Post-It notes, and so on. The output tray of the R40 and the Epson didn’t handle this challenge very well. The pages would clog up, collect out of order, or some pages would be pushed out of the tray. That’s not the case with the C225. I just didn’t have to pay attention to the scan - it just ran. My second reason for eliminating the R40 could have been a fluke. I installed the scanner software, ran it for a while, then a few days later I updated the software on my multifunction printer. When I tried to scan more documents, my computer could not find the R40 driver. I did not have that problem with the C225. So, I just went with the C225. I liked all three scanners. As I said, I’ve scanned a ton of docs over the years and am pretty well paperless. Over the years I have found that the decision-making factors I’ve described here are important ones for my needs. If they are for you, too, then I believe the Canon DR-C225 II is your best bet. DETAILS: I mention that the TWAIN driver is important, not a deal killer, but important. There seems to be some confusion on drivers based on other reviews, so allow me to explain. Drivers handle the interface between your computer hardware, computer software, and the scanner hardware. Through the driver you set the parameters for your scans (e.g., paper size, duplex or simplex scan, resolution, color, scan blank pages). All scanners must have some kind of driver. TWAIN and ISIS are the two industry standards and have been for about 30 years. Canon has a TWAIN driver, which is the most popular by far. Some scanners drivers are proprietary, or closed. The proprietary systems will not interface with as many apps as TWAIN. More important, proprietary drivers tend to become obsolete because they are updated by the manufacturer. After a scanner has been upgraded by a generation or two of newer scanners, the manufacturer probably doesn’t see the need to keep the old, proprietary scanner up to date. TWAIN is a standard and must be kept up to date. I simply cannot imagine any legitimate reason for having a proprietary driver in this day and age of “open systems”. One last thing. My previous scanner was a Canon DR-C125 which I bought 9 years ago. It was the predecessor of the DR-C225 and it’s still going strong. (I gave it to my son.) It was such a great scanner that its performance influenced my purchase of the C225. Here are quotes from my review of my old C125: “6/29/13. I HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE ONE JAM OR MULTIPLE FEED. For years I've been putting off scanning the contents of 3-ring binders I have collected. They are old. The stacks of binders are 5 feet tall, I'd guess well over three thousand pages. And the paper was not in good shape. I received the Canon DR-C125 yesterday afternoon and began scanning. It scanned this giant pile of paper with no jams or misfeeds! That, to me, is astonishing. It is also the most important attribute of a scanner from my perspective. 8/9/14 Update, one year later. I just received a 100-page insurance policy in the mail. The staples were only slightly smaller than horseshoes. (Staples damage paper and are a big cause of jams.) The post office apparently ran over the envelope with WW II surplus tanks. I pulled the horseshoes out, put the 100 pager in the Canon, started it, and did not have a single jam. As a matter of fact, I do not recall a single jam in the year I've had this scanner. Wow. For me, putting a big document in a scanner and turning to other work without having to watch for jams is terrific. 8/3/17 Update. Here it is more than four years later and this baby works as well as the day I bought it. Yea Cannon. 5/23/21 Update: This scanner is still working GREAT.” Read more
