Epson DS-730N Network Color Document Scanner, 100-page Auto Document Feeder (ADF), Duplex Scanning

I bought this to replace a 13 year old Epson scanner that had worn or aged out. I have had no trouble with this scanner. The quality is good for a document scanner, page handling is good and it responds quickly on the network.

This Epson DS-730N (ASIN B08N35M9CD) scanner hardware is great. The Automatic Document Feeder ("ADF") is excellent, including ultrasonic double-feed detection and blank-page skipping. Even when loading the DS-730N ADF to near its 100-sheet specified capacity with many random combined document sets (eg, 2-page, 15-page, 9-page, …), I did not experience a single double-feed. (In contrast, trying to scan such sets with my different brand multifunction scanner-printer-copier, I could NEVER eliminate double-feeds and, worse, multi-sheet-feeds and ADF jambs.) I ran systematic scanning tests of over a thousand sheets of various set quantities from single sheets up to the ADF feeder capacity of "fluffy" sets (~79 – 82 sheets). I also tested scanning document sets in which every sheet was a radically different size and paper weight, mixing single-sided and double-sided. I did not encounter one single error. Wow! Now, the reasons I did not give the Epson DS-730N 5-stars: 1) virtually non-existent documentation; and 2) "technical support" is very poor. Epson does published both a User's Guide [cpd58844.pdf] and an Administrator's Guide [cpd60230.pdf], but they are, frankly, essentially useless dung. Actually, both guides were worse than useless, since I wasted a lot of time reading both completely (at great risk to my manhood :-), but learned literally NOTHING toward basic setup—incredible! Similarly, Epson scanner telephone "technical support" was pathetic. I attempted two such calls. What a waste of 1:25 and 0:51, respectively. First, one encounters a case-data-entry screener that knows nothing whatsoever, but persistently tries to "help" for 10 – 20 minutes. Then, only by being very pushy, even borderline insistent to have the call escalated, both calls "advanced" to even more difficult representatives, individuals that were "sure" they understood the product, but had not a clue. Only after 30 – 40 minutes of repeating a one simple question in each call, I was able to finally convince the Epson second-level "technical support" representative to escalate to a third support level. Both third-level representatives were able to understand my simple single question in each call, setup configuration for stand-alone scanning over a LAN to a computer file via: 1) FTP; and 2) SMB. HOWEVER, in the second call (re SMB), the Epson representative conferred (via text) with yet a fourth-level support and was INCORRECTLY told stand-alone scanning to a network file via SMB was NOT possible. It certainly is possible. After a LOT of trial, error and two mis-informative Epson "tech support" calls, I was finally able to successfully setup stand-alone (ie, without installing any Epson proprietary software) scanning via FTP & SMB to files on LAN-based recent model Macs, and scanning to email attachments. I would definitely purchase this Epson DS-730N Scanner again, but ... I have 50+ years of very technical hardware, software, networking and equipment-configuration experience, so your personal mileage configuring stand-alone ("PC-Free Scanning") use may vary depending upon your experience and, especially, patience.

This is a good networked document scanner. It took a little bit of effort to initially set up the software to work the way I want, but other than that, the device works fine. The software included just seems a little confusing. It seems for me to make a change, I have to create a new setting profile and erase the old one. Changing the old setting profile doesn't seem to save correctly.

I really wanted to like this scanner; it has all the features I wanted. ADF, ethernet connectivity, scan to email, TWAIN compatible, Win11. But I just could not get it to work with Adobe Acrobat. Multiple times reinstalling the drivers, multiple times installing Adobe. Tech support calls with both Adobe and Epson. All to no avail. Adobe works with my other scanner and the Epson works with its own software, but they will just not work together. Unfortunately I will be returning it.

I actually bought the older model to this 5 years ago, that one was easy to set up, this one is easy to setup. My company archives PDFs into a network drive and we catalog it with software, The people who have to do this job love these little scanners as it keeps them from having to stand at the main copier all day.