I want a FAX machine.

Yes, there are a few places online that allow you to send a free fax, no strings attached. You don't need a fax machine, you don't need fax software, you don't have to give anyone your credit card number. My favorite is FaxZero, which lets you send a fax to any fax machine in the United States (including Puerto Rico) or Canada for free. All you need is a computer on the Internet and a valid e-mail address. Faxzero is web-based, so you can access it with a PC, Mac or Linux based computer.

Here's how it works... First visit FaxZero.com and fill out the fax form. Enter your e-mail address and carefully type the Confirmation Code. (This prevents malicious users and automated bots from abusing the system.) Then type the text of your fax (for a quick text-based fax) or attach a file. You can send plain text, PDF, Microsoft Word (DOC), or an Excel spreadsheet (XLS) file. Ready to send? Whack the Send Free Fax Now button!

A confirmation message will then be sent to your e-mail address. Your fax won't be transmitted until you click the link in that message. You'll receive an e-mail confirming that the fax was either delivered, or that it failed for some reason.

Free Internet Faxing... Really?
Yes, it's really free. The service is supported by advertising on the cover page of the free faxes you send. That seems like a small "price" to pay for sending a free fax. You don't have to buy a fax machine, fax software, fax supplies, get a fax line, or pay long distance phone charges. And typically the cover page is mostly blank anyway. Why not fill it up with something useful?

And you needn't be concerned about getting spammed or scammed if you use FaxZero. Here's the FaxZero privacy policy:

We hate junk e-mail and junk faxes, and will absolutely not send any unsolicited e-mail or faxes. Users will receive e-mail messages (such as confirmation messages) as part of the process of using the service. If you subscribe to the FaxZero mailing list, we will send occasional news about the service, which may include advertisments for our marketing partners. Your name, company name, e-mail address, and fax number will appear in the "Sender Information" area of the faxes that you send. FaxZero will not share your information, nor information about the people you send faxes to, with marketers or anyone else, unless compelled to do so by court order.
Can I Send Unlimited Free Faxes?
No, the free service provided by FaxZero is limited to 2 faxes per day, and there's a maximum of three pages per fax. If you need to send more than that, you can use the FaxZero Premium service. Sending a premium fax costs $1.79, and there's no ad or FaxZero logo on the cover page, so you may like that for business communications. The number of pages increases from 3 to 10, and there's no 2-fax-per-day limitation

Surprising about toner costs, isn't it? My printer is a LaserJet 1020. Got it at 99.99. When it runs out of toner, the best bet may just be to dispose of the printer and have a whole new machine.