Comb Binding Machine

I wasted my money on this product. It doesn't cut the holes in the paper well at all. I bought this to use in our homeschool, and it's collecting dust in a closet because it DO NOT WORK!!!!! I would have returned it, but couldn't find my receipt, so I'm stuck with it. SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!! They say you get what you pay for. Fork out a few extra dollars and buy a higher quality machine!!!!!

Was not new. Difficult to use. Only a few pages at a time could be punched. Use your money to get a more sturdy piece of equipment.

As described

I purchased this comb binder to make books for my children's school work. Many companies are going to digital downloads for their products, and I thought using a comb binder to make booklets would be easier to transport and store and cheaper in the long run than using a 3 ring binder. I am trying to bind computer paper and only used the recommended 3 sheets at a time. The problem with this binding machine is that the holes do not punch cleanly. I made a mess on the floor trying to pull the tabs off of each sheet and it took forever! You can't put the comb in though unless the holes are punched cleanly. It was a long and messy process to make one booklet and I have several more I need to do. I wish that I had not wasted my money on this machine.

Listed as "NEW" but was obviously used when received. Very cheap.

If your office use expectations are only to infrequently comb-bind single documents, one of these may be satisfactory. But if your intents are to frequently comb-bind lots of documents for distribution, you need an electrically driven punch machine. This is a manual punch and even within the manual-driven class, it's an entry-level machine. Its low price justifies expecting a light weight but workable machine, which it is if operated with some attention to detail. The center top plunger should be pushed down quickly which takes requires more pressure than I expected because its two internal return springs generate much more return force than is necessary. Lighter-tension coil springs should be specified by the builder. I like taking most things apart to see how they were designed, so this received that same processing. The plunger handle simultaneously depresses two outside-end pivoting levers, each of which pushes down its respective end of the hard sharp-edged cutter bar. The machined cutters are formed convex toward their ends, so they first cut the ends of their paper slots, then as the plunger is pushed further down, they progressively cut away to and through the center of each paper slot. That cutter bar appears to be a pretty adequately sharp and tough metal piece. But the plastic surround slots into which those punch tines slide after cutting through the paper leave more clearance than I would have expected. Due to that extra clearance, it is possible for some paper to bend and deform and not be completely cut away by the punching process. Two operator adjustments seem to address this "hanging chad" (wasn't that an election problem a few years ago?) problem. First operator adjustment is to plunge QUICKLY rather than slowly. Slow punching promotes any "hanging chad" problems. Then it occurred to me that if I left a really thin stiff clear plastic sheet in the machine, after the first punching operation, that plastic sheet with punch holes would support the paper right up to the metal cutter bar's cutting edges. Instantly the hanging chad problem disappeared. By applying a line of double-sided adhesive tape to the clear plastic sheeting material, its position was locked and subsequent punch cuts were clean. If the design team which produced this had thought of this detail improvement, and also fitted it with MUCH weaker return springs, I think it would be receiving more satisfied reviews. We should not need to spend $.25 to improve such a machine as I described, but if you're willing to do that, cost/benefit ratio seems pretty good. On the plus side, most inexpensive comb-punch machines are limited to 11-inch paper stock making 19 slots. This one can also handle 13-inch paper punching 21 slots. You could buy 21-ring combs to use with legal-size paper, but since 21 - 19 = 2 extra slots, you could use standard 19-ring comb binders leaving the top and bottom slots open. It's not fair to apply the same performance testing standards to a machine which sells for about as much as the sales tax would be on a big professional electric punch.

Shipped quickly, great price, works just as expected.

Do not buy this machine.