Are you looking for a combination comb and wire binding machine, but aren’t sure which model to go with? One model you may want to consider is the SircleBind CW-4500 electric comb and wire binding machine. This is my review.

The SircleBind line of binding machines, made by Sircle, has only been around for a few years, but they have sent ripples through the binding industry. This is because Sircle binding machines are some of the most affordable today. Not only that, they aren’t half bad looking machines either.

The SircleBind CW-4500 features an electric punch and a manual comb opener and wire closer. The fact that the CW-4500 can bind both comb and wire is pretty cool. I love both formats. This way you don’t have to buy two separate machines.

The machine itself weighs in at 45 pounds, which is pretty hefty. It is, however, still light enough to be used on most desks, work benches and counters. Overall the build quality seems to be pretty nice. It does have a plastic case, but the internal components are metal.

The electric punch on the CW-4500 can punch up to 25 sheets of paper using a 19-ring comb punch and up to 20 sheets of wire in a 3:1 pitch (three holes per inch). Because the CW-4500 has a wire closer and a comb punch, it can also be used to bind books using 19-ring wire, sometimes called wire comb or Spiral-O. The electric punch is very useful and really speeds up the punching process.

Paper punching on the CW-4500 is done vertically, where most binding machines punch paper horizontally. I really like the vertical style punch. This means the edges are almost always squared up and properly aligned, thanks to gravity.

The SircleBind CW-4500 is primarily designed to punch and bind books that are letter size. The CW-4500 includes an adjustable margin depth, which is ideal for binding books of varying thicknesses.

While the CW-4500 isn’t designed for high-volume use, it can be used for low to medium-volume use without any issues. It is great for use in an office or copy shop and the design is easy on the eyes.

I highly recommend the SircleBind CW-4500. The price is right and it is a well-rounded machine.

You can find the SircleBInd CW-4500 electric comb and wire binding machine here. You can find our entire selection of comb, wire and combination binding machines here.

Have you ever tried digging through a box of $5 DVDs? You’re lucky if you can get through the first layer. Most customers end up never knowing exactly what you’re selling. A nice DVD stand or display can easily help improve DVD sales by making them easier to see and access.

There are a few different options to choose from when it comes to displaying DVDs. The method you end up using will depend on space and placement. DVD stands and displays come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but most are made from durable wire.

Here are a few DVD display and stand options you may want to consider:

Wall DVD Display (found here) - A wall display allows you to make good use of wall space. This type of DVD display makes disks easy to view and access. You will find this type of DVD display in rental and retail stores. When configured in a zig zag pattern, you can easily display and hold dozens and sometimes hundreds of disks.

Revolving DVD Stand (found here) – Revolving DVD stands are the most popular way to display DVDs in a retail store. This is because they take up little space, are easy to move and can be placed at checkouts, electronics sales and much more. They can be used to hold DVD movies, Blu-ray movies and even video games from Nintendo, Xbox and the PlayStation. Revolving DVD stands come in a variety of pocket configurations.

Good luck displaying your DVDs, Blu-rays and video games! Need some advice or have some additional questions? Call us at 1-800-658-8788.

In need of a durable coil binding machine capable of continuous daily use? With a lot of cheap binding machines floating around out there, it is tough to know if you are getting a good machine. One coil binder you may want to consider is the Akiles CoilMac-ECI Plus coil binding machine. I have used this machine and this is my review.

The CoilMac-ECI Plus is designed for continuous daily use. It features a manually operated hole punch and large coil inserter. This coil binding machine is made from solid metal construction, as is the case with most Akiles brand binding machines.

The punching pins are thick and designed to punch all day long without dulling, bending or jamming. I actually had our Service Technician open this machine up for me and the inside is all metal, including the gears. It is a great work of engineering when it comes to coil binding machines.

The punching pins are aligned in a 4:1 pitch hole pattern. This means the machine will punch four holes per inch of paper. This is the most common coil binding hole patter used today. The CoilMac-ECI Plus can punch up to 20 sheets of paper at a time.

Unlike the CoilMac-ECI Plus’s cousin, the standard CoilMac-ECI, the ECI Plus punches oval-shaped holes. These oval holes are supposed to make coil insertion and page turns easier. I have used both round and oval holes in book binding and am personally fine with both formats. Both 4:1 pitch round and oval holes take the same supplies.

The ECI Plus also features fully disengaging punching pins. This means you can select exactly which holes you want punched. This is really nice when binding custom books. Have you ever used a binding machine that ended up with a half-punched hole at the end of the paper? This is no longer an issue with disengaging punching pins.

The CoilMac-ECI Plus weighs in at about 52 pounds, so be sure you set it on a desk or table that can support that weight. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

My favorite feature in the CoilMac-ECI Plus is the electric coil inserter. Any inserter is nice, but the CoilMac-ECI Plus uses a wide and powerful inserter that makes coil insertion extremely easy. A food pedal is used to turn the inserter on and off, which allows you to hold the book with both hands.

Overall I am extremely impressed with this coil binding machine. I really can’t find any faults in it. Sure it would be nice to have an electric punch, but you really can’t complain too much considering the quality and the price.

You can find the Akiles CoilMac-ECI Plus coil binding machine here. You can find our entire selection of coil binding machines here.

If you like spiral binding (aka coil), but you don’t have the need for a big massive machine, you may want to consider using the Akiles RubiCoil. I have used this spiral binding machine and this is my review.

Akiles is well known for the build quality of their machines. Akiles machines are made from metal components, unlike much of the competition’s plastic machines. It’s usually pretty safe to say that an Akiles machine will last for years.

The RubiCoil is an entry-level spiral binding machine designed for use in the home or for occasional spiral binding jobs around the office. It is ideal for binding a couple to a dozen books a day. Any more than that and you may want to consider looking at an Akiles CoilMac (found here).

The RubiCoil is very stable and durable. The metal chassis on the RubiCoil eliminates play during binding. The punching die is machined to a 4:1 pitch, which means the RubiCoil is designed to punch four holes per inch of paper.

The RubiCoil is manually operated. Paper is punched by pulling a handle, up to 10 sheets of standard copy paper. I like the “U” shaped design of the handle because it allows the operator to pull down on the lever from any angle, regardless of hand preference. The paper punching is easy and doesn’t require a lot of effort.

Coils on the RubiCoil are manually inserted. The RubiCoil has a coil-inserting table on the front of the machine that makes manual coil insertion easier. This table has a channel dip in it that helps guide the coil. While I would love to see an electric coil inserter, it simply isn’t possible for the price.

Overall I like the RubiCoil. It is important to take into consideration that it is designed for low-volume use though. You certainly don’t want to use it for daily jobs of dozens of books. It simply isn’t designed to handle that much use.

You can find the Akiles RubiCoil spiral binding machine here. You can find our entire selection of spiral binding machines here.

Thermal binding is one of the least known binding formats used today. This isn’t because it is bad, but because more common methods such as comb, wire and coil have taken precedence. Fellowes recently unveiled one of their newest thermal binding machines called the Helios 30. This new machine is both attractive and very affordable. Is it a machine you consider using?

The new Fellowes Helios 30 replaces their older TB 250 thermal binding machine. I personally find the new Helios 30 much more pleasing on the eyes. Fellowes has some very talented design engineers on staff as they continue to make some of the most attractive office machines used today.

To start with, the Fellowes Helios 30 uses a binding format called thermal binding. As the title would suggest, heat is involved. The Helios 30 uses special thermal binding covers that have glue in the spine. The glue is very similar to what is found in a hot glue gun.

Once plugged in, the Helios 30 warms up a heating element. This entire process takes about one to three minutes. While the machine is warming up, you can take your report or paperwork and place it in a thermal binding cover.

Once warmed up, the cover is placed in the machine. The machine then heats up the cover, melting the glue. As might be expected, the glue soaks into the spine of the paper. This process takes about a minute. After a minute, the cover can be removed where the glue later cools down. Once solidified, the booklet is bound.

Thermally bound reports and books look very nice. The Helios 30 can be used with a thermal binding cover up to an amazing 300 sheets of paper.

One thing I really like about the Helios 30 is the HeatShield technology built into the machine. This allows the Helios 30 to get blazing hot on the inside, for melting the glue, but remain cool on the outside. This is ideal for safety, not to mention you don’t want to be using a heat-radiating machine throughout the day.

While thermal binding is attractive, it generally isn’t used for long-term binding. On top of that, you need to be aware that the Fellowes Helios 30 must use special thermal binding covers. You cannot use any cover you want.

The Helios 30 is attractive and compact. It is very user friendly and features an easy-to-use control panel. Once done, the machine can be folded flat for easy storage.

You will find the Fellowes Helios 30 thermal binding machine here. The Helios thermal binding is available in a larger size called the Helios 60 found here. You will find our entire selection of thermal binding machines here.