Are you having trouble settling on either comb or wire binding? Do you feel that you have reports, presentations or books that could benefit from both binding styles? If you are torn, or are having trouble making a decision, you should consider the Akiles WireMac-Combo. This book binding machine can be used to bind books using comb or wire. I have used this machine and this is my review.

Akiles is known for making some of the best binding machines out there. Having used over a dozen different models of Akiles machines myself, I can tell you that I personally like using them over GBC, Fellowes and many other brands. The build quality is simply some of the best I have ever seen in an office machine. The WireMac-Combo falls right in line with this tradition.

The WireMac-Combo is literally made from all-metal construction. Everything from the outer shell of the machine to the inner guts to the handles are made from metal. There are a few wood and plastic trim pieces, but I would say that at least 90% of the machine is made from metal. That really means something in a world where plastic seems to be replacing metal. Head to head, metal always wins over plastic.

The WireMac wire binding machine and the Akiles MegaBind are two great machines. The WireMac-Combo takes these two machines and smashes them into one unit. The end result is pure engineering genius. The WireMac-Combo has to separate and unique punching dies. One die punches paper in a 19-ring plastic comb hole pattern and the other punches paper using a 2:1 pitch or a 3:1 pitch hole pattern (depending on the version of the WireMac-Comb you go with).

Two separate punches mean you never have to worry about swapping out dies. Everything is right there in one machine. The WireMac-Combo also includes a manually operated wire close and a manually operated plastic comb opener / closer. While this may sound very complicated, and the picture of the machine may seem intimidating, it is actually pretty easy to use. Just remember, while there are 4 different handles on the machine, you will only ever use 2 of them when binding a book. Two of the handles are for wire and the other 2 are for comb.

The WireMac-Combo doesn’t just bind books using twin loop wire or plastic comb. It also includes a wide range of “luxury” features. This includes an adjustable margin depth (for the punches) and independent disengageable dies. This allows you to turn of individual punching pins, making custom book binding easy. This feature essentially cuts out the dreaded “half punched” hole. The base of the punching dies also feature a printed diagram showing you where the holes will be punched.

The WireMac-Combo also includes gauges, diagrams and tools that ensure proper binding. This includes a wire closing gauge that keeps the closer from under or over closing the wire.

This machine is excellent for use in an office or copy center. While a robust machine (20.5″ x 27″ x 20″), it will easily sit on most desks or tables. It is a little heavy, weighing in at 64 pounds, it can still be easily moved around by a couple of people.

Having used this machine, I would like to personally vouch for its quality and longevity. This machine is built to last and will easily hold up to daily use. Simply put, our customers love this machine.

You can find the Akiles WireMac-Combo wire and comb binding machine here and our entire selection of book binding machines here. Please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

If you’re not a bindery, or an office that binds dozens to hundreds of books a day, you may be fine with a binding machine that’s a little lower key. This may be 1-10 books a day. If this sounds like you, consider looking at the Intelli-Bind IB150 comb binding machine from Intelli-Zone. This is my review.

Intelli-Bind (by Intelli-Zone) is one of the most affordable and feature-per-dollar lines of binding machines available. Intelli-Bind binding machines cover the comb, wire and comb binding machine lines of bookbinding.

The Intelli-Bind IB150 is one of the cheapest (as in price) binding machines available online. As of this review, it costs just $52. While inexpensive, it can still be used to bind a 2″ book. It really finds its place with those who only need to bind a few books a day.

Using the Intelli-Bind IB150 is pretty straightforward. Take your paper, place it in the horizontal punch and pull the handle. The IB150 can punch 12 sheets of paper, although I would probably keep that around 6-8 sheets. Once the holes are punched, you can place your comb element in the comb opener fingers. Once the comb is opened, your punched paper can be inserted and the comb can then be closed. Voila! You have a bound booklet.

The Intelli-Bind IB150 can be used to bind presentations, reports, booklets and more. I have seen people use the IB150 to create cookbooks, phone directories, promotional literature and more. While the punching capacity isn’t extremely high, it can be used to punch report covers, clear covers and card stock (1 sheet at a time).

The Intelli-Bind IB150, unlike many similarly priced machines, can be used by lefties or righties. This is because it utilizes a “U” shaped handle that can be used from just about any angle. It can also be used by both hands, for faster paper punching. Just be careful that you don’t get over confident and start punching more paper than the machine can handle. That’s a quick rout to a broken machine.

This machine is fairly light, weighing in at 13 pounds shipped. What’s nice about the weight is that this machine can easily be picked up and moved around. This is especially nice if you need to store the binding machine and break it out every so often for the occasional job.

I have to say that I wish it had disengageable punching pins, however, if you are only binding letter-size presentations (8 ½” x 11″) you should be fine. It is designed to work with 19-ring plastic binding combs.

The build quality on the IB150 is actually pretty good. While it does have a plastic shell, a lot of the internal components are made out of metal. If treated well, and used to bind high-volumes of books, this machine should easily hold up for some time. I also have to mention that it looks pretty nice as well.

You can find the Intelli-Bind IB150 comb binding machine here and our entire selection of Intelli-Bind book binding machines here. We also carry a great selection of other binding machines found here.

Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any book binding questions.

Creating your own product is fun and fulfilling. One hobby that I enjoy, and many businesses perform on a daily basis, is bookbinding. It’s fun to produce something that is tangible and looks professional. One of the best-looking binding formats is wire binding. It’s clean, looks great and is ideal for the most important presentations and reports. One machine I personally recommend using is the Akiles WireMac wire binding machine. I have used this machine myself and this is my review.

To start with, I have to say that Akiles is one of the best binding machine manufacturers around. They manufacture comb, wire and coil binding machines and they almost always turn out to be high quality products. The reason I bring this up is because if the WireMac doesn’t fit your bill, you should still consider an Akiles Machine.

The WireMac wire binding machine is designed for low to medium-volume book binding. That isn’t to say that it is a low-volume machine, but it features a manual punch. That means the WireMac’s biggest limiting factor to speed is the operator. The machine itself could stand up to higher-volume binding, but the operator would probably get tired.

You can get the Akiles WireMac in two different designs. One design comes with a 2:1 pitch hole pattern and the other comes with a 3:1 pitch hole pattern. The pitch you use depends entirely on your preference. I can say, however, that the 2:1 pitch has been more popular, due in part to the fact that a 2:1 pitch hole pattern can bind more paper.

Using the WireMac is extremely easy. Simply take a stack of paper (up to 20 sheets of 20 lb paper) and punch it. Keep punching paper until you have the designed amount punched. You then insert a wire binding element into the punched holes and close the wire shut using the built-in wire closer. Sounds easy, right? It really is an easy machine to use.

Don’t let this machine’s simplicity fool you. It is also packed with features. One of my favorite features is the selectable punching pins (aka disengageable dies). This allows you to shut of any of the 40 dies (3:1 pitch) or 27 dies (2:1 pitch). This eliminates half-punched holes and makes it possible to bind books of varying sizes. This machine has a 14″ punching length. Because it is open ended, you can technically punch paper even longer than 14″.

I also really like the adjustable margin depth and diameter selector. Both of these features make it extremely easy to bind books of varying thicknesses.

The WireMac has been around for years and we have sold untold amounts of these machines to customers. Akiles has a great track record with our customers and the WireMac has proven to be extremely reliable, lasing for years without any issues.

Having handled this machine myself, I can tell you that it is solid. The all-metal construction really helps improve the book binding experience. I highly recommend this machine for those interested in binding books, reports and presentations.

You can find the Akiles WireMac wire binding machine here and our entire selection of Akiles book binding machines here. You can find ABC Office’s entire selection of binding machines here.

If you like to bind books as a hobby, run a home business or have small-volume book binding needs, you probably don’t need a binding machine that costs thousands of dollars. You probably need something pretty basic, yet professional. As part of my under $100 binding machine reviews, I would like to introduce you to the Sircle CB-60 comb binding machine. This is my review.

SircleBind (aka Sircle) has been around for a few years now, which is long enough to have developed a reputation for offering “budget” binding machines. Their machines provide a nice blend between affordability and functionality.

The SircleBind CB-60 comb binding machine is one of the most affordable comb binding machines we offer. As of this article, you can pick one up for about $57. For that price, you can’t expect high-volume binding capacities, but it certainly has its place.

To begin with, this machine is extremely compact. It only weighs 5 pounds shipped. It is also very easy to pick up and move around. The handle itself can be folded down and locked into place. If you need a portable book binding machine, this may be just what you need.

The CB-60 can punch through about 6 sheets of paper at a time, however, I would recommend scaling that back to 4-5 sheets. This machine utilizes a lot of plastic parts and I think scaling back the punching amount will extend the life of this machine. It can be used to punch card stock, clear covers and other binding covers, but I would recommend punching one at a time. Don’t force this machine to punch paper. If it feels like you are straining too much, back off. You don’t want to break it.

The binding capacity on this machine is somewhat limited, maxing out at a ½” thick (12mm diameter). That equals out to be about 95 sheets of paper. This means you won’t be able to use the CB-60 to bind thicker books, but it is good for binding booklets, presentations and other reports.

While you can use the CB-60 to bind custom-size books, I would recommend staying with 8 ½” x 11″ paper. It doesn’t have disengageable punching pins, so you could potentially end up with a half-punched hole if you are binding material smaller than letter-size paper.

Having used this little machine myself, I have to say that I highly recommend that it not be used for anything more than light-volume book binding. I have used many binding machines (dozens upon dozens) and I have to say that I have never before seen a comb binding machine that used plastic fingers for opening combs.

The construction is plastic. The shell is plastic, the comb opener is plastic and the catch tray is plastic. If you use this machine for more than light volume use, you will probably be disappointed.

If you are using this for just the occasional book or report, I think you’ll like its compact nature, sleek design and great price point.

Here are a few affordable comb binding alternatives:

• Intelli-Bind IB100 Comb Binding Machine
• Intelli-Bind IB150 Comb Binding Machine
• Fellowes Starlet Comb Binding Machine

You can find the SircleBind CB-60 comb binding machine here and our entire selection of comb binding machines here.

Most coil binding machines look the same. This isn’t a bad thing, although quality does vary from one model to another. What most people want in a coil binding machine is simplicity, durability and quality. You get all three of these features in the new Intelli-Bind IC21E electric coil binding machine from Intelli-Zone. This is my review.

Intelli-Bind is a well-known brand of book binding machines, comparable to Tamerica and Akiles in functionality and quality. They currently make coil, comb and wire binding machines. Intelli-Bind is most known for its value. You can get a lot of machine for very little money.

The Intelli-Bind IC21E is a very unique coil binding machine, much different in appearance and use than comparable machines. To begin with, it doesn’t look like a binding machine. Having used this machine myself, I have to say that it almost looks closer in appearance to a printer. Simply put, it blends in well with existing office equipment.

The IC21E is an extremely compact and unobtrusive machine. Most binding machines feature a horizontal punch accompanied by a handle. If equipped, disengageable dies are usually exposed and in the open. The IC21E has a paper punch that literally folds up when not in use. When folded up, the disengageable dies are also covered. When ready, the punch opening can be pulled down and binding can begin. Not only is this design sleek, it helps keep dust out of critical machine components.

This binding machine features an electric punch that can handle up to 20 sheets of paper at a time. Because it is electric, punching capacity doesn’t depend on the strength of the operator. Simply insert your paper and press the punch button. In a few seconds, the paper will be punched and you can move along to the next stack of paper.

The electric punch punches paper in a 4:1 pitch hole pattern. This hole pattern is the most common used today, with supplies readily available. This equals out to 4 holes per inch of paper. Each of the 46 punching pins can be individually disabled, allowing for precise and professional custom book sizes. This also helps cut down on half-punched holes.  The finished results look great.

The punch on the Intelli-Bind IC21E can be easily adjusted to accommodate various book thicknesses. This is due in large part to the adjustable margin depth. A dial, located on the right side of the machine, makes margin depth adjustments extremely easy. Directly below the margin depth dial is the waste paper tray.

Once paper has been punched, coils can quickly be inserted through the holes by means of a built-in electric coil inserter. Simply manually feed the coil through the first 3-4 holes and let the inserter do the rest. The inserter spins coils through the holes in just seconds. Once inserted, excess coil can quickly be cut and crimped.

From start to finish, books can be bound on the IC21E in just minutes. It can bind books ranging in thickness from about ¼” up to 1 ¼”. It is versatile, practical and bet of all it’s affordable. I highly recommend this machine for medium-volume coil binding operations.

You can find the Intelli-Bind IC21E electric coil binding machine here and our entire selection of coil binding machines here.

Are you shopping around for a reliable wire binding machine that includes a punch, wire closer and easy-to-use features at an affordable low price? There are a lot of wire binding machines floating around out there and one model that seems to be attracting a lot of attention is the Akiles iWire 21 wire binding machine. So is this machine worth the price? This is my review.

Akiles is probably about as well known in the binding industry as Toyota is known in the car industry. Akiles makes dozens of different models of binding machines, including coil, wire and comb binding variations. Over the pas 10 years, Akiles has established a stalwartly reputation, making some of our customers’ favorite machines.

The iWire 21 is one of Akiles’ budget wire binding machines. This doesn’t mean it is “cheap” by any means, but it is targeted towards a low to mid-volume binding range. This particular machine comes in a 2:1 pitch (iWire 21) and a 3:1 pitch (iWire 31) design. The pitch you buy will depend on your preferred hole pattern.

The Akiles iWire21 is a no-nonsense wire binding machine. From the moment you open the box, you are pretty much ready to use it. This machine includes a manual punch, a wire closer and a simple set of binding instructions. There are only about 3 steps required to bind with this machine.

My personal favorite feature is the compact nature of the machine and how portable it is. The paper support on the iWire21 folds down to become a dust cover when the machine is not in use. It only weighs in at 20 pounds, so it is easy to move from desk to desk or room to room.

The manual punch on the iWire 21 is very easy to use. The handle is ergonomic, making it easy to 15 sheets of paper at a time. This wire binding machine has a vertical punch, versus the horizontal punches found in most binding machines. I personally like the vertical punch as it makes it much easier to keep the sheets and holes lined up correctly.

As previously mentioned, this machine is very easy to use. It includes operating instructions on the inside of the dust cover and even has a wire diameter guide.

While I don’t have any long-term data on reliability, because it is so new, I can tell you that upon first inspection the build quality seems exceptional. Akiles has a great track record on their other machines and I can’t see why this machine would be an exception.

I highly recommend this wire binder for your light to medium-volume binding. It should do a great job for binding reports, presentations and booklets.

You can find the Akiles iWire 21 wire binding machine here and our entire selection of wire binding machines here.

Are you in the marketing for a coil-binding machine and need something that includes everything you need to get your binding operations up and going? One great machine you should take a look at is the Akiles iCoil 41+ coil binding machine. The iCoil 41+ is a relatively new binding machine is quickly becoming a hit. This is my review.

Akiles easily ranks up with there with GBC and Renz when it comes to quality and reputation. Akiles manufactures coil, comb and wire binding machines ranging from entry-level to high-end industrial products.

The Akiles iCoil 41+ is a very well rounded coil-binding machine. While it isn’t designed for high-volume jobs, it can easily handle most light to medium-volume bookbinding. It really does include everything you need to start coil binding minus the supplies. This includes a punch, a coil inserter and coil-crimping pliers.

What is the significance of the + in 41+? The plus signifies that this particular coil-binding machine utilizes an oval hole pattern that is very much unique to Akiles. Instead of a round hole, the hole is oval. This is supposed to make coil insertion and page turns easier. Having used both standard round holes and oval holes, I have to say that there is a little truth in that assumption.

The iCoil 41+ uses a 4:1 pitch hole pattern. This is means it punches four holes per inch of paper, which is the most common coil binding hole pattern used today. The other hole pattern used in coil binding is a 5:1 pitch, which is five holes per inch.

Using the Akiles iCoil 41+ is extremely easy and to be honest is pretty darn convenient. Everything has been ergonomically laid out for ease and storage. To begin with, the iCoil 41+ punches paper vertically instead of horizontally. This allows gravity to naturally keep the paper squared up during the punching process, which means all the holes will be even and will maintain an equal margin punching depth.

Once the holes are punched, coil can be quickly inserted through the oval holes by using the included electric coil inserter. While the inserter on the iCoil 41+ is small, it easily grabs onto the coils and spins them through the holes. The electric inserter is turned on and off by means of an included foot pedal, which allows for convenient two-handed operation.

Once the coils are inserted through the punched holes, the included coil-crimping pliers can be used to cut off and crimp the ends of the coils. The entire process is quick and seamless.

One of my favorite features of the iCoil 41+ is how compact it is. The back support for the paper folds down as a dust cover. A storage compartment holes the coil crimping pliers and the electric coil inserter folds down into the body of the binding machine. Once everything is put away and folded into place, the iCoil is extremely easy to move around and store.

One feature the iCoil does not include, which I personally like, is selectable (disengageable) punching dies. This isn’t a huge disadvantage, especially considering the build quality of the iCoil 41+ and the affordability of the machine.

I personally highly recommend this product. It is made by Akiles, and to be honest, just about everything Akiles touches is gold. It is perfect for home use or low to medium-volume business use. You will love using this machine for binding booklets, reports, presentations and more.

You can find the Akiles iCoil 41+ coil binding machine here and our entire selection of coil binding machines here.

We are experts when it comes to binding machines. If you are shopping around, or simply need answers to a few questions, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-658-8788. Have a great day!

Do you bind a lot of reports, documents and other printed material? Do you need to be able to bind a book up to 2″ thick? If your answer is yes to either of these questions, you may want to consider using a binding machine like the GBC System Two 2″ VeloBind machine. I have a lot of experience with this book binder and this is my review.

The GBC VeloBind system is one of the most popular book binding systems out there. It looks great, provides a solid bind and is tamper proof. GBC sometimes markets their VeloBind systems under the SureBind name. They are both the same machine. GBC currently makes a 1″, 2″ and 3″ VeloBind machine.

The GBC System Two is a 2″ VeloBind machine. That means it can bind anywhere from 2 sheets of paper up to a maximum of 2″ of paper. Few machines are capable of binding this much paper. It can be used to bind books as small as 8 ½” long or as large as 14″ long. The most common size is 11″.

The System Two most commonly uses an 11-prong (1 x 11 or 2 x 11) VeloBind strip. This strip is very proprietary to the GBC VeloBind sytstem. It measures in at about ¼” wide and 11″ long and is available in several different colors. I will go into a little more detail on exactly how the System Two works.

To begin with, you will need to punch the paper. The GBC System Two can manually punch up to 22 sheets of paper at a time. This is a lot of paper for a binding machine. Punching 1-2″ of paper takes just a few minutes. Once the paper has been punched, the 11-prong VeloBind strip can be placed through the holes.

Once through the holes, a back strip can be applied to the VeloBind strip. The stack of paper can then be placed in the System Two for the final step. The System Two then cuts off the excess prongs and thermally seals the prongs to the back strip. The end result is an extremely tight and secure bind.

Many construction companies and lawyer’s offices like to use VeloBind because they can bind a lot of paper at once. VeloBound documents are extremely easy to file away and place on a bookshelf.

The GBC System Two VeloBind is a solid binding machine. Having used it myself, I can tell you that the quality needed for an office binding machine is all there. It has been around for years, is time tested and the end results look great.

You can find the GBC System Two 2″ VeloBind machine here and our entire selection of VeloBind machines here.

Were you a big fan of the classic Ibico EPK-21 comb binding machine? It was a customer favorite, and when it was discontinued, we had a lot of sad customers. The good news is that the EPK-21 now lives on as the GBC CombBind C800pro electric comb binding machine. With a few exceptions, it is the same old reliable machine the EPK-21 used to be.

GBC is one of the largest manufacturers of book binding machine in the USA. They manufacture comb binding machines (CombBind), ProClick binding machines and VeloBind machines. Their line of binding machines are primarily targeted towards businesses.

The C800pro is an electric comb binding machine. It features a durable electric paper punch that can punch up to 25 sheets of paper at a time. The electric punch is operated by pressing on a foot pedal. The foot pedal allows for convenient hands-free operation. This is especially nice for high-volume book binding operations.

While the GBC CombBind C800pro features an electric punch, the opener itself is manual. This shouldn’t come across as too much of a letdown though. Very (emphasis on very) few electric comb binding machines have an electric comb opener. This is because manually opening combs takes just seconds. The comb opener handle is located on the left side of the machine (a minor annoyance for a righty like me).

The C800pro has a maximum punching width of 12″ and a maximum binding thickness of about 2″ (425 sheets of 20# paper). The added width and binding thickness allow you to bind just about any book, report or presentation.

The addition of disengageable punching pins makes the C800pro perfect for custom book binding. Any of the 21 punching pins can be disengaged. This completely eliminates half-punched holes and allows you to bind books ranging from a few inches to 12″ wide without any issues.

The all-metal build quality on the C800pro is very obvious when being handled. The housing, handles, punching pins and gears are all made out of metal. The build quality is exceptional, which is probably why it is rated for commercial-volume book binding.

Overall I really like this comb binding machine. If you are a business or copy center that needs a reliable comb binding machine, this will certainly fit the bill.

You can find the GBC CombBind C800pro electric comb binding machine here and our entire selection of comb binding machines here.

We repair GBC binding machines; so if you are in need of parts or servicing, feel free to call one of our Service Technicians at 1-800-658-8788 x129.

Are you looking for a small, compact and affordable comb binding machine from a reputable manufacturer? Few manufacturers have as much credibility and positive reputation as Akiles. One model you may want to consider buying is the Akiles OffiBind comb binding machine. I have had the opportunity to use this comb binder and this is my review.

To begin with, Akiles makes over a dozen different binding machines. This ranges from comb and wire to coil and combo machines. Akiles is considered by many of our customers to be some of the best machines around. The build quality is exceptional.

The Akiels OffiBind is an entry level comb binding machine. This means it is designed for light-volume binding. This could be at home or in a small business environment. I personally wouldn’t use it for more than a dozen books a day. It simply isn’t designed for anything more than that.

The paper punch on the OffiBind is capable of punching 8-10 sheets of 20# paper at a time. The punching capacity really depends entirely on the type of paper being used. I recommend starting off small and working up the punching capacity until you have a good feel for what the machine is capable of.

The OffiBind has 3 different disengageable punching pins. This means that 3 of the punching pins can be turned off in the event half-punched holes are occurring. This is a pretty nice feature to have in a machine as inexpensive as this one.

While this is a light-volume comb binder, the Akiles OffiBind is still capable of binding books as thick as 2″. You simply need to punch sheets of paper until you reach a 2″ stack. At an average punching capacity of 8-10 sheets, a 2″ stack may take a few minutes, but it is completely possible. Two-inches of paper is about 500 sheets of 20# paper.

The Akiles OffiBind has what’s known as an open throat. This means that although the OffiBind is designed to punch paper up to letter (A4) paper size, larger paper can be punched. Simply punch what you can, slide the paper over and punch the rest of the paper. I personally don’t like using an open ended binding machine for punching larger sheets of paper. It is just to hard to keep the holes aligned.

While fairly simple in design, the Akiles OffiBind is a solid little machine. The punching dies cut through paper without any issues, and for the price, the build construction is exceptional. I would personally be fine with using the OffiBind for my own light-volume book binding projects.

You can find the Akiles OffiBind comb binding machine here and our entire selection of comb binding machines here.