If you need to laminate posters, signs and banners that fall within a 27″ width, you probably need to use a thermal roll laminator like the Banner Easy-Lam 27″. This laminator has been around for well over a decade and has a good track record with customers. I have used this laminator several times myself and this is my review.

While the American-Made Banner Easy-Lam roll laminator has undergone a few aesthetic changes over the years, it still remains true to what the laminator was originally designed for, an affordable “budget” laminator for schools, copy shops and other businesses. This laminator has an effective laminating width of 27″, which is one of the most popular sizes used today.

Made in the USA, the overall build quality is exceptional. It features higher-than-normal quality electronic components, which includes the motor, switches and wiring. This becomes evident when removing the side protective shell. This laminator also features a durable metal frame as well as a metal shelf, metal mandrels and much more. This is far better than your typical “foreign-made” machines. It even comes with 2 free rolls of 25″ x 100’ 1.5mil film, which is a great deal.

The Banner Easy-Lam is very easy to set up. A toggle switch lets you adjust the laminator between 1.5 mil (0.0015″ gauge) and 3 mil (0.003″ gauge) film. It also features a built-in LED temperature readout that keeps the operator in the know. There really isn’t much “fine tuning” involved in getting this laminator up and running. It only takes about 15 minutes to get up to full operational temperature.

As mentioned earlier, the Easy-Lam is designed for use with 27″ wide film that has a 1″ diameter core. While it can be used with 27″ film, it can also use 25″, 12″ and other smaller width film. Loading the film, unlike many roll laminators is easy. Simply place a mandrel through the top roll, one through the bottom roll, and insert the mandrels back into the machine. The film can then be wound around the heat shoes and tension bars.

While thermal roll laminators can get blazingly hot, the Banner Easy-Lam is designed with safety in mind and even includes an attached safety shield, which keeps the hottest parts covered. While it does still get hot, it is far safer to use than many comparable machines.

The laminator itself measures in at 20″(50.8cm) L x 35″(88.9cm) W x 16″ (40.6cm) H and weighs 68 pounds unboxed. While it isn’t going to win any races, it still operates at a reasonably fast speed of 4.5 feet per minute. It can be plugged into a standard 120volt (60Hz) outlet and draws 1800 watts at its peak. A 200-volt version, however, is available for the same price.

This is a video demo of the Banner Easy-Lam 27″ roll laminator:

What can I say? The Banner Easy-Lam 27″ roll laminator (found here) is a solid machine and I personally recommend it for light to medium-volume use. A slightly upgraded version, known as the Banner Easy-Lam II 27″ (found here) is also available. It is great for schools, copy shops and any business that needs to laminate signs, banners, posters or even several small things at the same time like business cards, menus, letter-size paper and more.

You can find our entire selection of thermal roll laminators here. Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions. Have a great day!

When a school, church or business is shopping around for a roll laminator, the Banner American Easy-Lam II 27″ roll laminator is usually at the top of the list. That is because the Easy Lam is affordable, easy to use and can be used to laminate posters, signs, banners and other material. This is my review.

I have personally used the Easy-Lam II. At first glance, it is a little intimidating. The machine itself is fairly large, measuring in at 48″ L x 40″ W x 26″ H. Don’t be too worried though. After familiarizing myself with the machine it is actually pretty easy to set up and use.

I believe the Easy-Lam II finds its stride when laminating multiple smaller documents. It can easily laminate posters, don’t get me wrong, but it can also be used to laminate multiple 8 ½” x 11″ documents at a time. This was especially beneficial for me when I was laminating large volumes of business cards.

Not only does the Easy-Lam II laminate documents, but it can also be used to mount material up to ¼” thick. This means you can easily mount photos, posters, signs and other material onto ¼” foam core board without any problems.

It warms up pretty fast. After plugging it in, it took about 15 minutes to be fully warmed up. This isn’t bad for a roll laminator. A built-in thermometer lets you know exactly what the temperature is. This is especially nice when trying to get the temperature just right for the film you are using. The thermometer, combined with an adjustable heat control, makes getting the “right” temperature very easy.

One of the most feared processes of owning a roll laminator is changing the film. Many people dread doing it. I have personally changed the film on this laminator and I have to say that it wasn’t bad. It was easy to place the film on the mandrels and wind it through the laminator. The Easy-Lam II uses a drop-down idler bar that makes it exceptionally easy to load new laminating film.

While the Easy-Lam II can use film up to 27″ wide, it can also be used with smaller rolls of film as well. It can be used with laminating film ranging from 1.5 mils up to 3 mils thick.

Banner American Easy-Lam II Roll Laminator Video Demo

This laminator also features:

• Reverse motor switch
• Safety shield
• Teflon coated heat shoes
• Silicone laminating rollers
• Heavy-duty DC motor
• Adjustable feed table guide

The build quality on this laminator seems to be right where it should be. We had an Easy-Lam II roll laminator on our showroom floor for several years and it always worked every time we used it just like the day we unboxed it.

This laminator, however, is not a high-volume machine. It is probably best used for low to medium-volume projects. The motor, while tough, runs at a speed of 5.5’ per minute. I recommend this laminator for school use, church use, copy center use and low-volume business use.

You can find the Banner American Easy-Lam II 27″ roll laminator here and our entire selection of roll laminators here. You can find our great selection of affordable roll laminating film here.

Do you need a reliable pouch laminating machine for use at home or in a small business environment? If you’re in the shopping process right now, you have probably discovered a huge selection of machines. One model I would recommend you look at is the Fellowes Cosmic 125 12” pouch laminator. This is my review.

Fellowes, although better known for their shredders, also makes a wide variety of pouch laminators. The Cosmic 125 (aka CL-125) pouch laminator is the home / small office version of the heavier-duty Saturn 125. This laminator has been around for some time now and has a great reputation for light to medium-volume jobs.

Let me get down to the basic specs. This laminator has a 12 ½” wide opening that is designed to laminate wider documents or several smaller documents. As far as pouch laminators go, a 12 ½” wide opening is very large. This allows you to use the Cosmic 125 to laminate signs, menus, photos and much more. The Cosmic 125 literally measures in at 3.5625″ x 20.6875″ x 7.875″

Aesthetically, the Fellowes Cosmic 125 is one of the best looking laminators around. It features a calm white and gray color scheme. Rounded edges almost make this laminator look like a piece of home entertainment equipment than a piece of office machinery. It should easily fit in with your existing office products.

This particular laminator is designed to be used both 3 and 5 mil thick pouches. A mil is a thousandth of an inch. The 5-mil thickness is compatible for use with index card size items and smaller. The 3-mil thickness can be used with larger documents. While this is a thermal laminator, capable of heating up in 5 minutes, it can also be used for cold laminating.

If you have ever used a pouch laminator, you may have noticed that they can get pretty hot. Some are extremely hot to the touch. The Cosmic 125 uses special HeatGuard technology that keeps the laminator cool to touch. This is nice when you need to quickly unplug and move (or re-position) the laminator.

Portability is extremely easy with the Cosmic 125. An included carrying handle is located on the back of the laminator. It also features cord storage. This is nice for packing up and moving the laminator.

Have you ever started laminating something only to notice that you fed it in crooked? If not fixed, this can result in a jam. The Cosmic 125 features a release lever that disengages pouches, making them easy to remove or re-position. Once you’re ready, this lever can be re-engaged and laminating can re-commence.

Overall I think the Cosmic 125 is a good value. Just remember that this is not designed for high-volume use. It is best used for low to medium-volume laminating. Also be aware that you cannot use this laminator with 7 or 10-mil thick pouches.

You can find the Fellowes Cosmic 125 12″ pouch laminator here and our entire selection pouch laminators here.

Model: Cosmic 125 Laminator
CRC: 52160
Item Number: 5216001

Are you in the market for a sub $100 pouch laminator that you can use at home or in the office? Many laminators under $100 aren’t worth much when it comes to quality results. At ABC Office we try to offer only the highest-quality laminators available and the Fellowes Saturn SL-95 pouch laminator is one such machine. This is my review.

Fellowes has developed a stalwart reputation for their huge line of paper shredders. What many people don’t realize is that Fellowes also makes a large line of binding machines and laminators. All Fellowes products have something in common – they look great!

The Saturn SL-95, at the time of this article, runs at a price of about $94 new. This is very affordable, especially for a 9 ½” pouch laminator. Not only is the SL-95 affordable, it touts an impressive 2-year warranty. It even includes a laminating starter kit.

For a laminator, The SL-95 is very attractive. It features a charcoal gray with a lighter gray design with soft rounded curves. It almost looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. The control panel is very easy to use and extremely easy to set up.

The large 9 ½” width is capable of handling most letter-size documents and can be used to laminate small pouches as well. The thermal temperature settings are designed to handle 3 mil and 5 mil laminating pouches. Warm-up time only takes about 5 minutes.

As with any thermal pouch laminator, they can generate a lot of heat. Because of this heat, safety can be an issue with some laminators. The Fellowes Saturn SL-95 features HeatGuard technology that makes the laminator cool to the touch. This is great, especially for home use.

One of the most annoying features of pouch laminators is alignment. If a pouch is fed in crooked, it can eventually run into the side of the laminator and cause a jam. The SL-95 has a special release lever that releases pressure on the pouch, making it easy to re-position. Once re-aligned, the laminator can be clamped back down and laminating can continue.

Portability is frequently an issue with pouch laminators. Many laminators are awkward and difficult to pick up and move around. The Fellowes Saturn SL-95 includes a built-in handle, making it easy to pick up and move around. Weighing in at just 7 pounds shipped, the SL-95 can be used on most desks, tables and workstations.

Be aware that the SL-95 is not designed for high-volume use. It is, however, great for the occasional laminating job. I would rate it for low to medium-volume use.

Considering the price, the warranty, the quality and the great looks, I think the SL-95 to be a great fit for any home or small business.

You can find the Fellowes Saturn SL-95 pouch laminator here, our entire selection of pouch laminators here and our pouch laminating film here.  Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-658-8788 with your pouch laminator questions.

Are you tired of your laminated photos, signs and cards being ruined by your laminator? Sounds like it’s time for you to upgrade to something a little more reliable. One great pouch laminator you should consider buying is the Akiles iLam 240 9″ pouch laminator. This is my review.

To start with, Akiles has been making thermal pouch laminators for several years now. They are already well known for the ProLam and UltraLam line of pouch laminators. The new iLam series is available as the 9″ 240 and the 13″ 340.

At first one might think that the iLam is an entry-level machine, perhaps below the Akiles ProLam or UltraLam line. The iLam 240, in all truth, is a pretty robust machine capable of medium to even high-volume pouch laminating. It is packed with features as I will soon explain.

The 9″ width of the iLam 240 allows this laminator to handle most paper sizes, including the ever-popular letter size. While you may need something wider for menus and other signs, the 9″ width is optimal for most people.

I personally like the easy control panel the iLam 240 uses. Setup is as simple as turning a dial on the side of the laminator. The control dial allows the operator to set the laminator thickness and temperature in just seconds. Everything is clearly laid out on the dial. The dial changes colors, letting you know when it is ready to be used.

A reverse button is located on the left side of the machine. This button makes it easy to back out mis-fed items and makes jam clearance easy. If for any reason a jam occurs that the reverse button cannot fix, simply open the laminator and remove it yourself. Two latches allow for easy to access the heated rollers.

Unlike many pouch laminators that simply use a heating element to warm the pouches and film, the iLam 240 has heated rollers. A total of 4 rollers pull material through the laminator, evenly distributing heat as needed. As a result of a heated roller system (2 hot / 2 cold), results are clear, clean and crisp. There is no need to worry about cloudy results.

The Akiles iLam 240 utilizes a heavy-duty motor. This motor allows you to use the laminator on a continuous basis without causing any damage. The build quality on the iLam 240 should allow this laminator to be used for several years.

Overall I consider the iLam 240 to be a perfect laminator for home, business or copy center use. It is tough, robust, easy to use and pretty much portrays everything Akiles quality is known for.

You can find the Akiles iLam 240 9″ pouch laminator here and our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Are you looking for a pouch laminator that can laminate your photos, report covers, business cards and menus? It is tough to find a decent multi-purpose pouch laminator. One model that we now offer, available from a solid manufacturer, is the Akiles iLam 340 13″ pouch laminator. This is my review.

Akiles is one of the most solid and most reputable manufacturers of office equipment that there are. They make great binding machines, laminators, corner rounders and paper trimmers. Akiles is already well known for their ProLam and UltraLam pouch laminators. The iLam series is the next generation. This includes the iLam 340 and the iLam 240.

The iLam 340 is a 13″ wide pouch laminator. That means that, on a scale of width, is one of the largest pouch laminators we offer. The wide 13″ width is ample enough to handle most laminating pouches. This includes 12″ x 18″ pouches, business card pouches and everything in between.

There are a few features I personally recommend you find in a laminator and the iLam has them all. This includes a reverse button, for retrieving jammed documents, and an adjustable temperature control.

The control panel on the iLam 340 is one of the most unique I have ever seen. Most laminators have a control panel on the front of the laminator. The iLam 340 has single knob located on the side of the laminator. This knob is turned to the mil thickness you are laminating, which in turn adjusts the laminator’s heat level.

The end results on the iLam 340 are pristine. This is due in part to the heated rollers. The iLam 340 has a total of 4 silicon rollers that help evenly distribute both heat and pressure. This cuts down on ripples, bubbles, cloudiness and other annoying laminating anomalies.

Have you ever experience a jam so devastating that it required you to send in the laminator for repair? You will probably never experience this with the iLam 340. A couple of locking latches can be released, allowing you access to the inside of the laminator without any special tools.

Weighing in at 15 pounds, the iLam 340 can be used on most tables, desks and work surfaces. It is easy to pick up and move around. The sleek modern design looks great and fits in with most office environments.

As far as pouch laminators are concerned, I have to say that the iLam 340 from Akiles is one of the most solid, durable and tough laminators available. It can be used throughout the day without suffering excessive wear and tear.

I give this laminator extremely high marks and feel confident that you will be happy with this laminator. As mentioned earlier, Akiles products are some of the most solid available and the iLam 340 is no exception. This laminator comes with a 1 year warranty.

You can find the Akiles iLam 340 13″ pouch laminator here and our entire selection of pouch laminating machines here.

Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions about this laminator.

Whether you need to laminate a map or a poster, you’re probably going to need a roll laminator. If your laminating jobs fall within a 27″ width, you may want to consider using the Banner American MightyLam 2700 roll laminator. I have had several opportunities to use this machine and this is my review.

Banner American manufactures a wide variety of laminators, including both pouch and roll laminators. While the Banner American line of EasyLam roll laminators are a huge hit with our customers, they are better suited for low-volume use. A great upgrade from the EasyLam is the MightyLam, which is great for medium-volume laminating.

The MightyLam 2700 is a 27″ wide roll laminator that uses 1″ core laminating rolls. It is designed to be used throughout the day and is capable of handling laminating film up to 10 mils thick, which is pretty impressive for a roll laminator in this price range. It can even be used to mount and laminate material up to ¼” thick.

You can see the recommended temperature settings for the mil thickness in this diagram.

One thing I really like about the MightyLam is that it is a fairly open and easy-to-access laminator. This is a huge benefit when it comes to removing old rolls and feeding new film through the machine. Film changes are very easy on the MightyLam 2700.

The control panel on the MightyLam 2700 is very easy to operate. The left side of the machine features a couple of digital displays that give you the temperature and a small dial on the left allows you to adjust the temperature.

The right side of the machine features a “ready” light, a temperature switch, a motor switch and a fan switch. I personally like to have all the switches separated like this as it gives the operator more control and saves energy. Unlike many comparable laminators, the motor doesn’t have to be running while the laminator warms up.

The MightyLam 2700 uses heat shoes to heat up the laminating film. These shoes can get very hot, so a safety shield has been put in place. While most modern laminators feature safety shields, the shield on the MightyLam 2700 fully encompasses the hottest components.

A feed tray, located on the front of the machine, provides ample support for wide documents being fed in. A side guide makes it possible to properly align material and is ideal for repeated laminating jobs.

You can get the MightyLam 2700 in a 120 or a 240 volt version, depending on where you are at and your building’s power requirements. It weighs 200 pounds shipped, so be sure you have a workstation capable of supporting this weight.

Overall I really like the MightyLam 2700. It is a customer favorite and I consider it to be a solid laminator for medium-volume jobs.

You can find the Banner American MightyLam 2700 roll laminator here and our entire selection of thermal roll laminators here. Do you have questions or need service on your roll laminator? Call us at 1-800-658-8788.

Are you tired of cloudiness, bubbles and ripples in your laminating film? If you are experiencing any of these issues, or if you simply need a great all-round laminator, you may want to consider using the Akiles UltraLam 250B or 250P pouch laminators. This is my review.

Akiles has a great reputation with binding machines and their laminators are no exception. Akiles now offers over a half-dozen different pouch laminators. The UltraLam 250B and 250P are some of their newest additions. The UltraLam line of laminators is Akiles higher-end line of laminators.  These new laminators have several benefits that you may like to utilize in your own daily laminating operations.

To begin with, the UltraLam 250B and 250P are essentially the same laminators with one minor difference. The Model 250B utilizes a traditional bimetal temperature control (screw) where the 250P uses a more modern digital electronic temperature adjustment (dial). Both laminators produce identical results.

The UltraLam 250 series laminators have a 9″ (A4 size) opening. This opening is able to accommodate most letter-size documents with about a ¼” buffer on each side of the paper. This helps cut down on jams and makes it easy to laminate not only letter-size paper, but also photographs, businesses cards and other material.

The Akiles UtraLam 250 is a tough little laminator, capable of laminating documents up to 10 mils thick. It can be used to laminate not only 10 mil thick film, but it also handles 3, 5 and 7 mil thick film without any problems. This is due in part to the UltraLam’s great temperature range (85° -160°C).

These laminators are designed for daily, continuous use. There is no need to worry about this laminator overheating, and thanks to solid metal gears, you shouldn’t have to worry about any downtime.

If you need to keep the laminator on all day, you can help prolong the laminator motor’s life by turning it off. This way the laminator stays hot for fast lamination and the motor stays off when not in use. This is all possible thanks to independent temperature and motor controls.

Both the 250B and 250P utilize special heat plats and silicon rollers to evenly distribute heat. This helps to cut down on cloudiness, bubbles and ripples. This design also allows these laminators to laminate documents with or without a carrier.

Overall I consider the Akiles UltraLam 250 series laminators to be solid laminators. They should be up to the task of laminating just about anything. I would personally have no problem using this laminator for my own medium to higher-volume laminating jobs.

You can find the Akiles UltraLam 250B or 250P pouch laminators here and our entire selection of pouch laminating machines here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

Are you looking for a compact and portable laminator that you can use at the office for occasional jobs or at home for laminating photos and other small documents? If this sounds like your situation, you may want to consider looking at the Fellowes EXL 45-2 pouch laminator. This is my review.

To begin with, Fellowes has a knack for creating beautiful equipment. This includes their shredders, binding machines and laminating machines. While functionality is ultimately most important, it is nice to get a piece of office equipment that looks good. The EXL 45-2 is a very attractive laminator.

For those that complain they can’t find the power button on their machine, you’ll be happy to know that the power button on the EXL 45-2 is the most obvious thing on it. It is ridiculously large. In some strange way it reminds me of the power button on my Xbox 360. This laminator’s colors are platinum and charcoal.

Looks aren’t everything though. The real question is, “does the EXL 45-2 perform?” To start, the EXL 45-2 is a small laminator. The feed opening is only 4.5″ wide. If you need to laminate letter-size documents, this is not the laminator you want to use. If you only plan on laminating photos, business cards and other small material, this may be an good option.

It only takes about 5 minutes to fully warm up. This is especially nice if you need a laminator for occasional use that can be turned on and used quickly, as needed. The EXL 45-2 has a maximum laminating film thickness of 5 mils. This means you will be able to use both 3 and 5 mil pouches, but won’t be able to use 7 and 10. The good news is that 3 and 5 mil pouches are the most common used thicknesses.

While the EXL 45-2 is primarily designed for thermal laminating, it can be set up and used for cold laminating as well. While it says film can be run through it without a carrier, I personally still like using one. This is up to you. I personally think carriers help prolong the laminator’s life be preventing hot glue from squeezing out onto the rollers.

The Fellowes EXL 45-2 is only a two-roller laminator. This should come as no surprise as the laminator doesn’t cost very much. This isn’t the end of the world, but this also means that the EXL 45-2 is not designed for high-volume use. It is best used for light to occasional use.

Overall I think this is a great laminator for the price and what it’s meant to do. It is a great option for a small business or home.

You can find the Fellowes EXL 45-2 pouch laminator here and our Fellowes laminating pouches here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Do you need a high-quality pouch laminator that can be used to laminate letter-size or smaller documents? If so, one affordable model you may want to consider using is the Intelli-Lam IL300 pouch laminator from Intelli-Zone. I have had the opportunity to use this laminator and this is my review.

The Intelli-Lam IL300 is considered to be a medium to high-volume pouch laminator. This means it can be used throughout the day for laminating letter-size documents, signs, photographs and other material.

My first impression, upon handling this laminator, was how heavy-duty the build quality is. It has a metal case and metal components that become pretty clear when you try to pick the thing up. It is a very solid and well-built machine.

Upon opening it up, I was able to see that it had a total of four rollers. This is especially nice, when compared to other laminators in this price range that only have two rollers. Four rollers helps evenly distribute heat and pressure, which in turn provides better laminating results.

The control panel is fairly simple. There is nothing digital on the control panel, but it does have an adjustable temperature control and a separate switch that can be used to turn the motor on, off or put it in reverse. If you have ever misfed something into a pouch laminator, you probably know how nice it is to have a reverse switch. When in the “off” position, the heat is also turned off.

A power light lets you know when the laminator is plugged in and a green light indicator blinks until the laminator is completely warmed up, at which time it will turn a solid green. Unfortunately there is no power switch, which means you will have to unplug the laminator to turn it completely off (although it is in a standby mode when the motor is in the “off” position).

The IL300 is designed to be used with laminating film up to 10 mils thick. This is the thickest laminating film typically offered. This also means that the IL300 can also be used with thinner 3, 5 and 7 mil pouches. This provides a wide variety of laminating options.

Upon plugging it in and turning it on, I noticed that the IL300 is very quiet. The motor makes hardly any noise at all. This is the case even when the motor is in reverse. Even the cooling fan is extremely quiet. The laminator was warmed up and ready to be used in less than 10 minutes.

Overall I consider this to be a great, solid laminator (especially for the price). I would have no problem using this laminator with my most important documents.

You can find the Intelli-Lam IL300 pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.