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[M333]Maytag Washing Machine Review

by Jeff McRitchie, Jef

The Offibind 21D is the smallest plastic comb binding machine manufactured by Akiles Products. It is designed for use in the small office / home office space and with a pricetag of around $100 it is definitely worth taking a look at. In fact, the Offibind is a great example of the fact that you don't have to pay a lot of money for a decent quality plastic comb binding machine. This article will take a quick look at the features, limitations and construction of this machine.

Features:

For the pricetag, the Offibind actually has several features that other similarly priced binding machines don't offer. The first such feature is the adjustable depth of punch margin control on the 21D. This is a feature that is normally only available on much more expensive machines. The adjustable depth of punch control is located on the back of the Offibind and is fully adjustable. Many other machines with this feature provide between 2-4 preset settings. However, with this machine you can adjust the distance of the holes from the edge of your document in increments of just millimeters. This means that you can use 3/16" plastic combs with this machine (something that is not recommended with other small binding machines that don't have a depth of punch control).

The Offibind also includes three disengageable punching pins at the end of the machine. This allows it to work with letter sized paper, oversized covers and A4 paper for European formats. By default you will most likey have the number 20 and 21 pins pulled out most of the time. However, when punching longer documents or oversized covers with rounded corners the ability to engage these pins is important.

The Offibind is includes a binding punch that is capable of punching up to 10 sheets of 20lb paper per lift. It also has a plastic comb opener that is rated for use with combs that are up to 1" in diameter. Several of the other binding machines in this price range are not capable of handling combs that are that large. With the 21D you can bind documents that are as thick as 240 sheets of 20lb paper which is adequate for most applications.

Limitations:

Although the Akiles Offibind is a great machine for the price it does have some limitations. First, the punch on the OffiBind is only rated for use with ten sheets of paper per lift. Realistically this means that you will need to keep your punching to about 8 sheets of 20lb paper at a time (or less if you are punching thicker sheets). For small proposals this is not a problem. However, for thicker documents it can become very tedious to separate your book into such small sections.

The Alikes 21D also does not have fully disengageable punching pins. The design of the machine does allow for punching of half letter sized documents (8.5" x 5.5") but it does not allow for the punching of custom lengths. For most users this is not a problem but it is something that is worth noting especially if you are planning on punching longer documents.

The other limitation that is of note is that the comb opener on this machine is only rated to handle combs up to 1" in diameter. While plastic comb binding spines are available in sizes as large as 2" in diameter this machine is not capable of finishing the larger sized books. If you ever think that you may need to bind larger sized books you might consider purchasing a little bit larger machine that can use the bigger combs.

Construction:

For such an inexpensive machine the Akiles Offi-Bind is actually very well built. Unlike other machines in its price range the Offibind has a solid metal base and all metal components inside. The housing over the punching mechanism is plastic and so are the knobs. However, this should not affect the performance of the machine at all. It has rubber feet that will keep it from slipping on your work surface and uses a strong steel handle that should be more than adequate. Plus, Akiles offers a 1 year warranty in case you should have any problems.

Recommendation:

This machine is ideal for a small office or home office that binds a few documents per week. The relatively small punch capacity combined with the inability to bind thicker documents doesn't make it a great candidate for higher volume environments. Still, the excellent construction and small footprint of this machine make it a great choice for many organizations.

Overview:

The Rubicoil is a low priced introductory level 4:1 pitch spiral coil binding machine produced by Akiles Inc.

Akiles Products Incorporated is based out of Ontario California and has been a leading manufacturer of binding equipment for almost fifteen years. They are best known for their CoilMac spiral coil binding machines and Wiremac double loop wire binding machines. However, all of their equipment is known throughout the industry for its quality and durability.

The Rubicoil is designed for the home office or small office environment for users who need to bind a few documents per day or per week.

This machine offers an excellent value for your money but is still a personal binding machine and thus has some limitations that should be noted.

Strengths / Features:

One of the best things about the Akiles Rubicoil is its price. This machine is available for under $200 making it one of the least expensive coil binding machines on the market. For a small office or a home user that is looking to begin binding their own documents with coil this is often a great starting place. It allows you to experiment with spiral coil binding without having to spend a fortune.

This machine includes a "U" shaped punching handle that offers ergonomic punching for both left and right handed users. Many other coil binding machines have a handle that is located on the right side of the machine. That configuration works well for right handed users but is considerably more difficult to use for left-handed operators.

The Rubicoil uses hardened steel dies that are capable of punching up to ten sheets of 20lb paper and one or two clear covers or plastic cover sheets at a time. Considering the price of this machine, that punching capacity isn't actually too bad.

In pictures on the internet, the Rubicoil looks like it is made of plastic. However, it is actually made of metal and is a stronger and more durable machine than you might think. It certainly isn't a production grade machine. However, the Rubicoil shouldn't break or have any problems if it is used for light volume punching and binding.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

This machine includes a punch but does not include a motorized roller to help insert the coils through the holes in your documents. It does have a groove in the document table to help in the inserting process. However, I find that it is actually easier to simply hold the document with one hand and spin the coil on with the other. For light volume applications this shouldn't be too bad. However, spinning more than a few coils onto your documents by hand will get old really fast.

The Rubicoil does not have any disengageable dies. It is strictly designed for punching letter sized sheets. With the holes of this punch so close together it will be nearly impossible to use this machine for binding any other sheet sizes without ending up with a half hole on the edge of your page. The only exception to this is A4. You can purchase extra punching pins that can be added to the rubicoil in order to punch documents that are A4 sized. This isn't really common but it is possible.

This machine also does not include a depth of punch margin control. The manual nature of this machine is such that it is really best suited for binding small documents. For that reason, Akiles did not include the ability to move the holes further away from the edge of the paper. This is a feature that would be used to bind thicker documents.

The only other limitation of the Rubicoil is that it does not include a pair of coil crimping pliers. With the price point of this machine you can purchase a pair of crimpers and the cost will still be less than other comparable coil binding machines. However, it is highly recommended that you do buy crimping pliers since it is very difficult to cut and crimp the ends of the coil without this special tool.

Recommendation:

With a great price point and durable construction, the Rubicoil is an excellent choice for individuals who are looking to bind a few documents using 4:1 pitch spiral coil.

This machine has an ergonomic handle, hardened steel punching dies and a decent punching capacity for personal use.

However, this machine is not a good choice for companies that are going to be binding more than a couple dozen books per week. It requires you to spin the coils into the books by hand and will be fairly slow for any type of volume application.

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