The Tamerica Tashin TW2100 is a twin loop wire binding machine that includes a 2:1 pitch punch, a wire hanger and a heavy duty wire closer. It is great for binding documents with double loop, twin loop, wire-o, double-o and Wirebind spines.
The TW2100 offers a stylish and compact design which makes it an ideal choice for companies that don't have room for a large and obtrusive binding system.
It is designed specifically for binding documents using 2:1 pitch wire-o spines. It can be used with standard two to one pitch wires for binding documents between 5/8" and 1-1/4" and is also compatible with specialty small sized 2:1 pitch wires.
Strengths / Features:
The TW2100 has 27 fully disengageable punching pins for handling sheets that are up to fourteen inches in length. This makes the TW-2100 the least expensive two to one pitch wire binding system capable of binding legal sized books.
This machine has two handles. One handle operates the punch which can produce holes in up to 20 sheets of paper at a time. The second handle operates the wire closer. The fact that the TW-2100 has two handles helps to ensure that the wire closer stays accurate and true over time and it helps to reduce stress on the punching mechanism of the machine.
The TW-2100 has fully disengageable dies. Using the pull pins that are located on the front of the machine it is possible to stop any single hole from punching along the edge of your book. This means that you can punch any length of document up to fourteen inches without having to worry about leaving half a hole on the edge of your documents. It also has a four position depth of punch control. Using a small knob on the side of the machine you can adjust the distance of the holes from the binding edge of your document.
The TW-2100 is made of metal not of plastic. The metal components are heavy duty and are designed for durability in organizations that bind documents every day.
Like other machines from Tamerica the TW-2100 comes with a two-year warranty. Most other wire binding machines come with a one-year warranty. The extra year offered on this machine give you added protection on your investment.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
The TW-2100 has a concealed wire closer on the front of this machine. The fact that you have to flip open the lid to the compartment in order to use the wire closer adds another step to the binding process. The design looks good but cuts into productivity.
This machine has a manual punching mechanism. Although twenty sheets is a good punching capacity for a wire binding machine, the TW2100 is still a manual binding machine. It is ideal for light to moderate binding applications. Users who need to bind a lot of documents or thick documents may want to consider a machine with an electric punch.
This machine produces a 2:1 pitch punching pattern. It is specifically designed for binding documents with wires that are from 5/8" up to 1-1/4" but can also be used with special small sized 2:1 pitch wires which are available but cost more than standard 3:1 pitch wires.
Recommendation:
The TW-2100 is an excellent 2:1 pitch double loop wire binding system that offers both punching and binding for books up to fourteen inches in length.
It includes heavy duty metal construction, a convenient compact design and fully disengageable dies. All of these things make the TW2100 a great solution for small and medium sized offices that are looking for a reasonably priced wire binding solution.
However, this machine is a manual binding system and thus does not lend itself to high volume punching applications.
Strengths / Features:
One of the most impressive things about the DFG TitanWire binding machine is the fact that it can punch up to 25 sheets at a time. For a manual binding machine this is an excellent punching capacity. To be fair, you do have to pull the handle pretty hard to punch through that many sheets. Still, most other comparable machines punch around twenty sheets at a time. This gives this machine a 25% advantage in punching capacity over most of its competition.
Another great thing about this machine is the fact that it can be used for multiple binding styles. It is specifically designed for use with 3:1 pitch double loop wire which is available in sizes ranging from 3/16" up to 9/16". However, companies that want to add some variety to their reports or need to occasionally bind a larger document can potentially use 3:1 pitch spiral coil or GBC Proclick spines with this system.
The construction of the TitanWire is almost completely metal. The body of the machine, the punching mechanism, the punching dies, the handle and the wire closer are all made of steel or other ultra strong metal alloys. The design and components of this machine are built to withstand years of daily use.
The wire closer on Titan-Wire is extremely durable and solid. It has two large adjustment knobs that allow you to fine tune the closer to ensure that every spine is closed evenly every time. It also uses high quality machined steel closing blocks that won't warp or become deformed over time.
In addition to all of these features, the Titan-Wire also has a number of other excellent features including: a document measurer to help you choose the right size of spine for your books, fully disengageable dies for punching custom length books, a continuous punching guide to help you punch longer sheets using a two step process and an adjustable punching margin that allows you to select how far away from the edge of the book that you want your holes to be punched.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
Although the Titan-Wire has a great punching capacity, it is still a manual binding machine. In order to punch the maximum capacity of this machine you have to pull pretty hard on the handle. Smaller companies can simply punch a few less sheets and it won't be a huge deal. However, larger volume users may want to consider an electric machine to help improve productivity and reduce the risks for repetitive motion injuries.
One major oversight by DFG when they designed the Titan-Wire is that they neglected to include a wire holder or wire hanger on the machine. This feature is used to hold the wire spines in place while you hang your pages onto the loops of the wire spine. Unfortunately, without a wire hanger you have to hold the spine in one hand and the wire in another. That is difficult for almost any user and it greatly cuts into the productivity of this unit.
The placement of the wire closer on this unit is also less than ideal. Having the wire closer on the top of the machine means that you have to lift the document and the wire up to the closer without the spine falling off. This can be pretty tricky, even for experienced users. Other machines that have the wire closer located at the front of the machine tend to be much easier to use.
The other issue with this machine is that it only has an eleven inch punching throat and wire closer. Many other comparable machines on the market have a fourteen inch punching throat. For organizations that never need to bind documents over 11" this isn't a problem. However, if your company will ever need to bind documents that are legal sized or A4 size this machine will be a lot more difficult to use. This is definitely something to keep in mind when comparing this machine to other similar pieces of equipment on the market.
Recommendation:
The Titan Wire 3:1 pitch binding machine is one of the strongest and most durable binding machines that is available on the market today.
In many areas its construction and features are exceptional and allow it to stand apart from its competition.
However, the fact that it only has an eleven inch punching throat and does not include a wire hanger or holder is a definite drawback to this machine.