*It is an automatic setup folder which simply means that you can press a button or two on the machine in order to choose the desired paper size and folding style. The fold plates move into position automatically.

*This makes the Martin Yale 1701 easy to setup and easy to use even for users who don't have any training or experience using a paper folding machine.

Strengths / Features:

*One of the best things about the 1701 Martin Yale Autofolder is the cost. It is the lowest cost auto setup folder available on the market. With a selling price of around $1500 it is priced similarly to manual setup paper folder from other manufacturers but is much easier to use.

*The auto setup features of the 1701 make it incredibly simple to operate. You simply choose the size of paper that you want to fold and the folding pattern that you want to use. In just a couple of seconds, the machine will move the folding plates into position and you are ready to begin folding. This makes the 1701 an excellent choice for organizations that use multiple folding patterns or who have users who struggle to set up complicated mechanical equipment.

*The Martin Yale 1701 is capable of handling letter size, legal size and A4 paper. It can create be set to six different folding patterns including: letter fold, half fold, z-fold, double parallet, right angle and baronial. Or if you have a custom fold or need to fold a sheet as small as 3-1/2" x 5", it can be manually adjusted to handle these as well.

*The 1701 can fold stapled sets of up to 5 sheets through its manual bypass. These have to be fed into the machine one set a time.

*The 1701 has a feed tray that is capable of handling up to 150 sheets of 20lb paper. This helps to improve productivity without having to worry about reloading the folder every few seconds.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

*The 1701 does not have an adjustable speed setting. This means that the speed of the folder cannot be reduced for folding specialty papers or thicker stocks. The Martin Yale 1701 is an excellent choice for folding 20lb, 24lb and 28lb paper. However, it is not designed for folding heavy card stocks, slick glossy papers or papers with special coatings. These types of stocks will most likely cause paper jams inside the 1701 folder.

*Although the 1701 is capable of folding letter, legal and A4 paper it is not capable of handling 11" x 17" or A3 sized papers. If you are looking for an automatic setup folder that can handle these larger sizes of paper you will need to check out the Intimus 2051 or a similar commercial grade folding machine.

*Although the 1701 paper folder is an automatic setup folder it is still necessary in some cases and for some folding patterns to adjust the output stacker wheel manually. Only the largest automatic setup folders adjust the stacker wheel automatically.

*The 1701 requires removal of the side covers and the top roller safety cover to clean the rollers. Once these parts are removed the rollers can be easily cleaned, but the process of gaining access to the rollers takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Most users will only need to do this about every 6 months.

Recommendation:

*The Martin Yale 1701 is best suited for organizations that have numerous users who may not know how to manually set up a folding machine, or for organizations that frequently change fold types and don't want to hassle with constant set-ups.

*This paper folding machine makes changing paper sizes and folding patterns simple and is ideal for users who will only use the folding machine on an occasional basis, and may not remember how to set up the machine every time.

*However, organizations that need to fold sheets larger than legal size or heavier paper stocks will most likely find that the 1701 folder will not meet their needs. These users should consider a larger automatic setup folding machine such as the Intimus 2051 or the Formax FD380.