This machine says that it will punch up to 10 pieces of 20# paper. The most I could punch at one time was 8, and that was difficult. It works best with 1 to 3 pices of paper. If you have never used this type of a binding machine, be prepared to spend some time on each job. First you have to carefully stack the papers so the left edges are all even. Then you have to punch holes in 1 to 3 pieces of paper at a time. When this is done, then you have to use the machine to open the plastic comb and carefully place each piece of paper on all of the open fingers. I bought this machine for home use to help bind various sets of papers such as tax returns. The C75 worked well in peforming this function, but extra time was needed to punch the required holes. If there were any creases or staples in the paper, they had to be cleaned up so they would fit in the small opening for the punch to work. I paid $72.75 for my machine in March of 09 and now it sells for about $10 less. At this price it is a good piece of equipment if is durable enough to last a while. If you are doing lots of comb binding, this machine is probably too slow and light weight. GBC CombBind C75 Desktop Binding Machine (7704230)
I am a teacher and used the binding machine to make booklets for the classroom. I had laminated pages to bind. To be on the safe side I did only 3 laminated pages at a time. Make sure to practice, especially if you are not using standard paper sizes so that the holes line up centered from the top and bottom.
The machines works very well, it is quite solid. I have made several booklets with this, collecting/binding collections of papers that would otherwise sit in a file folder in a file cabinet. For that alone, I think this machine is worth it!!
The punch has a handy drawer which collects the "hole punches", making it easy to empty later. Also, there's a second drawer in which you can keep a variety of plastic combs/spines for binding --- this makes it much easier than going back to the supply closet to get a 1/2" or 3/4" or 1" comb.
I've taken a pile of monthly forms and spiral bound them, then they're all in one place --- I just flip the page & I'm onto the next month. I teach art to kids. Took the best ideas for sculpture & spiral bound those. Now, when I need a sculpture idea, I just pull the booklet off the shelf. Ditto for booklets on painting, collage, figure drawing, etc. Sometimes I print off PDF booklets from the internet & bind them. Even amassed all my dieting tips into one handy booklet to recharge my motivation when I need to drop a few pounds. They are handy to slip in my tote bag to read in the doctor's office, on a trip, etc.
I find that having these little booklets on hand, I use/access the material much more. In that past, the articles simply accumulated in file folders, buried in a file drawer. This spiral booklet method is much more fun.
The only difficulty I've found is that it is hard for me to line up the plastic spine with the myriad of holes in the edge of the paper --- I'll get 80% "hooked" on the spine, but 20% don't want to go on. This is not a criticism of this machine, however, as I think it would be a problem with any spiral binding machine.
Overall, I'm having a lot of fun with my purchase!!
5 stars all on this unit. Yes, you can only punch about 5 sheets at a time, as others mentioned - this is a personal binder, meaning low volume, creating the occasional bound document. If you want to work quicker, you'll need to spend big bucks. For $43 (at time of my purchase) you can't beat the ease and convenience of self-binding. To bind, simply punch your paper, then place the comb on the teeth of the binder, line up the little hook things, gently pull the handle down to open the comb, position your paper, release the handle and you're done. Unit is small and light making it easy to transport. The well designed waste tray is easy to empty. The binder in general is very easy to keep clean and store. Even if you only use it occasionally, for under $50 you can't go wrong.
I would definitely would NOT recommend this machine. I found it awkward to use. I have used other machines before without any difficulty, but this one almost got the best of me. It states that you can do 8 pages at a time, but I found that I could only do 2 or 3. Spend your money on a quality binder that will serve its designed purpose, not this one.
Except for the fact that the binder did not come with plastic binders as promised in the ad, it works extremely well. I was doing a wildlife photo calendar, and this helped make it look more professional.
GBC CombBind C75 Desktop Binding Machine (7704230) The company shipped this immediately, great company to buy from! The Binding Machine works great ~ I love the ease of use with it and it takes very little room for storing it! - Binder - Spiral - Office Supplies - Binding Machines'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
