The PB21SP is a very versatile rg59 cable vs rg6 Wire-O binding system that includes some

nice features. It is, however, only a manual machine, and as such may

not be the best solution for higher volume production environments such

as larger businesses, and copy shops and the like. If you are going to

need to produce more than just a few books per day, you will probably

want to step up to a machine that features an electric punch.The

PB21SP's punching capacity of about 10 pages of 20lb paper is fairly

decent, but again, depending on the size and volume of documents that

you intend to create, you may be able to find a machine with a higher

punching capacity, though likely not one with all of the wire closing

capabilities of the PB21SP.

The James Burns PB31SP Manual 3:1 Pitch Wire

Binding Machine provides individuals and smaller organizations with an

all encompassing, feature laden binding system solution, creating books

in the elegant 3:1 Wire-O binding style. We recently investigated this machine

and compiled for you a list of what we considered to be a few

of its strengths and weaknesses.

The James Burns PB31SP Manual 3:1 Pitch Wire

Binding Machine provides individuals and smaller organizations with an

all encompassing, feature laden binding system solution, creating books

in the elegant 3:1 Wire-O binding style. We investigated this machine

recently and compiled for you a list of what we considered to be a few

of its strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

The PB31SP can punch and bind in the standard 3:1 style, or you can utilize

the fully selectable pin levers to create any custom pattern of your

choosing. A lot of small businesses and self publishers use features

like these to create their own individual look, which can lend some

creativity to the process and really help with branding. The Wire-O

style in general is one of the more elegant looks that a small

publisher can create, and the ability to individualize the books you

create is a big plus when you are looking to make a name for yourself.Another

thing we really liked about the PB31SP is the punch handle. It seems

that on almost all the other similar machines out there, the handles

are located on the right side, meaning that not only do left handed

individuals have a more difficult time using the machine, but that on

larger jobs even right handed folks can get a little tired. The PB31SP,

however, features a D shaped punch handle that can be used with either

hand, or by both if fatigue starts to set in. It's just a small touch

that makes this PB31SP a great choice for your small organization.The

binding system has just about all of the small amenities you need to

make the process as quick and easy as possible. First of all the wire

hanging device is conveniently located on the front of the machine to

hold your book securely in place while you are putting the pages

together and while inserting the wire. There is also a handy Wire-O

size guide, closing adjuster and closing guide, all of which combine to

make this one of the best Wire-O systems you can find at such a low

price point.The PB31SP can close all of the wire sizes,

including the larger ones from 5/8" to 1 1/4" with ease, which makes it

fairly unique among Wire-O systems at this price point. With its 38

fully selectable pins, you can also create documents up to 13" in

length without any problems.

Weaknesses:

Though

the PB31SP is a great choice for relatively low-volume use, and is

plenty feature rich, it is after all, still a manual punch and will

likely not be the best choice for larger businesses and organizations

that need to create high volumes of books on a regular basis. If that

describes you or your organization, you might want to consider an

electric system. They do cost a fair amount more, but the time you will

save will be significant.The punch capacity of the PB31SP

is not terribly high, at 10 pages per lift. Again, for smaller projects

this should be plenty, but on a thicker book or one with a larger run,

this might prove to be just a little tedious.Although this

system has a closer that handle larger sized wires, it is a 3:1 pitch

system and as such is designed for use with smaller documents. Three to

one pitch wires are only available in thicknesses up to 9/16". Larger

sized wires are available in 2:1 pitch. However, they are not

compatible with the punching pattern produced by this machine.