DFG Titan Wire 3:1 Pitch Double Loop Wire Binding Machine Review

Overview:

• The TitanWire is an extremely heavy duty 3:1 pitch wire binding machine produced by the Document Finishing Group (DFG). Although DFG is a relative newcomer to the marketplace, they have prided themselves on producing a line of equipment that is stronger, more durable and better built than their competition.

• With these things in mind, they created the TitanWire to meet the needs of small to medium sized businesses who were looking for a heavy duty Twin loop wire binding system.

• This machine can bind documents with traditional Twin Loop, Double Loop, Double-O, Wire-O and WireBind spines. However, it can also be used with GBC Proclick reclosable spines and with 3:1 pitch spiral coil.

• It also has a number of heavy duty features that help to set it apart from its competition.

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.

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