subject: Renz Tc-20 Calendar Punch Review [print this page] As one of two low-cost, manual thumb-cut machines on the market (the other being the Akiles Diamond 1), the Renz TC-20 is presented as an option for low to moderate volume users who produce calendars in small to medium numbers. The chief use of this machine is to create notches in your calendars that will enable you to install a pre-formed wire calendar hanger. It is not a replacement for a binding machine.
Strengths:
1.) If you were to judge merely by the photo, you might guess that the TC20 is a hand-held machine, somewhere along the lines of a stapler. We thought so too but were surprised to find that it is pretty heavy duty, about nine inches in length, and around six inches high. The TC20's weight of somewhere between three and four pounds means that this is a desktop unit, not one that is designed for hand-held use.
2.) We were pleased to find that the TC20 offers heavy duty metal construction, and believe that it will be very much at home in the most heavy use production environments. The punching handle is quite wide, and allows the user to get some pretty nice leverage. We found that the TC20 lived up to its stated capacity of punching twenty pages of normal weight 20lb paper at one time. That means that many users will be able to punch an entire calendar in a single lift.
3.) The TC20 has a high-quality plastic covering on the bottom that doubles as a chip tray. The tray looks sizable enough to hold at least a medium amount of chips. The base also helps keep the machine from slipping while in use and will protect the work surface that it sits on from getting scratched up as well.
4.) Space is always an issue for most offices and we really appreciated that the TC20 can lock in the handle down position for easy storage when not in use.
5.) We also liked that the TC20 incorporates both depth and edge guides that help with the aligning of documents and booklets during the punching process.
Weaknesses:
1.) The TC20 can easily punch about twenty sheets of paper. Seeing as how most calendars are (naturally) twelve pages in length, one would probably surmise that the twenty page capacity is more than adequate. However, that rating is for 20lb paper, and a lot of calendars use heavier stock than that. In other words, you may find yourself having to split your project into sections rather than punching the whole thing at one time. Not a huge deal, but something that you should be aware of.
2.) The fact that this is a manual machine makes it a less than ideal choice for print shops and other such high-volume use. Unfortunately, the only option for this sort of production would be to purchase an electric modular binding punch with a thumb cut die.
Recommendation:
Overall, this is a great and well-built machine, ideal for low to moderate use. Before you purchase one, be aware that it is a manual machine and not well suited to producing thousands of calendars as it could get tiring and tedious.
by: Jeffrey McRitchie
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