subject: Akiles Duomac 521 Combination Binding Machine Review [print this page] The Akiles DuoMac 521 presents the market with some nice versatility, although in an unusual combination of binding styles. Here is a short report on this machine that includes a list of what we consider to be some of the DuoMac 521's strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
1.) All told, the DuoMac 521's two hole punching patterns offer you three different binding styles. One of the machine's punching throats punches a five to one pitch ratio that can be used to bind documents with 5:1 pitch spiral coils. The machine's other punching mechanism uses a two to one pitch ratio that is designed to be used with two to one double loop wire, but you can also use this pitch to create larger sized documents using .400 sized coil. That is some pretty nice versatility for such a relatively inexpensive machine.
2.) On the five to one punch, the 13 inch throat combined with 5 dies that are disengageable means that it is possible to punch sheets from letter to legal and most of the other common sheet sizes with the more elegant, tightly-wound look of the five to one spiral coil pattern.
3.) The two to one pitch punching mechanism is 14 inches long and features dies that are fully disengageable. This means that you will be able to process pretty much any sheets up to fourteen inches in just one step. Both of the DuoMac 521's punching throats are open, meaning that using a two step punching process, you will be able to punch documents of just about any length.
4.) We found that the wire closer located on the front of the DuoMac 521 is of exceptionally high quality. There are a lot of wore closers out there that are of a cheaper build, and they seem to lose their accuracy over time. We really don't think that will be a problem with this one, as it is one of the best we have seen. There is also a wire hanger that makes the binding process much easier.
5.) We really like that Akiles includes a top notch pair of crimping pliers with the DuoMac 521. These crimpers are such an important part of the finishing process that we don't know how any manufacturer can put out a spiral coil system without including them.
Weaknesses:
1.) Though the DuoMac 521 is pretty feature rich, one thing you will not find on this machine is a spiral coil inserter. This is not a big deal for smaller projects, as you can do the inserting by hand. However, if you are going to want to do more than that, you would be well advised to look into purchasing a standalone inserter like Akiles' Roll-a-Coil. You should be aware, however, that inserter or no, you will be required to insert the .400 sized coils on by hand.
2.) The supplies required for the kind of binding that this machine does are somewhat specialized, and not as readily available as for some other pitch ratios. This means is that you will have to plan ahead and/or stay on top of your ordering so you will always be assured to have the spiral coils or wires that you need on hand.
by: Jeffrey McRitchie
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