Tamerica / Tashin 210PB Plastic Comb Binding Machine

Although the Tamerica 210PB is a relative newcomer to the market, it has begun to give some of the other machines that are available on the market a run for their money. On the surface, it appears to be built well and have a number of features that are not common to other machines in its price range. This review will take a look at a few of those features and will help you to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this machine.

Features:

The Tashin 210PB has a number of features that set it apart from other similarly priced comb binding machines on the market. It has an adjustable depth of punch margin control that allows you to choose the distance between the edge of the paper and the holes that the machine produces. If you are using very small sized plastic combs you will need to set the holes so that they are close to the edge of the paper. This will help to ensure that the pages turn freely when you open your document. When using very large sized spines you will need to set the holes so that they are further from the edge of the paper so that the weight of your document doesn't cause the pages of the book to tear out.

It has 21 fully disengageable punching pins. Using these disengageable dies, it is possible to prevent any one of the holes from punching. This allows you to bind half letter sized documents or letter sized documents in landscape orientation. It can also allow you to punch documents that are longer than 11" in length using a two step punching process. If you want to punch longer documents you simply need to punch one end of the document and then flip it over to complete the punching pattern.

The 210 PB also includes high quality hollow ground self sharpening steel punching pins. These pins will allow you to punch approximately fifteen sheets at a time. Under normal conditions, this type of punching pin should last for 10 or 20 years. However, like all comb binding machines, you should be careful when punching clear covers. No more than two clear binding covers should be punched at a time.

The Tamerica 210PB also includes a high quality metal comb opener that is capable of opening combs that are as small as 3/16" and as large as 2" in diameter. The comb opener is operated in conjunction with the punching mechanism of the machine. The fact that the comb opener moves at the same time as the punch means that the machine can be placed against a wall or in a tight space (some machines require you to push the handle back to open the combs). However, this type of design can cause the comb opener to wear out faster than on a machine where the mechanisms are operated separately.

Construction:

Although it is not the most sleek or stylish looking machine on the market, the 210PB is extremely well built. With the exception of the handle grip and the margin guide, the whole machine is made of metal. This means that the 210PB will hold up extremely well under normal conditions. It is great for a school or office environment where a number of different users will use the machine. It also comes with a two year warranty which is twice the warranty that comes with most other comparable machines on the market. That being said, the chances you will need the warranty are pretty slim.

Conclusion:

Although the 210PB isn't the most stylish comb binding machine on the market it is built well and includes all of the features that you will need to bind both large and small documents. Plus, the additional one year warranty should help to give you peace of mind that the machine will last for years even if you use it regularly. It is an excellent choice for small and medium sized companies as well as schools. However, high volume users will most likely find the manual punching mechanism to be tedious. If you need to bind a lot of documents with plastic combs, you will probably want to consider a similar machine with an electric punching mechanism.