Fellowes Mars 125 Pouch Laminator

The Mars 125 has a feed opening that is 12.5 inches wide. Having such a large opening ensures that you can laminate both larger documents (such as menus) in addition to standard letter-sized paper.

This device can laminate a sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper in less than one minute, which is great. However, it does have a rather lengthy warm-up time. (See the "Weaknesses" section.)

You can laminate photographs with this machine.

This machine is pretty compact. It's about 20 inches wide by 7 inches deep. Due to its small dimensions, it won't take up a lot of room in your work area. Its small size also makes it possible to transport the unit easily, thanks to the addition of a built-in carrying handle.

No carrier is required when laminating with the Mars 125. However, you may still want to use one to prevent your machine from being damaged by adhesive that can seep out of your laminating pouches onto the rollers of the machine.

You can use 3 mil pouches and 5 mil pouches index card size or smaller with this device, and there is only one temperature setting which really helps simplify the whole process. (Indeed, the machine is very easy to use.) However, this could be limiting, as well. (See below for more on this.)

Jams are a rare occurrence with this machine because it has a low-friction design that ensures a smooth laminating experience.

This product is affordable for both home and business users. The suggested retail price for the ML125 is $99.95.

The Mars 125 takes up to 8 minutes to heat up, so this isn't the machine you'll want to use if you're in a hurry.

As mentioned before, this device only has one temperature setting that makes it possible for using 3 mil pouches or 5 mil if they're index card size or smaller. The lack of other settings means you're very limited in the pouches you can use. Also, you won't be able to laminate thermally sensitive items with the Mars 125 because it obviously lacks a cold lamination setting. There are no adjustable speed settings either.

Since this is a very basic laminator, it will not accept mounting boards.