Akiles Megabind 1E Electric Legal Size Comb Binding Machine

Staff Review

Akiles Megabind 1E Plastic Comb Binding Machine Review

An electric comb binder that is meant for medium sized organizations and daily use, the Akiles Megabind 1E includes some features that smaller binding systems don't. Here is a quick rundown of this machine's strengths and weaknesses as we see them.

Strengths:

1. Akiles is quickly becoming known for making a tough and rugged machine, and the Megabind 1E is definitely that. Made up almost entirely of metal, all of the major components appear to be constructed with a mind to providing even daily users a good many years of service.
2. One thing that puts the Megabind 1E in rarefied company is its twenty four fully disengageable dies. What this means to the user is that there is pretty much no size of document that it will not be able to effectively work with. This means that any size sheet, from letter to legal, and even A4 or half letter size sheets, and even oversized covers are within the capabilities of this machine. In our experience, it is almost always worth the extra cost to purchase a machine with disengageable dies because you just never know when a project will come up in which that kind of capability will be needed.
3. Another great feature that will help to ensure accurate punching and maximize usability of the finished books is the depth of punch margin control. Depending on document thickness, it is important to punch the binding holes the correct distance from the edge of the sheets so the plastic comb will fit correctly and your books will be durable and easy to use. The depth control and the plastic comb opener that is also included mean that the Megabind 1E is able to bind documents that are up to four hundred twenty five sheets in thickness. There is even a handy binding guide included which will help you to choose the correct size of comb that is needed for your document.
4. The Megabind 1E includes one of the better innovations of a lot of binding systems out there, and that is foot pedal operation. This allows the user to use both hands when punching, which enhances accuracy and increases productivity.

Weaknesses:

1. While the Megabind 1E was recently upgraded with a new motor (which was much needed, as the old motor had a capacity of a mere twelve sheets per lift), the new motor could have been a little more powerful itself, as the capacity is only around twenty sheets. Not bad, but still not as high a capacity as some machines out there.
2. We found that the placement of the chip holder at the back of the unit was a little bit inconvenient. Most chip holders on these types of machines are either located on the front or on the side. The ease of access of the chip holder is by no means a make or break decision when you are looking for a binding system, but this one was a little bit difficult to get to on a regular basis, and if the machine is placed against a wall, it will add a little aggravation.