MyBinding Knowledge Base
Comparing the Two Dahle Novus Long-Arm Staplers
If you’ve ever tried to put a booklet together with a standard stapler, you know that it’s virtually impossible. The throats of these devices simply aren’t large enough to staple far away from the paper’s edge. That’s why long-arm staplers are so important and two of the best ones available are available from Dahle Novus: the B17 and the heavy-duty B54. Here is a look at some of the features of these great devices so you can decide which one is best for you.
- Stapling capacity. If you’re using a long-arm stapler to create booklets, brochures, and so on, you probably need a device that can fasten a lot of pages together. It is totally possible with Dahle Novus products. The B17 can staple up to 40 sheets while the B54 can handle up to a whopping 170. Thanks to these two devices, it is never been easier to bind booklets without a binding machine.
- Throat depth. In addition to stapling capacity, throat depth is one of the most important attributes of a long-arm stapler. The deeper the throat, the bigger the paper with which you can work. The B17 has the deepest throat of the two: it measures 11.75 inches. Meanwhile, the B54’s throat measures 9.9 inches.
- Easy loading. When you run out of staples, it’s easy to refill both of these devices. Each one has a front-loading system that you can activate by pressing a button at the back of the unit. This makes it possible to refill your stapler in just a few seconds.
- Temporary pinning. Both of these products are capable of permanent fastening. (In other words, standard stapling.) However, only the B17 can temporarily pin your pages together, eliminating the need for paper clips and their cousins.
- Bypass stapling. The B54 has a couple of features that the B17 lacks and one of them is bypass stapling. This feature allows you to use one size of staples no matter how many sheets you’re fastening. When stapling a smaller stack of paper, the B54 will ensure that the staple’s legs don’t overlap each other so you’ll always have properly fastened documents without needing to swap out your staples. This feature can help you save a bit of time, in addition to making the B54 incredibly convenient to use.
- Anti-blocking system. This is the other feature exclusive to the B54. The anti-blocking system (ABS) makes it possible for you to experience clean stapling with every use. The ABS will ensure that the staples won’t jam nor will your document get stuck to the stapler.
- Warranty. The B17 has the better warranty of these two products. It’s covered by Dahle Novus for up to 10 years. On the other hand, the B54 is covered for up to 5 years.
If you’re trying to decide which of these products is right for you, it really depends on how often you’ll use your new stapler and the size of the document you need to process. The B54 is ideal for constant use and it has some really first-rate features. Meanwhile, the B17 has a deeper throat and can do temporary pinning. (It also has a better warranty.) These are all factors that need consideration. However, rest assured that no matter which Dahle Novus long-arm stapler you choose, it will be one of the best investments you can make for your office.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
