Presented as a small or home office solution for light duty binding, the Akiles OffiWire comes in 3:1 or 2:1 pitch versions. It can bind documents using double loop, wire o, or twin loop styles. Here is a short report that lists some of the strengths and weaknesses of this machine as we see them.
Strengths:
1. Available in two different models, one that punches a three to one pitch, and one two to one version, the OffiWire give you some great options right off the bat. The 3:1 pitch machine gives you the option of binding books and booklets from three sixteenths to nine sixteenths of an inch with wire. You can also use GBC Proclick or 3:1 spiral coil binding supplies with that machine. The 2:1 version gives you options ranging from five eights to an inch and a quarter thick. However, you also have the option of binding smaller sized documents using special smaller sized wires if you ever find the need to produce a run of like sized documents.
2. We really appreciated that Akiles went the extra mile by constructing the OffiWire s wire closer of all metal. It is often a problem with a lot of lower end machines that they scrimp a little on the quality of the closer. This creates problems down the line when they start to close wires crookedly. This machine s wire closer is made out of heavy duty steel and we can safely say that it is unlikely that it will ever wear out. The bolts that it uses allow for precision adjustment of the closer, and also prevent slipping.
3. It s the little things that mean a lot. In the case of the OffiWire, that includes the U shaped operating handle that seems more ergonomic than those on a lot of other machines. Our resident southpaw appreciated the fact that it was just as easy for her to use as it is for the righties.
4. There is even a wire holder located on the machine s front that will help the user hold the spine of the document in place when hanging pages. All you need to do is to press on the back of the holder and insert the wire. The clamp then holds the spine in place while you do your inserting.
Weaknesses:
1. Though it is a very feature rich machine, it is important to understand that the OffiWire is a unit that is meant for use on a small office setting. It has a fairly light punching capacity of ten sheets per lift, and this alone makes it not terribly well suited for larger office or higher volume use. If you will realistically need a larger capacity than this, you should keep looking. If not, however, the OffiWire is still a great choice, in our opinion.
2 . Although the construction is good, it should be mentioned that the chassis of this machine is made of plastic. If you want a machine that is of all metal construction, you may need to step up to the WireMac, Akiles similar, but more durable machine.
3. There are no disengageable dies on the OffiWire, and it is limited to punching sheets that are letter sized. There is also no mechanism for controlling the depth of the punch margin.
Author Resource:
Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for http://www.mybinding.com .He has written over 500 articles on binding machines,binding covers,binders,laminators,binding supplies,laminating supplies,paper handling equipments,index tabs, and shredders.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")