Jeff McRitchie

Akiles CoilMac ER Spiral Coil Binding Machine Product Review

The Akiles CoilMac ER is a relatively new coil binding machine that is designed for small and medium sized organizations that are on a budget.The CoilMac-ER is designed for organizations that don't do enough volume to warrant purchasing the more expensive Coilmac-ECI but who want the electric inserter that isn't included on the CoilMac-M

• The Akiles CoilMac ER is a relatively new coil binding machine that is designed for small and medium sized organizations that are on a budget.
• This machine is built on the exact same platform as the classic Akiles CoilMac M. However, Akiles has added a small electric coil inserter to the top of the machine to help increase productivity.
• The CoilMac-ER is designed for organizations that don't do enough volume to warrant purchasing the more expensive Coilmac-ECI but who want the electric inserter that isn't included on the CoilMac-M

Strengths / Features:

• The Coilmac-ER is designed to punch a 4:1 pitch hole-pattern with four holes per inch and 43 holes on an eleven inch binding edge. This means that you can use this machine with standard 4:1 pitch spiral coils in sizes between 6mm and 50mm. However, the small coil inserter on the top of this machine is really only going to be effective with spines up to 7/8" in size (22mm). You can still bind larger sized books but you will need to spin the coils onto the documents by hand.
• The punch on this machine is rated for punching up to seventeen sheets of twenty pound paper at a time. It is also capable of punching up to two clear covers or plastic sheets at a time. Although there are heavier duty punches available on the market, this is an excellent punching capacity considering the price point of this machine.
• The Coilmac-ER is essentially an Akiles CoilMac-M with an electric coil inserter. For years the Coilmac-M has been one of the most popular coil binding machines on the market. It is known throughout the industry for its strength, durability and versatility. Likewise, the new CoilMac-ER is built with the same high quality metal components and durable steel body. These things should help to ensure that this machine will last for years without the need for any maintenance.
• With a small coil inserter mounted on the top of the unit, this machine is one of the least expensive and most feature rich coil binding machines that is available anywhere. It's construction and the fact that it includes a coil inserter help to make it an excellent value for your money.
• The CoilMac-ER includes a high quality pair of spiral coil crimping pliers. These pliers are used to cut and crimp the ends of your coils so that they don't spin back off your documents. It is very difficult to finish coil bound books without crimping pliers. Plus they have a value of about $30.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

• Although the Coilmac-ER includes a coil inserter it is fairly small and is inconveniently located on the top of the machine near the back. The inserter only includes one roller (as opposed to two on many other inserters) and is only about six inches long. This makes it less effective for spinning larger sized coils or binding a large number of books. For a few hundred dollars more, the Coilmac-ECI offers a much higher quality coil inserter. However, on a tight budget most small companies should be able to make this inserter work for their needs.
• This CoilMac-ER has a 13" punching throat with five disengageable pins for use with common paper sizes. It can easily handle letter, half letter or standard European paper sizes and using its open throat it can be punch longer sheets. However, it is not ideal for punching odd sized sheets. Attempting to punch non standard length papers will most likely result in a half-hole on the edge of your documents.
• The punching capacity of this machine is excellent for its price point. However, large organizations and volume users will most likely want to look at a machine that offers either an electric punch or a larger manual punching capacity.

Recommendation:

• With a price that is only about fifty dollars more than the CoilMac-M this machine is definitely worth considering as an upgrade.
• It includes a pair of crimping pliers and a small coil inserter, neither of which are included on the manual Coil Mac.
• The metal construction and excellent feature set of this machine help to set it apart from other similarly priced units.
• However, users who need to bind more than a few dozen books per week or who need to bind thick documents may want to consider a unit with a larger punching capacity, a better coil inserter or possibly an electric punch.

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