Color coil binding is a popular document finishing method that is perfect for anthologies, reports, catalogs, and more. If you're interested in binding your work with coils, then you should check out the DFG Office ECoil Manual Punch and Power Coil Binder. Here's a look at its strengths and weaknesses so you can decide if it's right for you:
Color coil binding is a popular document finishing method that's perfect for anthologies, reports, catalogs, and more. If you're interested in binding your work with coils, then you should check out the DFG Office ECoil Manual Punch and Power Coil Binder. Here's a look at its strengths and weaknesses so you can decide if it's right for you:
Strengths:
The ECoil has an electric roller that can help you bind your books quickly. When you use the electric roller, you can use coils that are up to 5/8" thick and your books can contain as many as 135 pages. If you choose to insert coils manually, your documents can be up to 440 pages long.
This machine has an open punching throat so you can create documents of varying sizes. The device has adjustable punch and side margin controls so you can get the correct hole placement for every book without worrying about its size or length.
The ECoil is a terrific size: not too large but big enough to handle letter-sized documents. Its dimensions are 17" x 11" x 8" so you can find room for this device on your desk, work table, etc. Also, the machine only weighs 15 pounds so it's easy to move if you find that the need arises.
While the ECoil doesn't have a built-in coil crimper, it does come with a pair of crimping pliers so you can properly finish the binding process. Since crimping pliers are included, you won't need to buy a pair so you'll be able to save a bit of money.
Finally, the ECoil comes with a limited 1-year warranty.
Weaknesses:
The ECoil doesn't have a great punching capacity, which is a bit disappointing. The machine can only punch up to 10 sheets at a time. This means that assembling thick documents could be time-consuming.
The punching handle is located on the right side of the machine. While this is fine for right-handed and ambidextrous people, left-handed users could have some difficulty punching and binding their work.
While the DFG Office ECoil Manual Punch and Power Coil Binder has a couple of weaknesses, we were pretty impressed with this machine and feel it would be a good choice for schools and offices. The electric roller is a great feature and will help you get your document bound without a lot of hassle. We also like that you can insert coils manually so you can create long books. The opening punching throat is really handy and will enable you to make your documents as large or as small as you want. We also really like the size of this machine and the fact that it's lightweight. (Most binding machines are pretty heavy.) And it's great that the ECoil comes with crimping pliers and a good warranty. You should consider this device's punching capacity and handle placement, but if you're fine with them, then the ECoil is an excellent choice. Good luck with your projects!
Jeff McRitchie is the Vice-President of Marketing for MyBinding.com. He regularly writes articles, reviews, and blog posts on topics related to bookbinding, laminating, paper shredding, and office equipment. More than 2,500 of his articles have been published in thousands of locations on the Internet. If you're looking for information about binding machines, his articles are a great place to start.
