Jeff McRitchie

Perfect Bind T30 Thermal Binding Review

Fairly new on the thermal binding market, the Perfect Bind T30 offer users a decent set of features and is fairly easy to use. Not meant for any kind of high volume production, this is a machine that's designed to meet the needs of a home or small office. Any organization that does a limited amount of thermal binding might want to consider this machine. Here is a short review of the T30.

Strengths:

1. The Perfect Bind T30 looks to be one of the simplest binding solutions on the planet. When you receive the unit, you'll notice that there's only one page of instructions, the machine itself, and the brackets that you attach to the machine's back for the purpose of document cooling. Other than the on/off switch, there are no buttons, dials, or settings to worry about. This is about as simple a machine as there is of any sort, but especially so in the world of binding.
2. As it is so simply designed, it is a little bit challenging to list the features of the T30, but here goes: There is a light that indicates the machine's readiness, and you will see a flash and hear a beep when the cycle is finished. There is a timer that is built in and will help you ensure that your books are bound for the correct amount of time. On the back, there is also a rack you can use to cool the book after it has been bound, and while you are binding the next document.
3. With a binding width of one inch, you can either use the T30 to bind either one book, or several documents at one time that are up to an inch thick. The opening is twelve inches long and is thus prefect for binding books that are letter sized.
4. This machine is as simple to use as a toaster, and kind of reminds us of one. To get your book bound, all you have to do is to put the pages in the cover, put the document into the T30, and wait for the beep and light that tell you that the process is complete.
5. At under a hundred dollars, we seriously doubt that you will find a less expensive thermal binding solution anywhere. There is likely no better way to create a small number of permanently bound books on a very small budget.

Weaknesses:

1. While we didn't notice any problems with the T30, you should be aware of some basic limitations with this machine. You will have no luck using this machine to bind books that are longer than 12 inches in length, or that are thicker than one inch.
2. You cannot adjust the heat settings on the T30. That means that you may be required to run some documents and most hardcover books through the machine twice in order to ensure that the spines receive enough heat that the glue is activated. None of the above issues are all that major, however, and we think that the simplicity of this binding system trumps them soundly.

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