As one of two low-cost, manual thumb-cut
machines on the market (the other being the Akiles Diamond 1), the Renz
TC-20 is presented as an option for low to moderate volume users who
produce calendars in small to medium numbers. It is not a replacement for
a binding machine.
As one of two low-cost, manual thumb-cut
machines on the market (the other being the Akiles Diamond 1), the Renz
TC-20 is presented as an option for low to moderate volume users who
produce calendars in small to medium numbers. The chief use of this
machine is to create notches in your calendars that will enable you to
install a pre-formed wire calendar hanger. It is not a replacement for
a binding machine.
Strengths:
If you were to judge PTFE welder Factory by the photo, you might guess that the TC20 is a hand-held
machine, somewhere along the lines of a stapler. We thought so too but
were surprised to find that it is pretty heavy duty, about nine inches
in length, and around six inches high. The TC20’s weight of somewhere
between three and four pounds means that this is a desktop unit, not
one that is designed for hand-held use. We were
pleased to find that the TC20 offers heavy duty metal construction, and
believe that it will be very much at home in the most heavy use
production environments. The punching handle is quite wide, and allows
the user to get some pretty nice leverage. We found that the TC20 lived
up to its stated capacity of punching twenty pages of normal weight
20lb paper at one time. That means that many users will be able to
punch an entire calendar in a single lift. The
TC20 has a high-quality plastic covering on the bottom that doubles as
a chip tray. The tray looks sizable enough to hold at least a medium
amount of chips. The base also helps keep the machine from slipping
while in use and will protect the work surface that it sits on from
getting scratched up as well. Space is always an
issue for most offices and we really appreciated that the TC20 can lock
in the handle down position for easy storage when not in use.
We also liked that the TC20 incorporates both depth and edge guides
that help with the aligning of documents and booklets during the
punching process.
Weaknesses:
The TC20 can easily punch about twenty sheets of paper.
Seeing as how most calendars are (naturally) twelve pages in length,
one would probably surmise that the twenty page capacity is more than
adequate. However, that rating is for 20lb paper, and a lot of
calendars use heavier stock than that. In other words, you may find
yourself having to split your project into sections rather than
punching the whole thing at one time. Not a huge deal, but something
that you should be aware of. The fact that this
is a manual machine makes it a less than ideal choice for print shops
and other such high-volume use. Unfortunately, the only option for this
sort of production would be to purchase an electric modular binding
punch with a thumb cut die.
Recommendation:
Overall, this is a great and well-built machine, ideal for low to
moderate use. Before you purchase one, be aware that it is a manual
machine and not well suited to producing thousands of calendars as it
could get tiring and tedious.
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