* The Fellowes Star is a low cost introductory plastic comb binding machine designed for home office and small office users.
* This machine offers a sleek and contemporary design that is easy to use and easy to transport.
* The Star is a larger and improved version of the Fellowes Starlet plastic comb binding machine.
Strengths / Features:
* The Fellowes Star binding machine is designed to be extremely economical and offers light volume users an opportunity to bind their own documents without spending hundreds of dollars on equipment. It has a MSRP of about $110.00 and a selling price of around $75. For the features, this machine offers a great price and value.
* The comb opener on this machine has metal fingers and metal hooks. Many inexpensive comb binding machines use plastic hooks to save money. However, plastic hooks frequently break off making the machine useless.
* The Star binding machine includes a single ergonomic handle that stretches across the front of the machine. This makes it easy for both right handed and left handed operators to use this machine.
* There is a built in storage tray on the side of the machine to hold a small supply of plastic combs. This helps to ensure that binding supplies are always within reach. The storage tray also has a built in guide for measuring the size of your comb binding supplies and to help determine the right size of spine for your document.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
* The Star binding machine is only capable of binding documents up to 3/4" thick. That equates to about 150 sheets of 20lb bond paper. It is possible to punch documents thicker than this using this machine. However, the comb opener is not designed to handle larger sized combs. Users who need to bind documents thicker than this will really need to consider a different machine.
* This machine is designed to bind documents that are 8.5" x 11". It can also punch oversized covers that are 8.75" x 11.25" in size. However, it is not capable of punching legal size, A4 size or custom sized sheets. To bind documents that are smaller or larger than 11" in length a machine with disengageable dies and an open throat would be necessary.
* This machine is constructed almost entirely out of plastic. For most occasional users this should not be a problem. However, the machine is simply not designed for high volume binding applications. Users who need to bind more than a few documents per week should really consider a larger more durable machine.
Recommendation:
* The Fellowes Star is a great choice for organizations that are looking for a low cost plastic comb binding machine for occasional use in a home office or small office environment.
* The Star offers a sleek ergonomic design, is simple to use and is easy to transport.
* Provided that your organization doesn't need to bind documents larger than 3/4" thick and doesn't need to do more than occasional binding then this is a great fit.
* Higher volume users will want to consider a heavier duty machine with metal components and an expanded feature set.
* The Fellowes Pulsar 300 is a manual plastic comb binding machine designed for small office and medium office environments.
* It offers a sleek and contemporary design that is ideal for use in an office.
* The Pulsar 300 is a mid range comb binding machine that is larger and more robust than the Star or Starlett but smaller and less expensive than the Quasar or Galaxy line of binding machines.
* Fellowes makes both a manual and an electric version of this machine.
Strengths / Features:
* The Pulsar 300 offers a sleek contemporary design that folds up for storage when the machine is not in use. The glossy white cover and the smooth style lines on this machine help this system to blend in with other pieces of office equipment in your organization. The machine also includes a slide out tray to hold binding combs and to help users determine the correct size of document for your project.
* The binding machine includes a plastic comb opener with metal hooks and metal fingers. Other less expensive plastic comb openers use plastic hooks or fingers which can bend or break.
* The Pulsar-300 offers a punching capacity of 15 sheets per lift. Although there are certainly binding machines that will punch more at one time, this machine offers excellent value for its price point. A 15 sheet punching capacity is certainly respectable and is a huge improvement over the 7 sheet capacity offered by the Fellowes Star or Starlett binding machines.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
* The Pulsar300 is designed for binding letter sized documents and can also punch oversize (8.75" x 11.25") binding covers. However, it is not designed for binding documents that are shorter or longer than 11 inches. It does not have an open throat for punching longer documents or disengageable pins for punching shorter sheets. Organizations that need to bind documents that are longer or shorter than eleven inches need to consider a binding machine with an open throat design and fully disengageable punching pins.
* This machine offers the ability to bind documents with plastic combs up to 1-1/2" thick. Plastic comb binding spines are available in sizes up to 2". However, this machine is not compatible with either 1-3/4" or 2" spines. Organizations that need to bind documents with these sizes of combs will need to consider a larger machine.
* This machine is sleek and stylish. It should be fine for light to moderate usage. However, heavy users and larger offices should really consider an upgrade to either the Galaxy or Quasar binding machines. Production environments should really consider a machine that includes all metal construction.
Recommendation:
* The Pulsar-300 plastic comb binding machine is a great option for small and medium sized offices that need an unobtrusive binding machine for light to moderate presentation binding.
* The machine offers an excellent design, a great set of features and 2 year manufacturers warranty.
* However, higher volume users and individuals who need to bind documents longer or shorter than eleven inches in length will need to consider a different binding machine.