DFG TitanWire L Review

As a relatively new company on the binding scene, DFG is setting out to make a name for themselves. The TitanWire L is a two-to-one pitch wire binding machine that is aimed at small to medium sized organizations that do a fair amount of binding in the twin loop style. Here are a few of the machine's strengths and weaknesses as we see them.

Strengths:

1. We were really impressed right off the bat with the TitanWire L's punching capacity. At twenty five pages per lift, this machine rates at least five sheets above just about any other similarly priced machine on the market. This is a really nice feature and it can help you increase your productivity by as much as twenty five percent.
2. The TitanWire L punches holes at a two to one pitch ratio, meaning that it gives you two holes per inch of paper. For the most part, this gives you the capability of binding books that are between five eighths and one and a quarter inch thick. It turns out, however, that the TitanWire L is also compatible with specialty sizes of wire elements such as those that are between one quarter and nine sixteenths of an inch thick. That is some really nice flexibility to have at this price point.
3. The TitanWire L looks to be an extremely durable machine. It is made almost entirely of metal, and all of the major components such as the punching pins and mechanism, document table, wire closer and even the handles are all built to stand up to daily use. According to DFG company literature, these machines go through some pretty extensive testing. We see no reason why the TitanWire L wouldn't give you years of faithful service without the need for maintenance or repair.
4. The wire closer that is included on this machine also appears to be of a very high quality. Like the wire closing systems on machines that cost much more (and even some standalone units) the adjustment system utilizes two large knobs that will allow the user to close the spine with precision. The two heavy duty closing blocks virtually assure you that this machine will have a lifetime of accurate wire closing.
5. Some other things we really like about the TitanWire L are: the fully disengageable punching pins, the continuous punching guide, depth of margin punch control, and a very handy and extra large chip tray.

Weaknesses:

1. We did find it a little puzzling that DFG did not see fit to include any sort of wire holder or hanger on the TitanWire L. This could lead to a real drop in the productivity level, as the user will be required to hold the binding wire with one hand while they are adding the pages with the other. Whatever your level of experience, that will take some doing and it may be more trouble than you were bargaining for.
2. While letter sized and smaller documents are no problem at all for the TitanWire L's eleven inch throat and punching mechanism, any organizations that are going to need to bind anything larger, such as legal size or A4 on a regular basis might want to look at another machine, such as perhaps the Akiles Wiremac system.
3. This machine is designed primarily for use with 2:1 pitch wire binding spines. It is ideal for use with larger documents that are between 5/8" and 1-1/4". The machine can be used for binding smaller documents using specialty binding supplies. However, these supplies are more expensive and harder to find than 3:1 pitch small sized wires.