Fellowes EXL 45-2 4.5" Pouch Laminator Review

Fellowes has always made top-notch laminators, no matter how big or small the unit. The company's EXL 45-2 pouch laminator is one of the smallest laminators the company makes, but as you would expect, it's top-quality. This review will look at what the Fellowes EXL 45-2 laminator can do for you, so you can decide if this machine is right for your home or office.

The Fellowes EXL 45-2 pouch laminator was designed to be used for small laminating jobs at both home and work. This is machine can laminate items that are up to 4.5 inches wide, so it's a good choice if you laminate a lot of smaller documents such as photographs, ID cards, licenses, and so on. With the EXL 45-2, you can use laminating pouches that are up to 5 mil thick and you don't need to use a carrier during the laminating process. However, it's advisable to use a carrier anyway because if you don't, adhesive can seep out of the laminating pouch and possibly cause pouch jams. Adhesive can also potentially damage your machine. This recommendation has nothing to do with the EXL 45-2, it applies to all laminators that do not require a carrier for operation.

The EXL 45-2 heats up within five minutes and it will laminate your documents quickly, in less than 30 seconds. The machine has three temperature settings and it can perform both hot and cold lamination, so you'll have the option of laminating heat-sensitive documents. The EXL 45-2 has an auto shut-off feature which helps prevent overheating, making the machine safe to use. This is also a very small unit, so it can fit on just about any work surface and not take up a lot of room. The machine retails for less than $90.00, making it affordable no matter what your budget looks like. And just in case something goes wrong with your machine, the EXL 45-2 comes with a very generous two-year warranty. Although this is a high-quality Fellowes laminator, you probably won't need to use the warranty. However, it is still nice to have.

Since the EXL 45-2 is a small machine, it's obviously going to have a few limitations. One obvious limitation is that you can't laminate large documents with it. Also, this laminator was designed for occasional use, so it's not a good choice for people who frequently laminate. The EXL 45-2 isn't capable of laminating thicker laminating pouches (7mil or 10mil), although that's really not too much of a surprise given the machine's diminutive size. You also cannot adjust the machine's speed settings and thus, don't have total control over the laminating process. But if you're just going to be using the machine for laminating small items once in a while, not being able to adjust the speed settings shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Overall, the Fellowes EXL 45-2 is a good small laminator that's perfect for laminating smaller items. It would be a good machine to have around if you find yourself having to laminate business cards and such. It's great that Fellowes has made such a good machine so affordable and that it comes with such a long warranty, to boot. Although the machine can't laminate thicker pouches and you can't adjust the speed settings, the Fellowes EXL 45-2 is the machine to get if you need a small laminator at an equally small price.