Back to Fellowes Mfg Co. 5006501 Star+ 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine - White

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5stars
(10 reviews)

Most helpful positive review

5.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
04/19/2015
Simple to Use Binding Machine
After receiving this, I went thru the directions. I did punch thru 12 easily. I did not have to bind 150 pages, but I did a 24 page report for my office! It did a beautiful job binding it. It looks so professional. I was shocked how easy it is, and did not have to go to the store for supplies as this machine came with a starter pack of everything needed! It is light, adjustable, and easy to use! My boss is going to think I binded this using an office supply company! I won't tell him I did it myself. I give this item 5 Stars!
kdkboy

Most helpful negative review

4.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
05/02/2015
Takes practice!
When I received this product, I was rather surprised by the weight of it. It's rather heavy! In the box: Machine is fully assembled and includes a 2 page manual. The directions in the manual are somewhat vague. It took me a while to figure out the details of it. The pictures are NOT very descriptive either. I had no real idea how to properly load the comb. I eventually figured it out. The manual does state to use practice scrap paper. I did and it was a success! Then when I was making my projects-- it kept punching incorrectly on the right side. You have to be absolutely meticulous with this machine or the paper will shift and bam! you have junk paper! I suggest only punching 5 sheets at a time if your paper isn't the cheap stuff. The fewer sheets, the cleaner the punch. I'm sure excellence comes with practice , I'm hopeful! Overall it is pretty neat! Ive made books for all of my kids, they think it's the best thing ever! Please note that it DOES NOT come with any supplies!
iheartmykidds
14 reviews
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  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/18/2015
    I am just like the professionals now!
    Just in time to make books of many things that I have wanted to organize into some sort of order (poems, recipes, etc.). I now have the machine to make this happen. This device is so easy to use. The directions are very clear and the illustrations are easy to understand. The Fellowes Star 150 Personal Comb Binder makes any project needing to be bond a snap to do. Instead of having to go to the professional printing company I can now just make my own books at home. This machine is very neat in appearance and doesn’t take up very much space. The cost of the materials for this binder is very inexpensive. For instance, the box of 25-¼ inch black plastic binding combs is under $4.00. This size comb is suitable for binding a book of 2-20 pages. The cost of a package of 25 clear letter size binding covers (great for the front of the book) is under $10. Likewise, a package of 25 black binding covers (suitable for using on the back of your book) is also under $10. With these supplies and this machine I am now set up to make 25 books already. The Fellowes company includes a customer service number and website address in the event that I had problems. I will share my projects with all of my friends on Facebook and let them know the machine I used to put the books together. I will be the envy of all of my friends.
    Wrchurch
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/10/2015
    Great for teachers, crafters and journalers
    I received the Fellowes Star+ 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine for free from the Spark Reviewers program. This is not a product I would normally have gone out and purchased by myself. However, after having it for just a couple weeks I have found it to be very valuable. During Teacher Appreciation week, we made books for teachers which included student's personal writing and drawings. My 9 year old daughter has made her own personalized spiral bound scrapbook and asks to make journals for her friends. We are currently working on a Summertime Journaling book to give her classmates on the last day of school using ruled paper without holes and my daughter's own creative cover. This product can easily be used to make personalized cookbooks with family recipes or to bind together all the take-out menus. I was a special education teacher in an elementary school for 15 years and often used the binding machine for student portfolios and class books. I am very excited to now have my own personal binding machine. The possible uses truly are limitless. The binding machine is very easy to use, though I would recommend not putting holes in more than 10-12 pages at a time. The combs do not come with the machine, they must purchased seperately. The combs vary in price depending on the sheet capacity.
    Salesavvymom
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/05/2015
    Now to get organized!
    I am so excited to have this product! I love being organized and this is going to help me get that way and stay that way! I plan to use it for my job as well as home. I create my attendance rosters, I teach Computer Skills, and have to keep track of who has finished their projects. I love that I can now create them at home. At certain times of the year, I must stand in line to use the school’s binding machine. I am able to store quite a few combs in the storage tray built into the machine. It is easy to empty the tray that catches the cut paper. I used two clear covers and 4 sheets of paper to create a data folder for my spending online. They were very easy to cut and very easy to attach the comb. I will spend my summer getting ready for our next school year getting much use of the equipment. I also plan to put a book together of our adventures in Kindergarten for our new students to view. This will give them something to look forward to in the coming year. The combs are very sturdy and will allow me to recycle them many times.
    GreenTree
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/02/2015
    Takes practice!
    When I received this product, I was rather surprised by the weight of it. It's rather heavy! In the box: Machine is fully assembled and includes a 2 page manual. The directions in the manual are somewhat vague. It took me a while to figure out the details of it. The pictures are NOT very descriptive either. I had no real idea how to properly load the comb. I eventually figured it out. The manual does state to use practice scrap paper. I did and it was a success! Then when I was making my projects-- it kept punching incorrectly on the right side. You have to be absolutely meticulous with this machine or the paper will shift and bam! you have junk paper! I suggest only punching 5 sheets at a time if your paper isn't the cheap stuff. The fewer sheets, the cleaner the punch. I'm sure excellence comes with practice , I'm hopeful! Overall it is pretty neat! Ive made books for all of my kids, they think it's the best thing ever! Please note that it DOES NOT come with any supplies!
    iheartmykidds
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/28/2015
    Very Efficient Comb Binding Machine
    Fellowes Star+ 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine is very convenient to have for personal use and for the small business owner. It is very handy in keeping things organized and protected. This binding machine is perfect for the scrapbook hobbyist and for getting old photographs in order. The small business owner will find it very effective for making anything from small pamphlets to professional looking bid presentations. The Fellowes Star+ 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine punches 12 pages of 20 lb. paper at a time. The binding can handle a document capacity of up to 150. When I first received the Fellowes Star+ 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine, I was a little concerned that it would take me a long time to be able to understand how to operate it properly. I was relieved to find out how relatively easy and uncomplicated it is to use. The instructions are very clear and simple. It is a matter of hole-punching your pages, lining up your binding circle and pressing the handle to the closed position. That is all there is to it. Just be sure to line up the binding circle properly, so all the tabs will interlock in the correct position.
    happysatisfiedshopper
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/27/2015
    Fellowes Star + 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine!
    My Fellowes Star + 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine came in a little over a week ago and it is a great addiction to my home office. This Binding Machine will also be used by my Son who's an Grad School Architecture student, who has a lot of projects to put together for his classes. The machine is a Light Duty Comb Binding Machine, It Manually punches up to 10 sheets at a time, Binds up to 150 Sheets with a 3/4 Inches comb(which is Great!), It allows you to punch and bind continously for the maximum productivity and it loads vertically for an accurate punch alignment. It doesn't take up much space on my office desk the measurements for this machine are (LxWx 6.4x20.5x14.9) and the weight of the machine is just a little under 12 pounds (11.95). So if you're a big project person like us this Binding Machine is great for you and your family. It will save you money from going to the big name places an having your Binding done and them taking your money, this Binding Machine is priced very low and will save you money in the long run. What a great gift this will make for those who love to have their work look like it was done by professionals. It will also be great for putting together projects such as: Cook book recipes, Short story books, School projects and many other every day projects.
    BBQLee
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/19/2015
    Every household NEEDS this binding machine
    The Fellowes Star + 150 Manual Comb Binding Machine is AWESOME! As soon as mine arrived, I could not wait to create a project. I immediately printed some free medical forms on-line and created a bound medical office book for my 3½ year old granddaughter to use in her pretend medical office. The machine is super-easy to use and the instructions couldn’t be more clear and straightforward. The combs come in a variety of sizes (to accommodate the number of pages in your book) and binder covers are available for purchase from the company. You will have to purchase combs and binders, as none are typically included. I did go to the website and the supply prices were very reasonable. I would recommend this amazing machine to everyone-students, homeschoolers, troop leaders, teachers, and grandparents (of course). Imagine the top-notch school projects your child could prepare with this piece of equipment. Truly, it would add some extra-special detailing to their presentations. For my next project, I plan to make a cookbook of all my favourite recipes, so that each one of my grown children will have them in the future. My daughter has some recipes already, but my sons (both single) may want them for their wives one day in the future. The binding machine will be a perfect way to create something really special, with recipes and family photos, to pass down to my children.
    ladycarla
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/19/2015
    Simple to Use Binding Machine
    After receiving this, I went thru the directions. I did punch thru 12 easily. I did not have to bind 150 pages, but I did a 24 page report for my office! It did a beautiful job binding it. It looks so professional. I was shocked how easy it is, and did not have to go to the store for supplies as this machine came with a starter pack of everything needed! It is light, adjustable, and easy to use! My boss is going to think I binded this using an office supply company! I won't tell him I did it myself. I give this item 5 Stars!
    kdkboy
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/17/2015
    Wow! Never thought it could be this easy!
    This personal comb binding machine is simple and easy to use! I have bound some printed recipe sheets I've had laying around the kitchen that I use. Now I have some order and they will stay clean. If you purchase one of these and don't "get" the instructions in the manual, you can go to YouTube and there is a video that explains it. You do need to purchase covers and combs yourself. There are several different sizes of combs depending upon the amount of paper you want to bind. These seem to be fairly inexpensive. The smallest comb binds only about 12 sheets of paper and the front and back covers. There are two drawers on the right hand side. The one in the front is for comb storage and there is a nifty tool so you can measure the comb to let you know what size it is so you'll know how much paper you can bind with this comb. The one in the back is where the paper from the punch falls when you punch the paper. I have old family recipes I want to make into a cookbook with pictures and comments and give to relatives, and this will be perfect for this project! I really don't see any downside to this product at this point. It works wonderfully.
    Southerner2
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/07/2015
    Good machine - Bad instructions
    Granted, every desktop doesn't require one of these machines - your typical stapler or three-hole punch will suffice. However, there are times when you need to truck on down to the Copy Center to use something with a little more horsepower or finesse. (When you require the electric stapler, the industrial strength three-hole punch - or this little beauty.) This machine will allow you to create a custom-made handout or brochure that isn't merely stapled, or bull-clipped, or shoved into a glommy three-ring binder. It has a compact binding, a decent backing, a custom (or transparent) cover and, best of all, it still fits into a briefcase or tote. It even has a storage drawer for a variety of plastic binding combs (different sizes for different page counts) and another to hold punched paper confetti. (Punching, by the way, is extremely easy and produces precise, clean holes.) I've only found two "Con's" (neither has anything to do with the actual machine): the instructions, and the plastic combs. The instructions are pretty bad and really don't do justice to the machine. It's not intuitive how it operates - and the instructions don't help at all. You'll need to play with it for a while before achieving success (unless someone has demonstrated it to you in the past). The plastic combs work quite nicely - providing you stretch them out only briefly (like when you bind a document). If you stretch them out and leave them that way while you punch the paper - they tend to lose their elasticity and fail to close completely when released - allowing the pages to fall out. The bottom line... (1) You may, or may not, need this machine for your desk, office, etc. It depends on what kind of paperwork you produce. (2) You may have to play with it a bit to figure out how it works (or ask for assistance from someone who's used it before). (3) Do NOT keep the plastic combs stretched out for any length of time - they simply don't snap back into shape when you do.
    MrFitz