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GBC PB2600 Modular Electric Comb Opener Review

By: Jeff McRitchie

Overview:

Even with the highest speed binding punch on the market, you’ll still need a plastic comb opener to spread the combs for page insertion. The GPC PB2600 modular electric comb opener is the tool you need to improve efficiency and speed in the binding process. In a market flooded with manual comb openers, the PB2600 is virtually the only electric comb opener available, and can dramatically save time on one of the most tedious aspects of plastic comb binding - especially for users with a high-speed punch or pre-punched paper.

Features:

Using a foot-pedal for operation, the PB2600 frees up your hands to hold the documents while inserting your pages onto the combs. If you are not a fan of the foot-pedal, however, you can open the combs with a touch of a button - a large one, located at the top of the machine. In addition, the PB2600 can remember your previous setting, allowing for quick and easy opening of any combs that are the same size, reducing the need for a new set-up with each similar project.

This machine is the most accurate comb opening system available on the market, and has several adjustment features to ensure accuracy. For example, you can use the large knob on the side of the machine to set the width of the comb opening. For larger documents, you can also tap the foot pedal to open the combs incrementally, a very important feature when inserting pages onto large oval shaped combs. In addition, this machine has curious little black tabs on its back. These tabs are actually a very unique feature called, “no flip stoppers,” These tabs are designed to ensure that large oval binding combs will not slip on the machine during the opening process, which is very important for fast and efficient binding practices.

The PB2600 is designed to be paired with one of the GBC modular binding punches such as the Magnapunch, MP2500ix or MP2000PB. The PB2600 neatly stacks on top of one of these machines or can be placed beside the punch to allow two users to work on the binding process simultaneously.

Limitations:

With the PB2600’s ease of use and solid construction, there really are few, if any, limitations to this product. The only potential issue apparent is that if used in the field, the machine can become dirty or over time. When the machine does become dirty, the equipment can become clogged with dirt or dust and jammed and lose its ability to perform. Because of this, the opening hooks should be cleaned and lubricated periodically to prevent the machine from becoming jammed.

Construction:

The GBC PB2600 is solidly constructed and built to last. The machine is perfect for almost any comb-opening application and has the GBC standard of excellent binding equipment. Given this, the CBC PB2600 is an excellent option for any moderate to larger applications

Recommendation:

This product is highly recommended for organizations that do a great deal of comb binding. The PB2600 is an extremely helpful tool that can more than double the productivity of a standard manual plastic comb opener, making it ideal for printers, copy shops, in plant print shops and binderies. For a smaller organization the machine may be a bit of overkill. However, the GBC2600 is so effective that even if its overkill, it certainly gets the job done, faster and more effectively. This machine is truly the perfect tool for comb binding machine in almost any application as long as it fits within your budget.

So take a look at the PB2600 and see if it is the right solution for your binding needs.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_9395.shtml

Divided Opinions Amongst Mortgage Advisers

By: Michael Sterios

Mortgage advisers are divided in their opinions as to who are the real winners and losers out of the recent interest rate rises. No one could argue that borrowers who have variable rate mortgages have lost out because their monthly repayments have increased due to the extra interest due. However there is debate over whether borrowers of fixed rate mortgage products are better or worse of than before the recent base rate rises.

The interest rates set on fixed rate mortgage products are not necessarily tied to the Bank of England Base Rate. Rather, they are derived from the cost of borrowing to the lender, which is called the swap rate. While the base rate has risen over the past year, so have swap rates. This should result in an increase in the interest rates offered by lenders on fixed rate mortgages. In other words, lenders would pass on the increasing borrowing costs they are forced to endure to their borrowers.

However, this has not strictly been the case. Many lenders have not passed the increased swap rates on to their borrowers and have instead reduced their margins. Some mortgage advisers are claiming that by not passing on the full amount of the increase in swap rates, the borrowers are gaining a huge benefit. Other mortgage advisers, however, are quick to point out that although the interest rates offered on fixed mortgages haven?t risen in line with the increase in swap rates, they have risen, and borrowers are worse off as a result.

Whatever their individual opinions, mortgage advisers have been busy helping their clients save money by remortgaging to more favourable products as interest rates increase. This flurry of activity has meant that mortgage advisers may be the real winners as they receive commissions and fees from mortgage lenders for each remortgage they complete for their clients.

Each time the Bank of England raises the base rate to curb inflation many lenders subsequently increase the interest rates they charge on their mortgage products. This is because most mortgages have interest rates that are calculated as the Bank of England Base Rate (BoEBR) plus a certain percentage point ? for example BoEBR + 1%. A mortgage with an interest rate calculated in this way would have a rate of 6% if the BoEBR was sitting on 5%.

The base rate is normally increased or decreased by one quarter of a percentage point in modern times. When it is increased several times in succession home owners with mortgages begin to feel the pinch as their monthly repayments increase. This can lead to a flurry of activity in the home loan market. Some borrowers will look to remortgage to other home loan products in order to source a cheaper variable rate deal while others will look to lock in their monthly repayments with a fixed rate product.

When this happens mortgage advisers become extremely busy as they hurry to arrange new home loan products for their customers. Advisers normally charge a fee for sourcing and arranging mortgage deals for their clients which means that they will benefit financially from periods of high activity in the BoEBR.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_9472.shtml