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*The OD4000 is the smallest electric interchangeable die binding punch that is offered as part of the Rhino Tuff line of binding equipment.

*This punch is designed for small and medium sized organizations that need a high quality electric punch that is capable of punching several different binding styles.

*The OD-4000 is not designed for high volume production environments but instead is meant as a punching solution for organizations that are tired of using tedious manual binding punches.

*This machine offers the ability to punch a number of different hole patterns but is priced competitively enough that many users choose to purchase it for punching a single hole pattern. These users then have the flexibility to upgrade their machine by simply purchasing another die set in the future.

Strengths / Features:

*The OD-4000 uses eleven inch punching dies that are built with an open throat design. This is great for organizations that primarily need to bind letter size or smaller documents. However, users who occasionally need to bind legal sized sheets can still use this punch by simply using the open throat design along with a two step punching process.

*The OD4000 comes with one standard punching die of your choice when you purchase it new. There are currently twelve different standard die sets for this machine and a number of custom dies are also available. You can choose from dies for comb binding, spiral coil binding, twin loop wire, Velobind and 3-hole punching. This provides a huge amount of flexibility and allows for organizations to easily add a punching style at any time as needed.

*One of the great things about this machine is the price point. The OD-4000 has a price tag that is similar to many fixed die modular punches or all in one electric desktop binding machines. However, this machine offers a superior level of productivity and versatility when compared to these other products.

*The OD-4000 is designed to allow you to attach a spiral coil inserter to the side of the machine or bolt your finishing equipment to the top of the punch. This helps organizations to conserve space while creating their own customized binding experience. This punch is designed to be combined with a coil inserter, wire closer, comb opener or an automatic paper selector. Choose the combination that works best for your companies needs.

Weaknesses / Limitations:

*Although this is a decent quality electric punch it has a fairly limited punching capacity. It is rated for punching up to seventeen sheets of paper at a time. However, depending on the punching pattern that you are using it may even end up being less than this. Users who need to bind small books and light volume users will probably be fine with this punching capacity. However, users who need to create larger sized documents or need to create a number of documents quickly should probably opt for a punch with a larger capacity.

*The OD-4000 provides the ability to change punching patterns by simply replacing the punching die set. This machine uses the Rhino Tuff Ez change die system which holds the die in place using two bolts. You need to loosen these two bolts in order to change the punching pattern. Changing punching patterns takes less than two minutes which isn't too bad.

*However, users who need to change patterns more than once or twice a day may want to look at a punch with an easier to use die change mechanism.

This machine is simply a binding punch. Depending on the type of binding that you want to do, you will need to purchase a piece of finishing equipment to work alongside this machine. For plastic comb binding you will need a comb opener. For double loop wire binding you will need a wire closer. For spiral coil binding you will need a coil inserter. It is important to remember to budget appropriately for one of these machines in order to get the most out of your punch.

*Although it is possible to bolt pieces of Rhin-O-Tuff finishing equipment to the top of the machine it can be fairly difficult to and time consuming to do so. You will need to purchase a special connector kit to attach the two pieces of equipment. The first time that I tried to attach one of these punches to a wire closer it took me between 45 minutes and an hour. However, you might be able to do it faster than that if you are good with a screwdriver.

*The Rhin-O-Tuff OD4000 is built well and isn't very hard to use. However, it has the same industrial look that is common to the Rhino Tuff line of punches. That is fine, except this machine is not an industrial punch and is really designed to use in an office environment. It would be nice to see Rhino Tuff update the design of this punch so that it would look a little bit more stylish and contemporary for use in a professional office space.

Recommendation:

*The Rhino Tuff OD-4000 is an excellent machine for a small to medium sized office that is looking for a high quality electric binding punch.

*It provides the ability to change punching patterns for binding documents with multiple binding styles. However, it is priced reasonably enough that it is a good fit for organizations that only do one type of binding but want the ability to possibly upgrade or change in the future.

*This machine is easy to use, fairly compact and even allows you to bolt your finishing equipment onto the punch in order to save space.

*It would be nice to see a slightly larger punching capacity and a more contemporary design. However, the OD4000 has its place in the market and will do a good job for light to moderate binding applications.