To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Label maker recommendation ...

K

krswen

New member
Joined
Jul 11, 2011
Messages
3
My old Dymo unit (the kind that you squeezed by hand and it embossed vinyl tape) has bitten the dust and I couldn't get tapes anymore.
So I'm looking at the newer digital units. Dymo makes one for about $45 by the time you buy the power supply and extra tape cartridge. It's called a LabelManager 160. Any experience with it (or a competitor)?
One of my old tool chests is a Kennedy with wrinkle finish paint. How well do these labels stick to a non-smooth surfaces?

Ken
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
M

Milton Shaw

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
4,835
Dymo had a exchange program earlier this year, turn in a old unit and receive a new Rhino 4200, a digital unit runs of batteries or transformer. I found two around the house and exchanged both of them. You might check industrial suppliers, electrical suppliers to see if such a deal is still on.
 
OP
K

krswen

New member
Joined
Jul 11, 2011
Messages
3
Hmmm, the Rhino looks like overkill for my use in the garage, but if I could score one free or cheap ........

Ken
 
C

Craptain

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
Messages
4,027
Location
Tampa Bay FL
I have a Brother label maker based purely on special offer price. It works fine and is currently producing labels for my shop. The label tape cost more than the machine. But I am happy with it nonetheless.
 
C

Charles (in GA)

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
12,489
Location
50 mi south of Atlanta
I have three Brother units. Two came together on a special offer, one with a keyboard, the other plugs USB into your computer. It is rather old and is no longer made, but works fantastic, uses label material from ¼" wide to 1" wide. The software has clip art and you can import almost any image into it and it uses all of the fonts and sizes your computer has,

The third one is, like the other, a USB unit, but is new. It also uses the ¼ to 1" tapes (TZ series tapes, DO NOT get one that uses the M series tapes), but this one has a limited feature built in software that works on any computer you plug it into, or you can load the full featured software. It also uses a 120V power supply brick, OR you can run it off 6 AA batteries. It was something like $79 from Staples, but was on sale for $49 and then they were offering an additional $10 off for ANY label maker you traded in (such as a Dynamo or in my case, a broken Brother hand held that used the crummy M series tapes)

Label tapes are EXPENSIVE, buy them on Ebay and save quite a bit.

http://www.staples.com/Brother-P-touch-PT-2430PC-1-Wide-Label-Maker-with-Auto-Cutter/product_747745

s0273886_sc7


Charles
 
A

Alan Douglas

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
295
Location
Cape Cod, Mass.
We have a small Brother at work, at least 20 years old. I bought a newer version at a flea market for less than $10, so yes, the tape costs more than the machine. But it works well; the new one will do two lines on one tape.

After you print the tape you have to advance it to get it past the cutter, which wastes a little blank tape, but you can print all your labels and then advance it once at the end.

The labels stick at least as well as the old Dymo ones did, and they conform better to the surface since they're thinner. They also look a lot better.
 
Z

ZRX61

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
28,716
Location
Solar Blight Valley, SoCal
I had a Brother P Touch at one point, it crapped out before it used an entire roll of tape, but was no longer in warranty. They told me to call a place that wanted more to diagnose the problem & *possibly* fix it than it would cost for a new one.
Threw it in the trash, decided I could live without ******* labels all over the place.
 
S

Stevie-Ray

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
2,894
Location
Michigan's Sunrise Side
I have 2 Brother P Touch units, one is large like a small typewriter, one is the size of a fat calculator. Both take TZ cartridges which are horrendously expensive. Fact is, I need to get some as I'm running out. Labels are fantastic-should be for the price.
 
C

CoryZ

Well-known member
Joined
May 29, 2011
Messages
336
Location
WI
Had good luck with Brother P-touch units (typewriter style) over the years for both work and home. The home unit doesn't get much use, so I don't bother with batteries in it--just use the power cord.

The labels are top notch, but a bit expensive.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
D

DYMOsupport

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2013
Messages
7
We sure are.

It is not clear which model you have so my best suggestion would be to ring us (1-877-289-3966). For more technical questions you can use 1-877-724-8324.
 
M

Matt M PA

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
3,174
Location
SE PA
I have a Brother labeler...I think a 1750? It works fine, but I don't use it much anymore. The tapes are so expensive, and for some reason aren't holding as well these days. I miss using it because I am (to a degree) a organization freak.

I'd love to upgrade to something else...but I doubt my little unit would be part of the trade-in program.
 
A

aka Larry

Well-known member
Joined
May 2, 2012
Messages
8,015
Location
Eastern, NC
I have Brother P-touch and have never had a problem with it. Yes, the tapes are expensive, but well worth the results IMO. I label lots of stuff so it gets a lot of use in my shop.
 
N

nickleone

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
193
Do you have a computer and printer?
Buy dymo labels at the office supply and print your own.
The labels are cheap and seem to come in a thousand different sizes.
Yes they are paper but you can get clear and color ones also.

Nick
 
H

hypnolobster

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
15
Location
Litchfield/Akron, OH
Does anybody really like the new style sticker labelers? I've had no luck at all getting the damn things to stick well. The old embossed labels stuck like, well, glue.
 
C

cnc-me

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
1,183
Location
MI
Have a Rhino Pro 5000, but the tapes are expen$ive.
Especially the flexible nylon for wires, works great though.
It's also kind of a battery hog, finally had to hack up an old wall wart to power the thing.
 
C

Charles (in GA)

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
12,489
Location
50 mi south of Atlanta
hypnolobster said:
Does anybody really like the new style sticker labelers? I've had no luck at all getting the damn things to stick well. The old embossed labels stuck like, well, glue.
Click to expand...

I'm just the opposite. The old embossed labels i remember didn't work worth a darn. the label was not flat after being embossed and just did not stick well. the brother labels lay flat and adhere well, of course I clean the area I am sticking them to, using alcohol or other evaporating cleaner.

I label every switch and receptacle plate in the house and shop with the circuit breaker number. I also make labels on how to operate some things that I figure it would be difficult for someone else to figure out right away.

Brother does make extra high adhesion labels also in some sizes and colors.

Standard brother label color, size and part number chart.

Brother extra strength size, color and part number chart

Brother speciality label tape size, color and part number chart. Tamper evident, super narrow, iron on, non laminated, etc.

Charles
 
4

4xdog

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
5,595
Location
Santa Fe, NM
DYMOsupport said:
We sure are.

It is not clear which model you have so my best suggestion would be to ring us (1-877-289-3966). For more technical questions you can use 1-877-724-8324.
Click to expand...


I just had a conversation with the technical support folks at DYMO, and my old unit -- plus this thread -- qualified me for an upgrade/replacement. Thanks to all, including DYMO.

There are some new tape types, like the shrink tube version, that will *definitely* get used.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom