Formax ReadyCombM+ — Manual Comb Punch & Bind System for Teacher Workrooms

The comb binder I'd put in a teacher workroom: hand-crank, no outlet, books up to 480 sheets.

Formax ReadyCombM+

The Formax ReadyCombM+ is a manual, all-in-one plastic comb punch and binding machine that closes books up to 480 sheets, takes paper up to 14" wide, punches up to 12,000 sheets an hour and closes up to 200 booklets an hour. Punch and close both run by hand lever.

Formax rates it for 100 to 200 books a day and lists schools first among its best-fit settings.

It closes as fast as the electric model. The ReadyCombE only speeds up punching.

What are the Formax ReadyCombM+ specs?

The ReadyCombM+ binds comb books up to 480 sheets, handles paper up to 14" wide, and is rated at up to 12,000 sheets an hour of punching and up to 200 booklets an hour of closing. It measures 20" wide, 14" deep and 13" tall, per Formax's product material.

• Binding — plastic comb
• Punch — manual, gravity-assisted vertical punching
• Punching speed — up to 12,000 sheets per hour
• Max book — up to 480 sheets
• Closing speed — up to 200 booklets per hour
• Max paper width — 14"
• Formax best fit — 100–200 books per day
• Size — 20" W × 14" D × 13" H

Formax doesn't list a per-pass punch capacity. I'm getting it from the rep.

Why is comb binding a good fit for teachers?

Comb is the only binding in Formax's lineup you can reopen. Put the book back on the ReadyCombM+, pull the lever, add the next unit or swap a page, close it. Formax says you can "easily add or remove pages" and reuse the bindings. For workbooks and lesson binders that grow over a semester, that beats rebinding from scratch.

Comb also takes the thickest books Formax makes in this line, 480 sheets. Wire looks sharper and lies flat. Comb is the practical one.

Should a school buy the ReadyCombM+ or the electric ReadyCombE?

Most schools should buy the ReadyCombM+. Both close up to 480 sheets at 200 booklets an hour on 14" paper; the electric ReadyCombE adds a foot pedal that raises punching from 12,000 to 16,000 sheets an hour. In a teacher workroom binding a class set at a time, that difference never shows up.

The CombE earns its cord in a district print center doing 150 to 300 books a day. For one building, I'd keep the money.

How does the ReadyCombM+ work?

The ReadyCombM+ binds in four steps: set the comb in the slots and pull the lever toward you to open it, punch the paper, lay the punched sheets on the open comb, and push the lever away to close. Setup is toolless.

• Vertical, drop-in punch so the stack is square before it punches
• Punch edge adjustment to move holes closer to or farther from the edge
• Disengageable punch pins for non-standard sizes, "without tools or greasy set up"
• Paper width guide for consistent placement

How does the ReadyCombM+ compare to the ReadyCombE?

Same Premium comb binder, different punch. The ReadyCombM+ punches by hand at up to 12,000 sheets an hour; the ReadyCombE punches by foot pedal at up to 16,000. Book size, paper width and closing speed are identical.

• Teacher workroom, media center or school office? → ReadyCombM+
• District print center, 150–300 books a day? → ReadyCombE
• Finished books never change and need to look sharp? → ReadyWire2B

Who should buy the ReadyCombM+ — and who shouldn't

Buy it for a teacher workroom, an elementary or middle school front office, or a media center making workbooks, lesson binders, health records and volunteer handouts. Formax lists schools, small offices, churches, non-profits and healthcare.

Skip it if your finished documents go to the school board or out to the public and need to lie flat; wire does that better. It pairs well in a workroom with a laminator — see our post on Formax FlashGuard laminators.

Every model is compared in our guide to Formax binding machines for schools, or browse Formax equipment in our store.

Questions we get from districts

Does the Formax ReadyCombM+ need electricity?

No. The ReadyCombM+ is fully manual: the punch and the comb opener both run by hand lever, so it can sit in any workroom without an outlet. Formax's electric comb model is the ReadyCombE, which adds a foot-pedal punch but closes at the same 200 booklets an hour.

How thick a book can the ReadyCombM+ make?

Up to 480 sheets, according to Formax. That's thicker than any wire or coil model in the Formax Ready lineup we carry: 2:1 wire tops out at 340 sheets and coil at 155. Formax doesn't publish the per-pass punch capacity, and I'm confirming it with our rep.

Can teachers add pages to a comb-bound workbook later?

Yes. Set the book back on the ReadyCombM+, pull the lever to open the comb, add or remove pages, and push the lever to close. Formax notes the combs can be reused. Wire and coil can't be reopened that way, which is why comb suits documents that grow.

What's the difference between the ReadyCombM+ and the ReadyCombE?

The punch. The ReadyCombM+ is hand-crank and punches up to 12,000 sheets an hour; the ReadyCombE uses a foot pedal and punches up to 16,000. Both close 480-sheet books at 200 an hour on 14" paper. The CombE is 10" tall, the CombM+ 13".

How many books a day is the ReadyCombM+ built for?

100 to 200 books a day, per Formax, which covers a busy school workroom. If a print center needs more, the ReadyCombE is rated for 150 to 300 a day. For a classroom doing a few dozen, the ReadyCombM+ is still the comb model I'd recommend.

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