Protective Cases
Backpacks
Systems
Displays & Projectors
Printers & Scanners
Storage & Memory
Networking
Components & Accessories
View all
Formax's highest-volume 2:1 wire binder: a foot-pedal punch with both hands free for the stack.
Formax ReadyWire2E
The Formax ReadyWire2E is an all-in-one 2:1 pitch double-loop wire binding machine with an electric, foot-pedal-operated punch and a manual closer. It binds books up to 340 sheets on wire up to 1½" diameter, takes paper up to 14" wide, and is rated at up to 250 booklets an hour.
Formax rates it for 150 to 250 books a day. It's a Premium Office model with Formax's "Recommended — For the Most Versatile Binding!" badge.
Only the punch is electric. You still close the wire with a hand lever. Formax describes the close as designed so "thicker booklets don't require extra force," but it's a lever, not a motor.
The ReadyWire2E punches by foot pedal, makes books up to 340 sheets, handles paper up to 14" wide and is rated at up to 250 booklets an hour. It's 18" wide, 17" deep and only 11" tall with the handle, tied with the ReadyWire3E as the lowest-profile wire binder in this Formax lineup.
You need electric when punching is the slow part of your day. The ReadyWire2E is rated at 250 books an hour against 200 for the manual ReadyWire2M, and the foot pedal leaves both hands on the stack. Below about 100 books a day, the manual 2M is enough.
The other reason is height. The 2E is 11" tall; the 2M is 18" to its highest handle. If the binder lives on a counter under wall cabinets, that 7" matters.
What you give up: it needs an outlet, and it's 4" deeper than the 2M (17" vs 13").
The ReadyWire2E uses Formax's Premium vertical, drop-in punch: the stack stands on edge and gravity squares it before the pedal fires. Pins disengage by hand to avoid half-holes on non-standard sheets, which Formax says works "without tools or greasy set up."
At print-shop volume, wasted wire is a real line item. Formax ships ReadyWire in patented packaging so it doesn't tangle, stretch or get thrown out; Formax's graphic says loose wire is "not just tangled, as soon as you pull on it, it's wasted." Formax also says the wire is 10% thicker than industry standard.
I quote wire with every 2E. Ask me for a case price at your volume.
The ReadyWire2E and the ReadyWire2M are the same Premium 2:1 machine with a different punch: electric pedal on the 2E, hand crank on the 2M. The ReadyWire3E is the 2E's 3:1 sibling, with the same pedal and 250-an-hour rating but capped at 5/8" wire and 135-sheet books.
Buy it for a district print center, a central office, or a high school that turns out course guides, handbooks, board packets and graduation programs in volume. Formax lists legal firms, educational institutions, government agencies, healthcare and corporate print shops as the fit. We quote K-12 and government buyers on print-center setups like this.
Don't buy it for a classroom. It's more machine than 10 to 50 books a day calls for. And if most of what you make is student workbooks that get pages added, the electric ReadyCombE is the better tool.
See every model side by side in our guide to Formax binding machines for schools, or browse Formax equipment in our store.
Is the Formax ReadyWire2E fully electric?
No — only the punch is electric. The ReadyWire2E punches with a foot pedal and closes the wire with a manual lever. That's still the slow-hand part removed: Formax rates it at 250 booklets an hour versus 200 for the all-manual ReadyWire2M.
How many sheets does the ReadyWire2E punch per pass?
Formax's ReadyWire2E spec graphic says up to 25 sheets per pass. One Formax comparison card lists 20, so I'm confirming the exact number with our rep. Either way, it binds finished books up to 340 sheets on 2:1 wire up to 1½".
What's the difference between the ReadyWire2E and ReadyWire2M?
The punch and the footprint. The 2E punches by foot pedal and is rated at 250 books an hour; the 2M is hand-crank and rated at 200. The 2E is 11" tall and 17" deep, the 2M is 18" tall and 13" deep. Paper width, wire size and book thickness match.
Can the ReadyWire2E bind legal-size paper?
Yes. The ReadyWire2E takes paper up to 14" wide, so legal-size binds on its long edge. That's one of the main reasons to choose Formax's Premium models over the Basic ReadyWire2B and ReadyWire3B, which stop at 11". Landscape calendars bound on the short edge work on every model.
What power does the ReadyWire2E need?
It plugs into a standard wall outlet for the electric punch; the close is manual. The exact voltage and amperage aren't in the material Formax sent us, so I'm getting the electrical spec from our rep for anyone who needs it for a facilities request.
How many books a day is the ReadyWire2E built for?
150 to 250 books a day, according to Formax, with a rated output of up to 250 booklets an hour. That positions it as Formax's 2:1 machine for print shops and district offices, while the manual ReadyWire2M is rated for 100 to 200 a day.
Reach out to sales@9to5computer.com for a quote today!
Contact us to get the best pricing in the industry.
