mmll32
Junior Member
Posts: 80
Jun 29, 2014 19:22:38 GMT
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Post by mmll32 on Aug 3, 2014 19:52:36 GMT
Do you know of a reasonably priced laminator that works well? I am currently thinking about buying one but am a little worried that the price of the pouches will make it very expensive.
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Post by stephofalltrades on Aug 3, 2014 19:59:09 GMT
Not a teacher but I used one for work often at a previous job. I paid about 25.00 for it at walmart. I can't remember the cost of the pouches, but it wasn't a personal expense to me at the time so I didn't pay much attention. You may be able to buy them in bulk for less somewhere like Sams club or off Amazon for a better price. It worked well, but you are limited to the 8.5x11 sheets or the ID card sized pouches. I think if you used it frequently it would probably get costly, but just for things like signs that you want to keep in good shape for a long time it wouldn't be bad. A friend of mine is a student teacher and they use clear contact paper, but it is foggy and doesn't look nearly as nice.
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Post by iteach3rdgrade on Aug 3, 2014 20:02:52 GMT
I have a scotch laminator that works on 9x12 sheets. I LOVE it! The laminator that came with our new building SUCKS. They should have fixed the old one. Anyway, for things that fit in 9x12 sheets, I use my laminator. We buy 200 sheets at Sam's Club for about $20. It's thicker so I don't need to use card stock for a lot of what I laminate. The downside, I can't laminate large items. |
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Post by elaine on Aug 3, 2014 20:32:51 GMT
My kids' teachers have borrowed my Xyron. I still love to use it for laminating, even though I don't paper scrap any more.
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,087 
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Aug 3, 2014 20:38:06 GMT
Scotch is the best. It has a "reverse" button so if something starts coming out wrong or getting wrinkled, you can take out before it is completely ruined. I have two--one was for my classroom and one is at home. Even though I'm no longer teaching, I kept them both because when I do large laminating projects for a volunteer groups or one of my kids teachers, I can have two going at the same time and cut down on the time I spend laminating.
I bought another one yesterday at Walgreens for our band. They were on clearance for 14.99, which is a great deal!
I buy the big pack of laminating film at Sam's, about $21 for 200 sheets of 9 x 11.5 film. It comes out nice and clear, and it is much heavier than the big rolls we had at school. If you are laminating signs or gameboards that are 8.5 x 11, you don't even have to trim them.
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,087
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Aug 3, 2014 20:43:27 GMT
I have a scotch laminator that works on 9x12 sheets. I LOVE it! The laminator that came with our new building SUCKS. They should have fixed the old one. Anyway, for things that fit in 9x12 sheets, I use my laminator. We buy 200 sheets at Sam's Club for about $20. It's thicker so I don't need to use card stock for a lot of what I laminate. The downside, I can't laminate large items. Oops, I missed your post when I posted mine. I had walked away from my post before submitting it. 
If you need to laminate longer items, you can "piece" some of the other sheets together. I put one sheet on one end and one on the other and trim a little where they overlap. Just be careful when you put it through and use the "paper carrier" that comes with the laminating sheets so the overlap doesn't roll up inside the laminator. I trim off as much excess as possible before putting it through, and I just end up with a little strip of over lap.
For even longer items, you can put on sheet on "sideways" in the middle and trim it to fit as well. I'm not sure if any of this makes much sense without a diagram, LOL.
As for things that are too wide to go through, I've got nothing.  You'll just have to use the sucky one.
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Post by kels99 on Aug 3, 2014 20:51:35 GMT
I bought my laminator at Costco and I often find laminating pouches in the end-cap clearance at Wal-Mart.
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Post by iteach3rdgrade on Aug 3, 2014 21:02:13 GMT
I haven't worried about laminating larger items lately because in our new building (6 years old) they changed out the heating/cooling system to be more efficient which basically feels like our old building with humidity and NOTHING stays on the walls without velcro or command strips. The lighter the better. Laminated is too heavy. I'm sounding bitter.  I'll have to try piecing it together. I have some new genre posters to laminate although I may skip it. Sam's has a wider laminator, but I would imagine it's the laminate is expensive. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 10:24:43 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 21:10:31 GMT
I bought this machine (from Amazon) about a year ago. It is a solid, solid piece of machinery and a serious workhorse. Today's price from Amazon is a little high, but I've never seen it go lower than $75.00 (I watched it for a while before I purchased it.) I guess I should add that I really like it and there have been zero problems. |
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Post by mom2emilytaryn on Aug 3, 2014 21:41:00 GMT
I love my Scotch Thermal Laminator, and order the pouches on Amazon. But it can only do up to 8 1/2 by 11 pages.
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You'll just have to use the sucky one.
I'll have to try piecing it together. I have some new genre posters to laminate although I may skip it. 