Laminator…. to buy or not to buy

ok guys I need some help! I'm not sure if my school will have a laminator. We are extremely low income and for some reason I just really want a laminator, but i'm not sure if it is really worth it. What do you think? If anyone has a laminator what brand did you get? I saw target has one by Scotch for $19.99 but i'm afraid it won't last.

Any input would be great!

 

I love, love, love, love, love mine! Well worth it!! I've laminated 100 or so pages and it works perfectly!

 

which laminator did you buy?

 

I have the Scotch one.

 

I bought a Fellowes laminator that was on clearance, and I love it!! But the price was very low, and I don't know if I would have bought it otherwise. I still use the school laminator for all my large sized items and when I have extra time.

 

I have the Scotch one and another (can't remember the name). I my prefer the Scotch brand.

Keep in mind the size restrictions. I love my own but still have to use the school one for larger pieces.

 

I have a Scotch laminator. I like using it at home because I don't have to wait an hour to heat up the school laminator!

 

Yes!! They take forever. And home laminators usually produce thicker, sturdier results.

 

Buy it! I love mine!

 

I'd love to buy one but I'm afraid of the cost. How much does the lamination material cost?

 

Amazon is usually the cheapest. The price variates sometimes. Right now, a 100 pack is about 20 bucks and a 200 pack is a bit over $32.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CBAWIIY/ref=twister_B00KYPPVV4

 

the pouches can be expensive. I put them on my wish list for parents (haven't received any yet though!) and I sometimes look for sales/coupons at craft stores.

I only laminate items that I will use over and over. The time I save from having to redo something makes the cost of the pouches worth it.

Also, you do not have to use only Scotch brand sheets with a Scotch laminator. You can find other brands on sale when Scotch isn't.

 

I got a Scotch on Amazon but I think it was a different model than the $19.99 one at Target. It has lasted a while so far. I am able to get the laminating sheets at school so at least I don't have to buy them.

 

I have the Scotch one and I used it probably 75 times last year. (Our passes for kids have to be laminated but of course, we have to pay for the lamination ourselves...). I'm very happy with it.

I cannot, however, figure out how to get it to open wide enough to run full sized paper unless i bust the guide tabs off. Maybe I'm just a fool but it does not seem that it wants to go bigger than like 7 inches wide.

As far as the material itself, do an amazon search. The 5 x 7 sheets are the cheapest at 3.70 for a 20 pack. They easily fit 2 3 x 5 cards which is what I use for the passes so that's great for me.

 

I bought scotch from amazon also.... Best purchase ever!

 

I have been accused of having a laminating addiction :lol:

 

I bought a Scotch model like the one at Target. It came with 30 pouches and cost more than $20. It was still worth the price. I do a great deal with Boardmaker and items off Teachers Pay Teachers.

Look at the mil for pouches, some brands are thicker than others. Some items I want a bit more flexible than others. Also, stiff laminate can be sharp on the edges so I round the corners. Something to consider.

Also I use sheet protectors for some items. In that case I get the Avery type at Costco. It works better than laminating.

Shop around for the best price on pouches.

 

What do you all laminate?

 

I laminate anything (that I can) that I'll use more than a couple of times. Game cards, activity sheets and hallway passes mostly.

 

I bought mine from Costco. It's a Purple Cow (think that's the name) and it's about $20. I think I bought mine on sale for $15! Great product and definitely worth it for small quick jobs.

Just so you know...it does NOT laminate as firm as something you'd get done at Staples...it's a little flimsier. I'm not sure if that's my machine or the pockets that came with it (came with 100!) but it does the job and I love it!

 

The Scotch ones are really thick. WAY thicker than a roll laminator.

 

I am trying to make a pre-bagged centers library for my school. I want the small pieces thickly laminated (so not the big machine). Will the Scotch laminator do the job? We need it to hold up for heavy use.....

 

A personal laminator and the cost of the sheets is worth the cost! I have a Swingline brand I purchased on Amazon with a birthday gift card earlier this year. The 20 pack of Scotch lamination pouches I find at Walmart or Target for around $8.00.
Make sure you use a good pair of scissors on the lamination since it is thicker.

 

I use the Scotch pouches and they are very sturdy. Everything has held up extremely well.

 

check amazon

 

Worth every penny! I bought one last summer and I think I've gone through four 100 packs of pouches since then. Love, love, LOVE that thing! I have a Scotch laminator from Amazon, and I get the pouches 200 at a time from Amazon.

I laminate stuff I want to keep - center pieces, classroom decor stuff (job chart pieces, schedule cards, etc).

I've never been at a school with a great laminator, so mine is worth its weight in gold. When I need to laminate something bigger, I go to Lakeshore (teacher supply store), where it's not very expensive for their card members.

Oh, and yes, the lamination is VERY thick. I also laminate whole sheets and cut the pieces out after lamination. I've never had anything peel at all. It's fantastic stuff.

 

I want to buy one also- will definitely be looking at the scotch one!

 

Buy one!

Did you buy one yet? :lol::lol:

I have a Scotch laminator as well. I noticed that they have a slightly larger one now(13 inch) but I cant justify buying a new one when there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the one I have. :unsure:

 

Which model do you guys recommend? I'm going to buy one...

 

I caved and bought the Scotch one from Amazon!

 

Definitely, especially for $20-25...why not! I have the Scotch brand one too that I got at Target for $25 & it's great! (Mine is the thermal laminator.) I order the 100-pack pouches from Amazon as well.

 

I've had my Scotch brand laminator for several years and it's still going strong! I absolutely love it and use it quite often as we do not have a laminator at school.

I also purchase the Scotch brand pouches through Amazon, which seem to be the best deal.

 

Buy it! I've had a scotch laminator for one year and I have had no issues. I bought mine at Walmart. Do not buy the laminating sheets at Target or Walmart. You can buy them at Amazon. You can get 100 sheets of higher quality (5mil) for $10. I also heard Sam's Club and Costco have a good price. You can also get good deal at Michaels for 100 sheets with their 40% coupons.

 

But Michaels doesn't sell the laminators themselves? Thanks. MUST BUY ONE.

 

My laminator was going strong yesterday! Love it!

 

I love mine! Best investment ever...even if it does break down! It's so nice to have on hand for if you need just a few things laminated quickly but don't want to warm up the large school laminator. DO IT!!!!

 

If you are still contemplating, they are amazon's daily deal today! http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=9770791011&ref=aw_gb_dd_im_i1&dealid=c42ca389

 

This is the laminator that I have and I LOVE IT. The laminator at my school doesn't make anything sturdy or "card-like", it's just paper with a thin plastic film on it. The Scotch laminator makes anything I laminate very strong and dirt/smudge proof.

 

I loooove my laminator. It makes me so happy to sit down with a glass of wine, a dramatic reality show and a stack of items that need to be laminated. *It's the little things*

 

Thanks! I just ordered this.