and really

Long one of the more popular binding systems
on the market, the Akiles Wiremac M works with double loop wire and
comes in either a two to one or three to one pitch configuration. In
the following report, we will take a closer look at the Wiremac M and
list what we consider to be some of this machine's strengths and
weaknesses.

Strengths:

1. One of the great features of the Wiremac M is that it
   is available in either a two to one or three to one pitch. This means
   that you will be able to choose the Wiremac M that is right for the
   needs of your office.
2. With its dies that are
   fully disengageable and the punching throat that fits paper up to legal
   size, the Wiremac M can punch letter, legal, half letter, A4, and
   really, any document of any custom size less than 14 inches. It is also
   important to note that the punching throat is of an open design meaning
   that the user can punch holes in longer documents using a two step
   process.
3. We found that the design of the
   Wiremac M made it very easy to use. The user controls the machine's
   wire closer with a knob that is conveniently placed on top of the
   machine. The knob, like the rest of the machine is made of metal, and
   should last for years without any problems.
4. We
   also liked the wire holder that is placed on the front of the Wiremac
   M. This makes the binding process just that much easier by holding the
   spine in place while the user hangs the pages onto the document.
5. 
   We thought that the Wiremac M's punching capacity was pretty impressive
   at around twenty pages. This is actually a pretty nice punching
   capacity especially when you consider the price point of this machine.

Weaknesses:

1. 
   Though we liked the punching capacity of the Wiremac M, it is important
   to understand that it is, after all, still just a manual punch.
   Therefore, if you are going to need to bind large numbers of documents,
   or even to do smaller books in a hurry, you may want to consider
   purchasing an electric punch. Using a manual punch can get a little bit
   tedious for larger projects.
2. Any wire holder is
   better than no wire holder, but the clamp style holder that the Wiremac
   M provides is kind of tricky to learn how to use. This is especially
   true if you are used to the hook type of holder that most other
   machines of this type utilize. Not a huge deal, just something to be
   aware of.
3. As stated above, you will have the
   choice of either two to one or three to one pitch pattern on your
   Wiremac M. This is fine if you are pretty sure that you are only going
   to want to use one type or the other. If you think, however, that you
   will want a little more flexibility in the documents that you are able
   to bind, you might want to investigate a machine such as the WireMac
   Duo Combo.