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Label Maker

BOHICA

BOHICA

Well Known Member
Any recommendations on label makers? The one I have does a good job for heat shrink buck sucks for tape labels. The tape labels come out with part of the text missing.

Any label maker that reliably does both so I can better label my connectors and cables?
 
This is the one I use for heat shrink and regular labels.
Dymo Label Maker LabelManager 160

Edit:
I used this label maker for all my heat shrink wire markers and used a white on clear for a couple of my panel labels. The panel labels look almost as good as the expensive vinyl labels I had used.
 
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mfleming said:
This is the one I use for heat shrink and regular labels.
Dymo Label Maker LabelManager 160

Edit:
I used this label maker for all my heat shrink wire markers and used a white on clear for a couple of my panel labels. The panel labels look almost as good as the expensive vinyl labels I had used.
Click to expand...

I am using a Dymo 5200 is the one I have been using. Not been happy with it. So I am suspicious on Dymo. Maybe I have a lemon.
 
P-Touch Cube Plus PT-P710BT and Brady BMP-21 Plus

P-Touch Cube Plus PT-P710BT - Flat stickers only
It accept a wide range of material up to 1" wide, has an internal battery, and can be used either connected to the computer or through an app on your phone. Way faster typing on a computer keyboard than small buttons on a label printer. I used it for all the labels on my panel (white on clear tape) and recommend it. Cost around $100

Brady BMP-21 Plus - Flat stickers and heat shrink
This works great and is reliable but has its own keyboard that is slow to use like so most label printers. For additional $ you can get a wall wart for it but otherwise it uses AA batteries. It does both flat stickers and heat shrink. I like it and would recommend it as quality so good but typing is slow. Cost around $120
 
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I have K-Sun Bee3+, and it works just fine, and does heatshrink tube (the reason I bought it, really).
 
Duhg said:
Does it do heat shrink tubing?
Click to expand...

Yes. Another vote for the 160. Spring for the AC adapter, it's worth it. And the aftermarket heat shrink tubing from Amazon works great.
Kitplanes review here: https://www.kitplanes.com/plane-and-simple-11/
My real life experience: https://seareybuild.blogspot.com/2020/08/bits-and-pieces.html


Another option for just a bit more money, the Rhino label maker, reviewed by Kitplanes:
https://www.kitplanes.com/my-new-toy-rhino-label-maker/
 
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Before you buy any label/heat shrink tube machine be sure to check out available rolls, color and sizes of heat shrink rolls. Not all label makers offer a wide variety of choices.
 
PX-900

I didn't pay anywhere near $400 for mine. The company I bought from was offering a rebate if I traded my old label maker in, and they also had a 25% discount for educators...and being a CFI makes me an educator!:D
 
I originally used a consumer-grade label maker when I built my -6 but after a few years a bunch peeled off. When I redid my panel in '13, I used an Ultra Fine Sharpie on white heat shrink tubing. Worked perfectly and in the intervening 9 years has not faded or rubbed off. I just cut off a bunch of 3/8" to 1/2"-long pieces like a sausage and pre-wrote the numbers/letters before installation. I also wrote the characters tall and narrow so that after shrinking, they looked 'normal'.
 
I use an Epson PX-700 and while it was expensive it works really well and has a wide variety of label types and sizes.
 
Just bought the Dymo 160 at Staples for $36 (had to show them their own website though to get that price) and I have some 3rd party heatshrink coming from Amazon tomorrow.

There are a number of negative reviews for this label maker saying it will give an error saying there is a jam, when none is evident, but if I experience that a return/exchange should is pretty easy.
 
mfleming said:
Yes it works great for heat shrink tubing.
Click to expand...

Thank you, good to know. Heat shrink isn't mentioned in the description so I popped for the Dymo Rhino 4200. Before I even used it a buddy showed up with another printer.

I did the AEA class a couple weeks ago and they used tiny printed pieces of paper cut out with clear heat shrink over the top. It was legible, but while doing it I knew I wanted to be able to print on the heat shrink instead.
 
Brady BMP-21

I really like my Brady label maker. It does everything from heat shrink that fits on 26 gauge and then up to 3/4" in diameter, along with just about any other style of label you would need. And they are very durable.
 
rongawer said:
I really like my Brady label maker. It does everything from heat shrink that fits on 26 gauge and then up to 3/4" in diameter, along with just about any other style of label you would need. And they are very durable.
Click to expand...

+1 A great device with lots of print options. : )
 
I have had good luck with the Dymo Dymo Rhino 5200 on both heat shrink tubing and flat stick on labels. Used the genuine cartridges, as I don't want surprises in the future with generic labels fading or falling off.
 
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