Buyers Guides

Adjustable hole punches can be changed to punch different numbers of holes into the paper. Most can be adjusted to cover between two and six holes, although many offer custom settings. Typical adjustable punchers have a capacity of 30 sheets of 80gsm paper, although this is dependant on the model.

 
Heavy duty hole punches are designed to cope with hole punch heavy use and large amounts of paper. Most will have a capacity of around forty sheets. They tend to have a lockable mechanism for aligning paper, ensuring that the holes are punched in the right place every time, as well as a lockable handle for easier punching.

Electric hole punches are designed to eradicate the need to manually push down the handle. This is done by having the punching done automatically when a button is pressed. They usually have a capacity of around fifteen sheets and run off standard batteries, although some can be run off a mains adaptor.

We stock hole punches from a range of manufacturers. Here we will putline the major suppliers.


Rapesco hole punches come in a variety of styles. There are the standard products that you can pick up for about £1-2 up to the heavy duty staplers that cost well over £100. They are a well respected brand in this market and we do not seem to get much negative feedback from customers on this brand.


Rexel hole punches also do a good variety of hole punches and cover standard, electric hole punches as well as the heavy duty hole punches.





Leitz hole punches have a great range of electric hole punches, heavy duty hole punches as well as the more standard hole punches.

Rapid hole punches


5 Star hole punches

Capacity
The capacity of a hole punch refers to the number of sheets of paper it can punch in one go. Most punchers will hold around twenty sheets of standard 80gsm paper.

Hole Size
This refers to the diameter of the holes punched in the paper. This is usually 5.5mm.

Spacing
Spacing is the length between the holes punched. This is usually 80mm for a standard two hole puncher.

Construction
Hole punchers are usually made from a mixture of plastic and metal. Punchers made from just plastic are designed for general and light usage, whilst all-metal ones are usually for heavy duty use. The most common hole punches are made from a mixture of the two, often having the handle made of metal to apply greater pressure on the paper.

Centering
Nearly all hole punches come with a guide showing where to place the paper so that the holes are punched in the correct places. This is usually an extendable plastic strip which can be adjusted depending on the size of the paper being punched. (A3, A4 etc)

Hatch
Also referred to as the waste-box or tray, this is usually made of plastic and is located at the bottom of the hole punch to catch the waste paper. This allows for easy disposal of the punched holes rather than having them scatter all over your desk.

Dimensions
This refers to the size of the hole punch, and will vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of hole punch.

I just want a hole punch for general use at home

For a general home use hole punch, look at standard two and four hole punches. Two-hole punches are the most common, and will produce two holes suitable for A4 or A5 paper. They are a small size so can sit easily on desks, and usually have a plastic tray to catch the punched paper in.

I just want a hole punch for general office use

For a general office hole punch, look at our heavy-duty range. A lot of the hole punches here are designed for continuous use in the office and have metal punchers to stop them being worn down, which allows them to apply constant pressure to the paper. They will also have larger waste trays to catch punched paper in, and they are usually made of metal and are securely attached to stop them coming off when the hole punch is being moved around the office.

What do the terms '1 home punch' and '2 hole punch' mean?

The term 1 hole punch, 2 hole punch, 4 hole punch, 6 hole punch, etc refers to the number of holes the puncher will make in the paper. The most common in the UK are two and four hole punchers, which are normally used on standard A4 paper so that it can be fitted into ring binders. Most hole punchers punch out a circular hole in the paper, although others will do oval shapes.