Customer Reviews

Brother PT-1400 P-Touch Handheld Labeler

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Wow. This is a great labeler. It is so handy (literally). It is easy to walk around with if you have frequent things to label. I can even enter information on it one-handed!

I was hesitant when buying it because the review said it wasn't intuitive...but the description of the item said it was easy to use. Well, it ends up being the latter. It is very easy to use. Even changing styles and formats worked just like other labelers.

The prior comment was correct in that it wastes a small piece of label with each print. This is because it needs to feed a little out for it's "pinchers" to grab before printing. But then it trims it for you so that you don't end up with excess "blank" label at one end. It's similar to a printer at home in that the printer can't print to the top margin and bottom margin of the paper. So no matter what you print on a printer, there is blank area at the top and bottom of the page. In this case though, it does automatically trim it for you prior to dispensing the print.

I love it.

I use this to label wires and components in control panels and it is a very robust and well designed device. It's typical of me to print out 400+ labels per project with no problems.

If your having trouble using this device I fear you might also have trouble using a phone or counting.

I've used this labeler for over 2 years. It's GREAT!. I bought a second one for a seprate location so I always have one handy. If you read the manual you can find how not to waste tape when printing multiple labels. You can print any kind of label for wiring, panels, or just about anything else. Go to Brothermall.com and get the flexable ID tapes for cables. If you shop around you can see how expensive labeling is so the price for the tapes is as reasonable as any other. You may want to get something cheaper for personal use but this is the best for professional quality installation. I got a Platt 507 case and customized it for carrying the labeler, 9 tape cartridges, and spare batteries. It gets great milage from the batteries too. Add some flat point tweezers to help in applying the labels so they're always straight. I recommend this labeler to all the technicians I work with and have complete faith in it. On occasions the cutter can use some cleaning with a cotton swab and alcohol to avoid a cutter error. You should press the cutter in a delibrate but not over firm motion when cutting the tape and you'll have no problems. I can't say enough positives about using this labeler.

I have over 17 years experience working full time with audio, video, cable TV, satellite, antenna systems, phone, network, security, etc...So of course I've tried many ways to label wires. None of them truly impressed me. So when I had a house built and needed to label the wiring for my own stuff, I decided to do research and find a label maker with the features I've always wanted.

first I noted that any label less than 1 inch wide doesn't allow enough space to do typical words I wish to print. This product obviously supports 1 inch tape. Next I wanted to be able to orient the text in more orientations than I had previously experienced. This piece orients text every way I wish. Next, I wanted a label maker that doesn't needlessly waste tape as some do. This one does the trick. It lets you print as many labels as you want before cutting. You just have to set the appropriate mode for that and press a button called "feed" when you are done printing. That advances the last label enough to allow the cut to be done at the right spot. Then you cut the labels with scissors.

I've now done an extensive system in my house with a boat-load of wiring plus an additional system in my pole barn (man-cave). All wiring is labeled to my satisfaction. I will also note that none of the labels have come loose. Basically I have been completely satisfied with this product in every way. I did all this work with one set of batteries and still don't need to replace them. The first tape cassette lasted for many, many labels. I did have to get a second tape cassette to finish my pole barn system but I was not upset about that.

The only critique I would offer is that changing some of the settings typically requires a review of the manual. But overall that doesn't bother me given the very reasonable price of the label maker.

Bravo Brother!

I have been using this unit for about 2 years now, and there are two things that I can not get past. Using the keyboard is horrible due to the A to Z layout. A QWERTY board would have been 1000 times better. I have used a variety of labels, and even the flexible ones uncurl off the wires after a month or two. Not good for labelling wires. Great for office items.

I've had the PT-1400 for almost 2 years now. I happened to get it at half price, which is the only reason I sprung for such a pricey version. It turns out to have been an excellent splurge for my needs.

First of all, not all P-Touch label makers can handle label tape widths of one inch. (I know some top out at 3/4", and others may only handle 1/2".) For home use, such as storing seasonal items and hand-me-down clothes in the attic where they may sit for several years between kids, the 1" label is perfectly clear from our attic stairs to the far wall (10 feet?) where the clothing bins sit.

Another feature I didn't think much about when I purchased the PT-1400 and had only one older toddler is the DURABILITY of this particular unit. Because it is made for an industrial environment, I think they built it extra tough. Thank goodness, because little kids are drawn to a label maker like you wouldn't believe. Buttons! Tape coming out, and not just tape, but STICKERS!!! (I try to keep it up high, but they have gotten to my labeler and they have dropped it--repeatedly.)

I, too, dislike the wasted 3/4" bit of tape that pops out before every label. I care about the environment, and I'm cheap! One solution I have is to type in several labels worth of text at once and print it in one go, using scissors to separate the different labels. That only makes a single "waste" square per grouped set of labels. The other trick I have is using my kids' love of stickers--I have declared those little squares "love stickers", and I dole them out to the kids as I'm doing my organizing and labeling. (Since I'm often very busy and distracted while doing a major seasonal cleaning, taking a minute to tell a kid how much I love him and bestowing a little square sticker is a very fine thing.) You'd be amazed at how much a 4 year old loves being covered with a dozen or more plain square "love" stickers.

I'll also address the ease of use question since the other reviews seem quite cursory. The PT-1400 is very, VERY easy to get started with and produce basic text labels. Upper and lower-case and all-caps are easily done without reading the manual. Using the SYMBOL key to access useful symbols is trivial. A person who wants to go into more exotic style changes such as using different font sizes on multiple lines of text within a single label will probably need to read the manual. I also created some bar code labels for my part-time job at a bookstore, and that required first internet investigation (to learn what type of bar code format is used for the ISBN's on books) and then searching the manual of the PT-1400 to figure out how to convince the device to make my bar codes. In the end, I did end up with bar codes that our cash register wands could scan for automatic data entry.

My final comment is that I have found 1/4" tape to get tangled in my PT-1400, ruining both cartridges I have tried of that size. Since no other tapes have had such an issue, I don't know if my device just hates 1/4" tapes, or if all P-Touch units have trouble with them. After seeing it in person--I ordered many types of tapes to have on hand, and they are much cheaper online than in local office stores--I think 1/4" tape is just too tiny to be useful for very much. I got it thinking to save a little money (vs. 1/2" tape) for labeling file folders, but 1/2" tape works fine for that and is more often deeply discounted since it is the most common size.

Its a great labeler...when its working!

When its not working ( and that happens a lot!) it will give you endless "Cut Error" messages and with each message, it will waste your expensive tape.

I got a record of 26 "cut errors", and with each message a piece o tape was wasted. I checked the batteries, the label, the position of the labeler, the alignment of the stars...nothing helped, I guess its just a flawed machine period.

If you purchase this labeler, make sure you stock up with tapes...and patience.

My advice: don't even think of buying this expensive tape waster.

Sure this Labeler does create labels, I use it daily at work. A few issues though, Like other reviewers have stated, this Labeler forces you to waste tape, about a half inch for every label. This is ridiculous, i've used other Labelers that have worked absolutely fine and have created the same labels as this without the need to throw your money in the garbage. The cutter error! is hilarious...it's almost like it's yelling at you.

Don't make the P-Touch angry, it might waste some more tape on you!

This thing wastes so much tape in fact, you may find yourself creating labels smaller than the wasted tape.

Keep buying the tape rolls so you can throw a quarter of it in the garbage.

Look elsewhere, there are other Labelers out there that will not take their anger out on you by wasting materials.

I bought this label maker because of its ability to take wide tapes (up to an inch), for its built-in templates, the extended symbol set, barcode capability, and ease of entry. It also can be used one-handed, being specifically shaped for that, and it sits solidly on the desk, too. Batteries last forever. Note that though it's designed for one-handed use, it is big and bulky, compared to most labelers.

In short, this labeler has it all, for a handheld.

Shortcomings? Two: If you use the default cutting option (there are several), you waste a bit of tape for each label you print. Unfortunately, for most people, this cutting option is the only one that makes sense, as it's the one you use for one-off labels. Second, unless you are careful about how you press the cutting button that sticks out of the top left of the unit, you get a cutting error and have to re-print the whole label.

I'm happy with mine and would buy it again, in spite of its minor issues.

This is a solid and useful labeler. It's sturdy and obviously built for industrial use and it is ridiculously easy to use. Sadly, it is also a bit wasteful, which is my only serious gripe with it. You see, every time you make a new label you are asked to cut a piece of tape about 3/4 of an inch before the label pops out. Perhaps the thinking was that since this is an industrial strength label machine, many labels would be entered in one shot so the 3/4 inch cut would occur only in the beginning of a massive print run. Or maybe Brother was slightly less than competent in designing this with economy in mind. Or maybe they planned on selling lots of tape. I have no idea why it makes that cut, but it is annoying.

Aside from the wasting of tape it is a workhorse and it is very well built, so if you need an industrial strength labeling machine, this one will do nicely.