Customer Reviews

Brother PT-1880 Advanced Deluxe Labeler for Home & Office

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I borrowed a friend's Brother PT-1880, and then had to run out and get my own! Was thrilled to find it here on AZ for about half the going rate at brick & mortar shops. Not the flashiest model out there (and doesn't hook up to the computer), but I just didn't think the extra features were worth the mark-up for my needs. This one prints in two fonts plus various styles & sizes, includes a good number of symbols and frames, and is small and light enough to tote around to every room of the house - like I did. At one point I was standing enthralled in the center of my kitchen, just spinning around in rapture asking myself, "what ELSE needs a label on it?!" :-) So far the labels have worked in every application I could think of: from my cell phone charger to the shelves in the linen closet. I also labeled my toddler's sippy cups, and have been very pleased to discover that the labels will survive several rounds in the dishwasher while staying in perfect condition. Very pleased to have this tool always at the ready.

(As to others' comments about wasting too much tape in the leader white space before/after labels, there is a setting under "Margin" that will correct this. Change the margin from "normal" to either "narrow" or "chain print." Very little tape wasted that way, and it also prints centering dots so your text stays in the center.)

Have debated getting one of these for years, and after checking reviews on Amazon, decided on this one. Easy to use and set up (especially since my last labelling experience was on the old squeeze to imprint letters plastic tape!).

The PT-1880 has: 2 fonts, 9 type styles, 6 type sizes, 3 type widths, 5 tape widths (9/64"-3/4" of TZ tape), plus underlining and boxing the text. The mandatory 1" lead is a bit frustrating, but unavoidable; you can only make the margin smaller on one side.

From the Brother site:
The one inch (25mm) piece of tape that is produced prior to every label cannot be eliminated due to the construction of the tape mechanism. However, when you print more than one label continuously, the subsequent labels can be printed without the excess tape.

The following methods are useful for reducing tape use:

- Using the "Numbering function" - please refer to "How to use Numbering function"

- Setting the tape margin to "Chain Print" - please make sure that you press the feed button after the last label is printed, otherwise a part of the text may be cut off.

Unlike other Brother models I've used, this one insists on wasting a full inch of leader on every label (and the same on a trailer, unless you override that). Even if you adjust the trailer length, it still puts the wasted leader on the front, then adds dots to tell you where to MANUALLY cut off the excess. NOT an acceptable solution.
What's worse, there's no way to know this before you start to use it - even the instructions don't directly state it, but only talk around the subject, so you waste a lot of labels trying to adjust the leader before figuring it out.

We use label makers at work, and this is more or less an inexpensive version of those. This one has fewer fonts and print options that the more expensive models, but prints simple labels with pretty much the exact same quality. This does not come with a power supply, so you need to buy that separate (model AD-24 for about 27 bucks), or use batteries.

This is not a user-friendly machine. We have to keep the instructions on hand all the time. No one in my office knows how to use it, and it wastes one inch of tape per label. I've got a busy office of day traders and they're standing around with scissors like kindergarten children cutting these labels down to fit their files. Its a waste of time, not to mention the over-priced label tape.

I have a Brother PT-65 at home which I love, its so user friendly I don't think I have picked up the instructions once. The labels cost 1/2 the price and it doesn't waste as much. I recommend that one instead.

This is a very good value for the money. I was looking for a Brother label maker that used TZ tapes and found this one. I don't think there is anything else out there in the same price range with comparable features. So far this thing is working as advertised, no issues.

So I picked up a book by a professional organizer, and she said the first thing you do is go buy a Brother P-Touch labelmaker. Six months later I can tell you it was GREAT advice!

Four cautionary notes:

1. There are umpteen different types of PT-Touches. Buy one that uses the TZ-series tape cassettes! The other ones (using, I believe it's the M-series) will foil your organization dreams when it takes you three frustrating minutes to peel the adhesive covering off the back of each -- EACH! -- label. The paper cover on the TZ adhesive strip is split cleanly down the middle for the length of the entire strip. No matter how tiny an individual label is, it's easy to fold it gently and pop up the edges of the paper covering to be peeled off.

2. You will positively need a P-Touch that accepts an AC adaptor, and you will have to pay extra for the AC adaptor. These machines, including the little ones, will burn through a fortune in batteries real quick.

3. The complaints about waste of blank label space before and after the printing of each label are absolutely correct. Plan to make multiple labels at once (with a couple of hits of the space bar between labels) and THEN print the strip out to minimize waste. The memory of the device won't allow you to do more than 12"-14" of this type of work before you'll have to stop, print, erase the text, and begin again. FYI: multi-cassette packages of TZ blank tape are frequently available at big discount stores that carry business supplies.

4. The functions of the device aren't real intuitive. Apple clearly didn't consult on its design. You'll need the instructions when you use your P-Touch. Save them! Make a photocopy or two! I made a little crib sheet on a single index card and it's worked well.


Notwithstanding these difficulties, these expenses, you NEED one of these. If you have children with households of their own, buy one and share it around the families -- they'll thank you for it. (And you'll see them more often!)

I had anticipated certain labels I'd need for such things as boxes in my sewing room: interfacing, fasteners, buttons. But these labels are so attractive, and so easy to make, it all sort of exploded and took over. My life is now lined with pretty matching boxes, each with a small, neat identifying label. My stuff has been corralled by this labelmaker. I know where EVERYTHING is -- and so does everyone in the family. Storage everywhere in the house and garage looks neat and orderly. With the P-Touch, organization *happens!*

Brother P-Touch 1880

I purchased the Brother P-Touch 1880 after researching several less-expensive models, but I made my decision after I used the 1880 in our office. This particular 1880 has seen dozens of rolls of tape and has served the office well for a number of years. I figure if this unit could withstand this much use without any problems, it was well worth the money.

The 1880 comes with 1 free sample roll of laminated TZ231 ½" black text on white tape. I recommend using the NARROW margin setting with the MAX text size. It uses 6x AA batteries, but you can save money by using rechargeable NiMH AA batteries. An AC adapter is available, but it is like carrying around a tether.

I've almost finished my sample roll and put the labels on almost everything. My laptops, desktop PCs, and even the Logitech G27 steering wheel are sporting several of the labels. I needed to label the functions for all of the buttons so I wouldn't get confused.

Pros: Easy to use, easy to install new cartridges - no ink is required.

Cons: Uses 6x AA batteries, recommend NiMH rechargeable or an AC adapter. The 1880 does use a lot of tape due to its standard design, so set the margin to NARROW and save a bit per print out.

Overall: Very easy to use, great addition to an office, kitchen, home, workshop, etc... for people that love to organize things.

My old Brother typewriter was great, but for this labeler the ribbon malfunctioned right out of the box and Brother would not send me a replacement. I was very disheartened to find they would not back their product.

I'm not even going to bother talking about the features on this thing. The fact that Brother has the nerve to sell a unit without including the proprietary AC adaptor is bad enough in itself to warrant 1 star. Buyer beware: you buy this, you'll spend on batteries what you saved on the label maker.