Letter Folding Machines

By Sylvia Rosen

We regularly survey BuyerZone users to ask how their purchases went. Below, we've collected a sampling of their responses to pricing related questions, organized into three categories:

• Pricing for letter folding equipment
• Pricing for letter folding/inserting equipment
• Lease prices for letter folding equipment

Friction feeders use rubber wheels to pull paper into the machine for folding. They're less expensive, and pretty much standard on low- to mid-range machines. However, the wheels can smear glossy or freshly printed paper and can wear out over time. In contrast, vacuum feeders use suction. This helps prevent damage to the materials and improves overall speed — but considerably raises the cost.

A step up from basic letter folders are folder/inserters. These machines let you stack a combination of envelopes and paper to be inserted, and do all the work for you - you just have to address the envelopes and run them through the postage meter. While considerably more expensive than simple folders, folder/inserters can dramatically reduce the time it takes to put together a big mailing.

As you compare speeds, remember that speeds for folding-only machines are often much higher than folder/inserters, simply because there's less mechanical work to do.

You can see lease prices for letter folding equipment below, as well as purchase prices. Leasing is usually only an option on mid- to high-end folders or folder/inserters.

Pricing for letter folding equipment

• "MBM 206M $2,576." [10,500 sheets/hour] - Church, Chandler, Arizona
• "Pitney Bowes FD40 tabletop folder. $3,164 for equipment and $485 per year for equipment maintenance." [20,000 sheets/hour] - Academic institution, De Kalb, Illinois
• "Duplo DF-505 - approximately $2,700 including tax, installation and annual service contract." [7,200 sheets/hour] - Government agency, Oxnard, California
• "Pitney Bowes DF400 - $898. Pitney Bowes came and set up the machine for us and gave us lessons on how to use the folder." [8,400 sheets/hour] - Non-profit, Hinckley, Maine
• "Pitney Bowes DF 500 $4,273 + $495 per year service contract." [22,000 sheets/hour] - Financial services, Seattle, Washington

back to top

Pricing for letter folding/inserting equipment

• "Neopost DS-63 folder/inserter for $6,823 with no additional services added." [2,200 pieces/hour] - Government agency, Jackson County, Oregon
• "SeCap 3400 3 Station Folder Insert $10,495. $1,095 annual maintenance, 1st year maintenance free." [3,500 pieces/hour] - Kitchenware distributor, Redmond, Washington
• "PB DI425 - $14,000." [3,500 pieces/hour] - Utility provider, Flint, Michigan
• "DI 200 OfficeRight Inserting System - Pitney Bowes - $4,463, maintenance agreement - $307." [900 pieces/hour] - Health care services, Oakland, Maryland
• "2 1/2 Station Folder/Inserter includes M3SLX left side exit option. Delivery, setup & unlimited training. $9,890 plus sales tax ($830) for a total of $10,720." [2,200 pieces/hour] - Non-profit, Fox Island, Washington
• "$7,000- Pitney Bows DI350 folding machine with installation and training." [2,500 pieces/hour] - Medical supplies manufacturer, Brea, California

back to top

Lease prices for letter folding equipment

• "Neopost SI-62 - $180/month for 57 months." [folder/inserter, 2,200 pieces/hour] - Wholesaler, Longwood, Florida
• "DI600 - lease at about $250/month without labor." [folder/inserter, 4,000 pieces/hour] - Non-profit, White River Junction, Vermont
• "$14,000- leased 63 months with maintenance." [$222/month] - Health care provider, Endicott, New York
• "DI200 - 39-month lease, $129. With option to buy." [folder/inserter, 900 pieces/hour] - Hospitality services, Detroit, Michigan
• "Formax 380 for $4,139, taxes included, on a 36-month lease with $1 buy out. Plus $395 a year maintenance contract." [$115/month, folder only, 12,500 sheets/hour] - Church, Helena, Alabama

back to top

Want more information on choosing a Letter Folding Equipment? Read our Letter Folding Buyer's Guide.

Information was provided by BuyerZone users. Quotes have been edited for clarity only.