Martin Yale 1812 AutoFolder Paper Folder

Videos of the Martin Yale 1812 Paper Folder

Overview of the Martin Yale 1812 AutoFolder Paper Folder

The Martin Yale 1812 automatic, friction-fed paper folder is a smooth, efficient machine with such a simple design that anyone, from church volunteers to business professionals, can use it. To operate the 1812, all the user has to do is adjust the folding plates according to the convenient measurement chart located on the front of the machine, and then insert the paper. It accepts a large range of paper weight without requiring an adjustment to the feed system, which saves time between folding jobs. Up to 90 lb paper can be handled. Like most friction-fed machines, the 1812 is not compatible with coated or glossy types of paper.

The feed table is able to hold a maximum of 500 sheets of paper weighing in at 20 lb letter size bond at once, and fold between 5,000 to 12,000 sheets per hour. The 1812 can handle paper measuring from 2.5" x 5.2" to 12" x 18".

The Martin Yale 12x18 Variable Speed AutoFolder has fold tables that are completely enclosed, for quieter production and better safety. The seven standard folds created include letter, z-fold, double parallel, half, gate, church cut and engineering/short z-fold, and custom folds are just one adjustment away. With such a variety of fold options available on this machine, the possibilities of types of material such as bulletins, flyers, invoices, etc. that you can create are endless. There is also a convenient detection signal should a jam occur.

If you're looking to boost your office productivity and cut the amount of time being wasted on simple and mindless tasks like paper folding, the Martin Yale 1812 automatic paper folder is what you have been searching for. Its multitude of features, all being backed by a 1 year limited warranty by Martin Yale, the 1812 automatic paper folder is an extremely viable paper folding machine option to anyone who is looking for ways to fold large volumes of paper on a regular basis.

A Few Standout Features

11x17 Capability:
The main reason for moving up to an 1812 from the one of the smaller models (like the 1611) besides beefier build quality is going to be the paper size. The need to do 11x17 paper is fairly common, and with bigger paper comes bigger folders. Traditionally the 11x17 requirement would start to push you into pretty expensive models that are more designed for full time print shops. The 1812 does have great quality, but without all the fiddly adjustments some larger models have (like the Mark VII). If you want to do 11x17 paper, but still want the ease of use of a modern designed folder, the 1812 is your best bet.

Super Easy fold Plate Adjustments:
Many customers can be intimidated by all the numbers and charts associated with manual adjusting paper folders. This can cause them to look at more expensive, auto adjusting models, such as the 2051 (essentially an 1812 with automated fold plates). While there is definitely a good place in the market for the automation, we recommend fully exploring the manual option first. After a few folds, most will pick up on how easy it is. The 1812 is marked extremely well. All you have to do is move the knob on each fold plate to the corresponding letter on the chart. For example, if you have standard 11" long paper, a "C" or "letter" fold simply requires you to move the top plate to the letter "M" and the bottom fold plate to the letter "E." We found the markings on the fold plates to be very accurate and clearly marked.

Huge Capacity Paper Tray:
The most common question we get on folders is "how many sheets can it hold?" The entire point of a folding machine is efficiency. At 500 sheets, an entire ream of paper can fit in feeder, beating out almost all of the competition. This is about as large as it gets for feed tray capacity, and we like that they didn't come up short here.

Easy Fold Plate Install:
This seems like a small thing, but we get a ton of service calls from customers with problems relating to fold plate alignment. Fold plates need to be inserted securely into the body of the folding machine. If not done correctly, jams will occur. A lot of folders that we've tested, even folders we love, tend to have strangely difficult fold plate installs. With the 1812 autofolder, you won't have to weave the plates between metal knobs or slap the plates until they click. These fold plates slide securely into the machine like butter without doubt or question if it was properly positioned. Little details like this provide good clues as to the level of precision and care during the manufacturing process. One other interesting fact is that the top and bottom fold plates are identical. One of the most common problems with folding machines is mistaking the top fold plat from the bottom or vise versa, which can completely through off the fold. With this model, you don't have to worry about making fold plate mistakes, which is just one more feature that helps to streamline the experience, especially for newer folding machine users.

Jam Clearing:
Every folder jams at some point. What counts is how the folder handles the jam. The Martin Yale 1812 comes with a rather thick jam clearing wrench. Simply pull out of it's dedicated slot, place it over the main axle and turn until the paper comes out naturally. With most folders, jams turn into an inevitable tug of war between the frustrated end user and that jammed paper. This can cause small pieces to tear and fall into the machine. These pieces can cause even more problems and are harder to diagnose down the road. Jam clearing features like this seem small now, but can mean big time savings in the future.

Fold Consistency:
With paper folding machines, consistency is king. This is especially true with personalized documents such as notices, bills, or even checks. We've put the 1812 through some pretty serious stress tests, including a 5 ream run, without any incidents. That being said, the true stress test comes after years of use. This folder is no longer the new kid on the block, and after a few years out in the field, we are still seeing great results. The larger in the Martin Yale line you get, the more consistent the results, and the 1812 is at the top of their lineup, so we've come to expect very high consistency. Another aspect of consistency is maintenance, so be sure keep the rollers and feed tire clean after heavy use to prevent roller decay. We recommend purchasing our 1812 Folder Preventative Maintenance Kit to keep your 1812 running smoothly.

Variable Speed:
The variable speed option is almost unheard of in most folding machines now. You usually only run into a feature like this when working with large industrial paper folders. We love how you can adjust the speed on the fly, while the folder is running. Decreasing the speed can help avoid jams and other paper issues. The main reason we love the variable speed option on folders, though, is sound reduction. By reducing the speed, you can cut the noise level by a ton. This is especially helpful if this folder is going to be in the middle of an office, or even in a copy room that is close to employee work spaces. Because of the nature of paper slamming against fold plates, folders are very loud machines. If this is a problem, I'd definitely narrow your search to a folder that has variable speed an option.

Made in the USA:
It's actually very rare to see office equipment that's built in the U.S. anymore, and this is just as true for folding machines. While your shopping for your next folding machine, consider where it's made... then consider the fine machine craftsman in Wabash, Indiana. Not only will we be supporting you, but so will the folks at Martin Yale. As a supporting service company, Whitaker Brothers' relationship to the engineers and factory is an essential aspect of working through support issues after the sale. Martin Yale's factory has a strong history of providing folding machines, and it's great to see that spirit continue as their products evolve as they have in the 1812 model.

In Our Expert Opinion...

The 1812 is an awesome "do almost everything" folder with a price that really shakes up the market. With the exception of glossy paper, it can almost any job that we've seen thrown at it. While every manufacturer is quick to over promote, it struck us as shear honesty when Martin Yale's engineering team was going over the design process of the machine with such pride. You could just tell how excited they were of the end product. Fast forward a few years later, and we've sold hundreds of the 1812. It's now a veteran folding machine with a proven record. To be frank, we love to sell high quality folders, because they don't make us look bad. There's nothing more frustrating than a finicky folder experience to really upset a customer's day. The 1812 has one of the lowest failure rates of any folder we've tested. It's beefier than most of Martin Yale's smaller folders, so it will handle more folds, and more applications, making it a safe choice. One little known secret is the that the specs actually compete with folders way more expensive.

Will the 1812 work for my application?:
There are really two main reasons to go with a bigger machine, and both have to do with the type of paper you are using. Firstly, if you have glossy paper, you will need an air fed model (these tend to be much more expensive). The 1812 autofolder uses "friction" feeding, which is a fancy way of saying it uses a rubber tire to pull in the paper. This is how the majority of feeding systems work with folders. The second reason is if you have any other unique quality, such as huge paper sizes (larger than 12"x18", which is very very rare). In rare cases we've seen other anomalies in the paper that might change your paper choice. This folding machine is made for high volume. So far, we've never seen one of these models fail due to a customer simply using it too much. However, if you are a print shop using the folder all day, you will likely want to jump up into the industrial category. The Martin Yale Mark VII would be one example of this.

What don't you like?:
To be honest, there isn't much not to like here. With the price and this model being one of Martin Yale's flagship folders, this is a great buy. Early on, though, we did have a concern over the feeding system. Many competitive folding machines have 3 feed tires, while the 1812 only has one. After many years now, we haven't seen this to be a legitimate concern. Comparing the feed tire to other competing units, you can see a huge elevation in build quality in the Martin Yale model. Although there is only 1 tire, it is wider than almost any other tire around, which could account for it's good record of providing years of consistent feeding.

One other aspect of the machine that we're a bit torn over is the decision to discontinue the manual feed opening. This has caused a lot of confusion with the capabilities of the machine. That being said, it was likely a good choice to remove this feature. The truth is that most folder manufacturers had this as an option on many of their models at some point in their history, but have also discontinued the feature. Using a feature like this requires a lot of precision from the user, which is a good way of saying manual feeding a folder is not user friendly, not just for Martin Yale, but in general. If the paper isn't put in just right, there was a high chance of crinkling, or even jams. This, understandably, frustrated some users.

We've seen nearly every manufacturer discontinue their manual feeding systems for the same reason, so it only makes sense for Martin Yale to want to decrease usability problems. In addition, although it seemed to be a really interesting feature on paper, we've found that it was rarely used in practice. That being said, we were sad to see it go. As home of the last holdouts, it was good to see Martin Yale with a competitive advantage like that. Manual feeding can be handy for some customers, and we hated to see it go for everyone. But all is not lost! If you are a customer that really likes the 1812, but is saddened by the lack of the multi-sheet feeder, consider paring your 1812 with a very inexpensive P7200 or P7400. This will give you a dedicated multi-sheet feeding folder for those rare times you just want to fold a few packets.

What do you like?:
The MY 1812 is a solid, well priced, highly capable folding machine. Martin Yale has been building folders almost since, the folder was invented. It's what they're known for. They've literally made office equipment history with some of their early models, many of which can still be seen in operation today. So, when a Made in the USA, folding machine king like Martin Yale puts their weight behind a specific model, we listen. What they've done here is create a high quality, accessible machine for offices that don't want a small, cheap folder, but don't want to spend a fortune on print shop duty equipment either. After years of use, we completely stand by this machine and testify that Martin Yale has done it.

Fold Types

Click Here for the Paper Weight Conversion Chart