8" (200mm) Impulse Manual Bag Sealer Heat Seal Closer + Free KIT

The Impulse Manual Bag Sealer works beautifully once you get the heat setting right for the particular kind of plastic (e.g. Polypropylene and Polyethylene) and thickness (e.g. 3 mil and 5 mil). Getting the heat setting right (by using the heat adjustment knob) involves a little experimentation.The width of the seal is about 2mm. The sealer will work on ANY kind of plastic bag. I've tried it on a variety of plastics: grocery bags, Ziplock bags, sheet protectors, laminating sheets, mylar, and even the non-woven backing on CD sleeves! On non-porous plastics, the sealer creates an airtight seal EVERY time.I use this sealer for not just packaging but for a variety of non-conventional uses. I use it to reseal bags of chips, make custom pockets and bags for my camera lenses and filters, "reconstitute" air pillows -- you know, the kind you find in Amazon's packaging? -- that I've pre-punctured and flattened for storage. I also make disposable mylar sleeping bags with it (it takes a few passes). The usefulness of this sealer is limited only by your imagination!I've been using this sealer heavily for 2 months now and it's held up very well. The teflon-coated fabric strip is showing a little wear and has areas of blackened residue (from melted plastic, which can be scraped off). Nonetheless, the fabric and underlying wire are fully functional. The sealer does come with two sets of replacement fabric and wire. When it comes time to replace them, you simply have to unfasten 2 brackets (by loosening 4 screws) and replace the wire and teflon-coated fabric strip.I wish I had gotten the 12" version of this sealer since I often use it to reseal my big bags of chips to preserve freshness -- the 12" version should seal these bigger bags in one convenient pass. So, if you think you might use the sealer for larger projects, consider getting the 12" or larger version of this sealer!There may be BETTER sealers out there, but if you're looking for a BUDGET sealer, it is the opinion of this reviewer that the Impulse Sealer is the way to go.

I was skeptical about a device that costs only $25, since I had previously used similar ones costing $200 or more. This sealer is nearly all metal construction and has a timer on the end that adjusts the length of time the heating element is activated. Other systems use a variac that adjusts the amount of heat applied to the strip. There is no on/off switch, so the device is always off until you lower the presser arm, when the device heats the strip for the amount of time you select on the dial. For cellophane bags, I used a setting of #1 and it sealed perfectly through the bag and folds. I was concerned that cellophane was not heat-sealable, but it was not a problem. The directions are poorly written, but it is possible to figure out what they mean since the device is so simple. The take-home is: the dial adjusts the time (not heat level), press down and hold in position for 5-10 seconds after the light goes off (to prevent sticking of the plastic to the upper presser arm), the device is always off until you press down. Although they say to leave it plugged in all the time, I would unplug it if not in use (just to be safe).

As a Perfectly Posh consultant, I was using lacons. Little plastic containers, to share products. Then someone discovered mylar bags. What do you use to seal those? A heat sealer. This thing is perfect. Even if you get some product in the wrong place, this heat sealer will not have a problem with it. I've used a hair straightener to seal before and it would just not seal if there was any product in the way of where I wanted to seal. This thing has no issues there. I also use it to seal bags of food if I need to. It also comes with a spare wire kit so when the first stops working, I have a backup without having to order. The timer works perfectly. I've even been able to seal 2 bags at once if I take my time. The heat sealer with the mylar bag makes my samples look professional and I love how they look. In my opinion, it's less messy too. I have a friend with a smaller sealer that's more "portable" and said it wouldn't seal the bags very well. I tried and had little success. This baby does the trick.​ I recommend this for consultants for sure.

Wish a better quality sealer was available. It seems as though Chinese are making everything these days - BUT - the price is reflective of what you get. A decent sealer that works as promised. I would buy again if it is the only sealer available, but would continue to search, and be willing to pay more, for a good, American made, sound quality sealer instead. This one is definitely not a 'lifetime' piece of equipment. Again - the price is not a rip off at all, but you DO get what you pay for here. It works and we received a 'new' one. I was worried we would end up with a reconditioned one with issues as so many other reviewers said they did. Ours came new, but it was obviously tested with some disregard before we received it - melted plastic and damaged insulation on the cord. For safety, we had to repair the melted cord insulation. The cord is stiff and cheap - question its UL listing, so we replaced it with a much more workable, better quality, and pliable cord. Original was so stiff it would upset the sealer anyway. Again, I refer to the price. A decent sealer that works as advertised for what you pay. Also, it arrived as promised - no issues at all with shipping. I gave it a '4' despite Chinese quality issues because there was no b.s. in it's advertising, it was shipped and arrived as promised, and the price is very fair for what you get. If I had paid $50 for this sealer, I would have been upset with it. At $26, I am happy.P.S. - make sure you get replacement Teflon strips and heat wire to have on hand when you buy. We forgot and had issues getting the right parts when needed, The strips and heat wire are consumable with this item and need to be replaced from time to time.