How To Use A Scotch Packing Tape Dispenser

You might be moving or shipping products and find yourself tearing at tape with scissors, your hands, or your teeth over and over again. This quickly becomes a nuisance that results in inconsistent results. The Scotch packaging tape dispenser can make your move a little breezier by creating a smoother packing process.

The Scotch heavy-duty tape dispenser is designed with an extended foam handle for a comfortable grip while you tape boxes with a strong seal. To operate it, have your Scotch tape on hand and unroll some of the tape to about 2 inches. Lay the dispenser on its side and push the tape roll hole onto the three-pronged tension dial. With one hand, pull the metal flap at the front of the dispenser down and thread the unwound tape piece through it. Secure the tape piece upward on the gray barrel wheel. Then, tighten the tension dial. A secure hold on the tape roll will make it even easier for the dispenser to tear the tape.

To tape, place the unwound piece of tape at the start of the opening you'd like to seal. Drag the tape dispenser across the opening and the tape should follow along. To engage the cutting mechanism, firmly place the dispenser's plastic, clear panel against the box. This causes the serrated blade to cut the tape.

Some Scotch tape dispensers forgo the extended handle and instead contour the dispenser frame around the roll of tape to comfortably fit in your hand. The DP300-RD is one such simplified model.

To use this type of dispenser, hold the red frame in your hand with the serrated edge facing out. Glide the tape end across the box opening. Utilize the hand brake by squeezing once you've reached your end point. The tape will stop rolling, and the tension created makes it easy for the serrated blade to cut the tape.

Your Scotch tape dispenser is only an asset if it's making the packing and shipping process less of a chore. But if you find that your dispenser is shredding tape unevenly or not cutting at all, then there are a few tweaks you can make to hopefully get the product functioning properly again.

First check the tension in the three-pronged knob over which the tape fits. If this is overtightened or too loose, then your dispenser won't cut effectively. Once a good tension is set, make sure that the tape you're using is Scotch-brand packing tape. This packing tape is specifically designed with a release coating that prevents splitting and tearing while making unwinding from the tape wheel easy. Other brands may not be designed with a formula that works with your tape dispenser, or they may be the incorrect size for the dispenser.