Rhino Labelers Overview & Features

Rhino has long been the serious user's choice in label creation for quite some time now. I say this for several reasons. One, the company has an extensive line of products that are specifically targeted for the professional and "pro-sumer" markets, and two, the Rhino brand is backed by labels that will work in a variety of applications and environments. From simple nylon tape that is available in white and yellow, to flexibly vinyl tape that is available in many colors, to permanent polyester that can handle outdoor use and rough surfaces, Dymo has paid attention to the needs of custom A/V installers, electricians and journeymen everywhere.

The Rhino 5200 and 6000 Label Printers

First and foremost, the Rhino line of printers has been around for quite some time. I first saw them advertised in a magazine about 5 years ago (coincidentally, that was about the time I stopped reading print magazines and switched to the Internet for most of my news and articles). What first struck me as enticing was the obvious attention to professional features that seemed to be taken for granted by manufacturers such as Brother - who seem to cater to the office crowd rather than people out in the field. Even the body of the Rhino labelers seemed a cut above what I was used to seeing. Fast forward to late last year and I was blown away when I saw the Rhino labelers at CEDIA. They had come out with their new 5200 and 6000 models (I was familiar with the 5000) and it looked like they had really stepped up the usability.

To give you an idea of the microevolution of the product, Dymo's Rhino 5000 labeler had a rubberized case that the labeler fit into like a wet suit. It was difficult to get on and off and it allowed dust and dirt to get trapped between the case and the machine. Furthermore, the case had to be removed in order to change out the batteries - for which the only option was to use the multitude of AAs (6) required to get the 5000 to work. So what did Dymo learn? For one, the rubberized overmold is now firmly attached to the tool. It's an excellent solution (not to mention elegant) and it both protects the tool, while keeping dirt away from the body of the labeler. The second big change was in the area of the button labels dealing with the label type. On the 5000 these buttons were small, in fact about 95% of all the buttons are the same size. On the 5200 and 6000 labelers, the machine separates the label types into larger buttons (called "Hot Keys") that sit in a prominent position at the top.

Rhino 6000

• H. WRAP/V. WRAP
• PPANEL
• SELF-LAM/FLAG
• FIXED
• MODULE
• TBLOCK   
• VERTICAL
• BARCODE
• SYMBOL
• LIBRARY

Rhino 5200

• WIRE/CABLE
• MODULE/PANELS
• FLAG/VERTICAL
• LIBRARY/FIXED
• BLOCKS
• SYMBOL/GENERAL
  

Compare that to the Rhino 5000 whose small buttons simply addressed: WRAP, FIXED, PPANEL, TBLOCK and VERT (with a couple shift functions and some drill-down options as well. The new label makers make it easier (less buttons, less effort) to get where you need to go. The new label printers also ask you the label width up front, and adjust automatically to get you a consistent and workable size for each label you print. Gone are the frustrating errors that the 5000 would give you when the font size you selected wouldn't fit. The 5200 and 6000 just make it work - and THAT is the kind of intelligent functionality you want in a label printer. Both label printers also come with an inventory of over 250 industry terms and symbols which can be brought into and used on any label quickly. For customization and repeatability (we're all creatures of habit after all), you can store over 1000 custom labels for later recall and tweaking.

With the Rhino 5200 and 6000 you get a label printer that offers excellent portability with a host of available features. It is fully certified by the organizations that matter, meeting all ANSI and TIA/EIA-606-A labeling standards. While it runs on 6 AA batteries, you can also pick up an optional, rechargeable lithium-ion battery or just pick up the hard case kit that includes it. For anyone intending on using this on the road or for extended periods of time, the lithium-ion upgrade is essentially (it recharges in roughly 30-45 minutes, so it's very convenient and we don't recommend the need for a second battery unless you are labeling all day long and desire no downtime). Both printers also have a convenient 3-bar battery-life indicator right on the LCD display and an auto-shutoff feature makes sure you don't waste the battery life, regardless of how it's powered.

If the 5200 wins the "best update of the year" award, the Rhino 6000 has to receive an even bigger honor for introducing the construction, electrical, and custom install industry to the concept of two-way communication and PC-software enhancements. The Rhino 6000 is the company's first printer to facilitate this type of connectivity. But that's not all - not only does the printer allow you to download labels from your PC with their Windows-based Rhino Connect software (sorry, no Mac version as of yet), it also empowers you to create and edit labels immediately at the job site. And the communication is two-way, so any changes you make on-site can be transmitted back to your computer to update the database of labels in your arsenal.