I suggest you consider these factors. You will get your investment out of your labeller if it's simple and straightforward to use. 1) PC connectible. Essential. The user interface on the keyboard labelers is lousy to inexcusable. 2) Width of tape the unit accepts. A 1/2 inch tape is virtually useless for two lines of print because the print becomes microscopic. You didn't mention what you'll put these labels on. You may be thinking that you'll just run two tapes for two lines of print. You're better off buying a unit that accepts wider tape, as it will look neater and use less tape. Those tapes ain't cheap, at $12 each. 3) Buy an AC adapter. It avoids wasting money and resources on batteries. Brothers makes a PC-connectible labelers that are just the printer, none of the keyboard stuff. I think this is smart, as I find the keyboard useless if you don't use the machine every day. The 1230PC you mention is one of those models. My issue with this model is that it only runs tapes up to 1/2 inch wide, whereas the next model, Ptouch 2430PC, runs tapes up to 3/4 inch. I found that once I label a rose, I want more than one line of print. I list name and class and then hybridizer and date on the second line. That makes the print very very small on a 1/2 wide tape. The Ptouch 2430PC is what I'd buy if I were replacing mine. Count me among those very happy with the Ptouch label makers. My model 2600 is discontinued. The software interface works with my Mac, so I use my computer the set up and print the labels. This is very helpful, as the Brother's keyboard is too complicated and counter-intuitive to make any sense at all if you don't use it daily. OTOH, with the pc connection, I find I use the labeler much more. I use it to label files and to label those pesky little items that seem to disappear when you have big kids, like your cell phone chargers. I also use it to label adapters, as I find they become separated from their device and all look alike. That new unit, Ptouch 1880 looks comparable to mine, except it doesn't mention being able to connect to your computer. It's worth the money to have the computer interface. The Ptouch 2100 or 2110 seems like my unit: connect to the pc with USB cord, comes with a case and an AC adapter, and print on both sizes tape, 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch. HTH.

check out the link below to one of my posts over in the hosta forum .... couple other thoughts .... i just ordered 500 labels from eon industries [http://www.eonindustries.com/] .... i NEED about 200 .. but by the time i order 200 ... i was most of the way to the bulk order ... perhaps you ought to think about how many labels you will need for the rest of your life .... with a collection of hosta that exceeds 1500 .. i will always need replacements ... so its an investment ... i should say.. i needed about 150 full labels.. and another 100 replacement face plates ... by which time.. the bulk purchase was looking real good ... perhaps you have a garden club or local friend who can go in halvsies with you .... next... i have zinc labels with ptouch tags going on over ten years.. the problem has never been the ptouch part... its usually a standard failure ... me.. the kids.. the dog... whomever... they get crushed ... i use tz-131 .. black print on clear tape.. so the zinc naturally shows through .... the individual package says this tape is UV resistant [ultraviolet light] ... which loosely translates into the sun wont make them fade .... i have tried pencil ... VERY HARD to read.. i have some china wax labels going toward destruction [15 years or so ... my first ones ever] .. but i was never happy with my handwriting.. the trick is to warm the zinc in the sun.. so the wax pencil flows more smoothly ... but it was a pain ... and ugly since there was no consistency of handwriting ... at the link within the post.. i bought 5 cartridges ... again .. they store forever ... and i know i would use them ... and the shipping ended up being about $1 per cartridge ... if you want more info from me... reply to the hosta forum link.. and it will come to my mailbox ... i miss roses ... i started with them.. got to about 100 .. losing about 25% every spring [good old z5 MI]... so i let the collection denigrate over time... then i moved out into the country on 5 acres of yellow sand... and i just dont have the time to nurture roses ... though i still have two ballerinas struggling away out there ... that one ended up being my favorite over time ... good luck with your project.. i would tend toward buying the zinc labels.. as my time in making knockoffs would offset the savings ... you might want to rethink black labels.. i can foresee black anything in full blistering sun heating up and causing trouble... speculation at best .... to clean zinc.. try 0000 [4 ought] steel wool .... almost like hair.. will polish up just about anything to a fine gloss .. but has oils in it.. so wash them after .. i have also used goo be gone.. or various derivations ... i think its that nasty stuff xylene ... wear gloves .. in good ventilation ... good luck let me know if i can share any other ideas ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

The tape I use in my 'Gardeners P-Touch' is clear with black lettering (get refills at Staples), I buy regular plastic 5 or 6" plant tags in bulk and use it on those. In my Z8, I've got some things still in containers at about 4 yrs (no, not the original sowing container :)) and the tags are good as new exposed year around. I've peeled that label off after few years in fact to reuse tags.... Here is a link that might be useful: example plastic plant tags

Melissa - I have used the Eon Nursery markers E-10 and the Paw Paw mini labels "M" - they are equivalent in size. The rounded corners I mentioned are literally the corners of the piece of metal the labels are made of. Eon smooths them out using a curved shape, Paw Paw leaves them square - somehow in my clutziness I manage to scratch myself on the square corners! Just don't ask me how I do it! I like the way each of them has the slightly tilted placement of the label, makes them easier to read when standing above them. My choice was dictated by two things: my favourite, and only hosta nursery I know of in CT, O'Brien's, uses that style; and I didn't think it was worth spending extra on swinging or cap style markers. Would rather spend the money on hostas! But I did want a good permanent name label. So I swear by the P-Touch labeller and either of the two markers from Eon or Paw Paw. Jakki