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I bought one. I loved it for the three weeks it worked! The company I purchased from refunded my money. I’m glad I kept my 15-year-old hand crank machine.
It seems that many people are liking the Gemini machine from Crafter' s Companion. It has a larger opening and handles intricate dies well, from what I hear. I own manual ones, but if I were spending that much money, I would go for the larger opening. There are a lot of large dies available that need a bit more than the 6 inch opening.
Gail Ellis in Australia had quite a disagreement with her electric Big Shot. She readily admits she is an impatient person, and it jammed several of her new dies. Check her Facebook posts on May 8 and May 10 for the whole tale: https://www.facebook.com/bluerosepapertreasures ... I like the sounds of a no-crank machine to save my shoulders until I'm thinking about a power outage, so I'm still crankin'!
I am new to die-cutting but stamping and crafting for around 25 years. Knowing I would eventually buy a die-cut machine, I found JM's video. I just purchased a refurbished Anna Griffin Empress for my 70th birthday and find it works well and simple to use. I had been purchasing a few Alexandra Renke dies over the years. I found out the smaller the die the harder to get out the die cut as it stays in the die. The larger flower ones cut perfectly through though on one die around the intricate stamens, it is not making a full cut lately. I will reposition.
Love the machine and now a whole new world to investigate!
I have a vagabond2 I absolutely love it! More than my cricut or big shot pro or sidekick or any other one I have tried. It takes a lickin and keeps on tickin! When I first got it ( it was my first machine) I put in a sandwich that was too thick. Thought I killed it. Walked away overnight. Came back and pushed and pulled, finally got it out and machine still worked just fine! I have done similar a few times and it keeps working! Takes up less space than the express and does everything it does. Don’t know why anyone would buy a big shot instead unless price was an issue.
I’m a demonstrator for Stampin’ Up!, so I don’t use it for classes or quick projects. However, I do use it for swaps and Christmas cards, etc. and do not have any complaints. My sister and I just bought one for our 90-year old mother.
I have the electronic Big Shot that I purchased in Jan. 2018 from Amazon. I love it! I have never had a problem with it. I hope it lasts for many for years. Personally, after watching Jennifer's video, I don't think I would get the Gemini. Seems like there are problems with the plates (and having to replace them often). I was impressed with the Anna Griffin machine (for $230).
I bought a brand new, still in the box electric Big Shot for $90 in 2016, off of Facebook Marketplace. It was someone local to me, so there was no shipping needed. it worked great until about a month ago when I had an issue with a die, and added one too many pieces of paper as a shim, and it jammed it...and I burned out the motor and killed it.
My husband likes it because he has arthritis and fibro, and cranking one hurts his shoulder. So I knew I needed to replace it. I found one on marketplace again, new in the box, for $70 this time. It was out of state this time, but 5 minutes from my husband's family. So his nephew picked it up for us, and it is sitting at his mom's, waiting until we come out to visit and can pick it up. But I have to say I have really liked it.
For a crank machine, I just bought a gently used Fun Stamper's Journey machine (which is really just the Spellbinders Grand Calibur machine, but private labeled for FSJ) - from a friend who had listed it on Marketplace and she gave me a deal as it was only $20, with all the plates, some barely used. It's AWESOME! I broke our Cuttlebug the same weekend I killed the electric Big Shot, so I was really bummed. But I've used the Grand Calibur quite a bit now, and it cranks SO much easier than my Cuttlebug ever did, and cuts like a dream.
So if you really want the electric Big Shot...try Marketplace. That holds true for just about any of the machines...you can find them new or very gently used for quite cheap!
Sizzix Electric Big Shot machine
