Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I was interested in purchasing a cutting machine but have no idea which one...
what is the difference amongst them. I see that there are THREE cricut machines.. whats the difference amongst those three? is the sizzix big shot better?
do they all cut through felt? what about fabric? I dont make cards but I wanted to use it for crafting I'd love some help
I have the original Cricut and love it, if I was to go back I would spend the extra and get the Expression. You can do fabric and other material. The Expression is just so much larger and can cut up to 24 inches, where the original and create only can do 5�. You can use the same cartridges in both. HTH
Can anyone tell me the benefits of having a die cutting machine and what you can use it for?
I read somewhere that the cricut doesn't cut through chipboard but the big shot does, do you think that is an important feature it lacks?
I guess that would depend on the person. Do you usually buy a lot of chipboard and want to be able to cut it out yourself? Just to clarify the cricut does cut chipboard but it is a thinner chipboard. For me I am not a chipboard fan. It's not something I use so it was not a factor for me. I got the Cricut Expression as a christmas present. I love mine! I use it all the time. It is so great to not have to worry about buying 12 different punches just to layer them. As long as the cartridge I own has the shape I am looking for I can layer to my hear content! (LOL).
Can anyone tell me the limitations of cricut vs other machines?
Hmmm I would wanna use chipboard sometimes. I wonder the thickest chipboard the cricut can cut? Can u make stacked flowers and stuff? I wonder if there is a blog or website showcasing all the things the cricut can do. It's so expensive
It's tough to compare because they are so different.
The Cuttlebug costs about $40-50 with a coupon and you can use almost any die/embossing folder/embossing plate on the market. It will cut and/or emboss in only one size (the size of the die or embossing folder/plate). FYI, the cutting pads for the Sizzix BigZ XL dies are too wide for a Cuttlebug. The dies fit, but the cutting pads are too wide.
(For this reason and because I feel the Big Shot/Big Kick is sturdier and less tipsy, I prefer one of the Sizzix machines [BS/BK] to the Cuttlebug.)
The Cricut costs $150-$350, depending upon the model. It does not use dies, and you can make cuts in a variety of sizes. You can buy cartridges with images to cut and/or you can buy third-party software to design your own images and use the fonts on your computer. The Cricut cannot use the embossing folders/plates that the manual machines use.
The Cricut will allow you to cut a lot of different shapes in a variety of sizes. Even if you bought every cartridge, the storage space for all those images is a fraction of what it would take to store that many dies (and you only get to cut in one size with each die).
In my opinion, you "need" something like a Cuttlebug/Big Shot/Big Kick/Wizard/etc. in your craftroom to use with embossing folders/plates and Nestabilities. If you use one of those machines only for embossing & Nesties, I feel it's worth the investment. If you use it to cut shapes & letters and anything else, that's gravy.
You can cut chipboard with the die machines (Cuttlebug/Big Shot/Big Kick/Wizard/etc.).
You can also cut chipboard with the Cricut, but you'll need to use the multi-cut feature and/or the deep blade housing. For the Cricuts that don't have multi-cut, I'm pretty sure you can just feed the chipboard through the machine more than once, being careful to start the blade in the same place each time so the repeat cuts are in the exact same place as the original cut.
I have the Cricut expression and the Big Shot. They are different in what they do, so it is like comparing apples to oranges! If I could ONLY have 1, I would choose the Big Shot.
Reason, because you can use any die with them and it does not run on electricity, so less stuff to break down over time. However, as much as I love my Cricut, in a power outage, its useless and even if that is a *dramatic* example, because it is basically a computer, it is more likely to have less of a life span. The biggest PLUS is that since I teach classes, I can cut multiples with the push of a button, and not having to change dies is nice when printing out a word.
Other than than it has no other advange for me, but that is just MY personal need.
I know that the Cricut cartridges have many images you can use, but I usually only use a few favorites, the other ones are never used.
I have 2 die cut machines in my craft room. A Circut Expressions and a Big Shot. I like the Cricut for cutting multiple shapes in a variety of sizes. I like the Big Shot for embossing and cutting different kinds of paper, even chipboard, felt, and other thicker material.
For practicality, and you just want a die cut machine, I'd recommend a Cricut (the Expressions if you have the budget), for the variety of shapes and sizes you can cut (up to 23.75 inches).
Also I'd say if you are more of a scrapbooker and paper crafter, get the Cricut. If you are a card maker, get the Big Shot. I prefer the Big Shot than the Cuttlebug for its stability. But I know they both accept other manufacturer's dies.
I love my Cricut Expressions. I use it alot. I am not a scrapbooker but, a card maker. I love to use the shapes as add ons to my cards. There are lots of ladies who just use the Cricut for cards and they are beautiful. I have never been successful in getting my Cricut to cut chipboard. But all the functions of the Cricut make up for this. I have cut vinyl and all type of paper and material. I just ordered the Big Shot Express to replace my defunct Spellbinders machine and I am hopeful this one will cut chipboard. My Spellbinders never did. Good luck. You can't go wrong with either machine. Both a good invesment in your craft!
diff cricut machines?cuttlebug?etc?
