Which machine should I get?

[CaramelBunny]

Hi guys! I don't have a diecutting machine & I've been thinking of asking for one for Christmas, but I haven't a clue which one I should get... I was hoping that you could help, please?

I don't really fancy a computrised one because they don't seem to make the best use of the paper you have. I remember seeing Dawn Bibby tearing up teeny little bits of paper & still being able to place them on the dies on the Revolution & that seemed like a good idea. The Revolution itself was a lovely looking machine, but it did seem very expensive compared to other machines & I wondered if I would just be paying for it being so pretty! (Which is fine, but if I'm just paying for pretty then I'd like to know!) Also I really want to be able to use my existing brass stencils to emboss with whatever machine I get & I remember Dawn saying that you couldn't do that with the Revolution... It's also very important to me that I can use as wide a range of dies as possible with whichever machine I got. I don't want to be tied into buying just one manufacturer's dies in the future. Talking of which, I only have one die which came with a bulk lot of stuff from eBay, so if anyone knows of a good package deal on a machine, embossing folder & dies then I'd be interested too!:)

Thanks ever so much!:D

[LorraineJ]

The Cuttlebug is fairly easy to use, cheap to run and the dyes are inexpensive.

[blarf]

Cuttlebug!
I've had a quickutz and a big shot (I still have a craft robo) but it's my cuttlebug that I use most.

[jeanfan]

Cuttlebug`s my favourite too

[gill71]

I really, really love my Revolution; you are best buying dies for it from the US as they are so much cheaper.
If you want versatility though, embossing stencils, etc, I'd go for the Cuttlebug - got one of those too and it's great.

[Phree]

I would say do not under any circumstances by the Revolution - the major factor against it IMO is the width of it's aperture for allowing your dies and card stock to pass through. As far as I can see it is not as wide as most other machines on the market and therefore will not be able to take the larger dies and embossing folders.

For me the 2 best machines out there are the Cuttlebug and the Wizard, but we seem to have a number of BigShot owners on the forum who all love their machine.

The Cuttlebug is perhaps the least expensive of these, but I do have a question mark over it's robustness. It can be broken - I have heard of this happening on more than one occasion from more than one source. Now to be fair from what I have heard you probably have to be being fairly stupid and actually trying to force the handle round with something inside your sandwich of cutting and embossing plates that the machine does not want to allow through - the strong resistance from the machine should be a warning to stop and wind it backwards to reverse back out what ever it is that the machine does not like. However this to my mind does raise the question about the bug's robustness as I have never heard of anyone breaking a Wizard or BigShot simply because they used the wrong mat in it.

The biggest culprit for killing Cuttlebugs (because they are irrepairable if they do break in this way) is the Kars embossing mat which people use to emboss their brass stencils - the kind of stencil you normally emboss with a ball tool and light box. There are numerous tales on forum such as this one of people who have broken their bug in this way.

However maybe others have heard similar tales of broken BigShots and Wizards too - or maybe it only really affects the Cuttlebug because there is an embossing mat being sold as specifically for the Cuttlebug, but that mat is causing problems.

[gill71]

I would say do not under any circumstances by the Revolution - the major factor against it IMO is the width of it's aperture for allowing your dies and card stock to pass through. As far as I can see it is not as wide as most other machines on the market and therefore will not be able to take the larger dies and embossing folders.


Oh Phree:(, I feel I have to defend my poor Revolution!!
Yes, it's not as wide as the CB, it's a little more than 4" across but the Quickutz catalogue is huge and always being added to. There is an extension platform that you can run 12" alphabets and borders through.
I can't imagine it ever breaking and it's so lovely sitting there on my desk!!!
Got it for my birthday last year and it's got to be one of the best presents ever!!

[Phree]

The thing is Gill, nearly all these machines allow you to run other manufacturers dies through them, so why buy a revoloution when you can run the Quickcutz dies through a machine that has a wider aperture?

[gill71]

I get your point Phree, but I wouldn't be without it!

[Jeanette]

I LOVE my Bigshot!!! :D

[Marie]

Ooh I'd love to get a machine at some point, I think though that the downside of getting a mechanical one is the storage for the different dies. Don't you end up with a huge collection that take up a load of space?

[Phree]

The dies can be stored in binders, not unlike office ring binders Marie, and that does not take up much space. For storage of the machine itself, then the Cuttlebug is without doubt the most compact machine as its embossing table folds up - rather like those old fashioned "fold into the wall" ironing boards - anyhow this makes it very very compact to store away.

[Pam]

I like my Wizard best - took a bit of time to get used to but I like it better than the others.

[Marie]

Thanks for that Phree, it's interesting getting people's feedback on these things. Not that I can afford one for now or would even think of investing in one until I'm going to be able to use it properly, but I am fascinated by the cricut/silhouette and other digital ones as I suspect that if you are able to deal with the IT side of things, you can do loads of different things. Interesting that the only one on QVC with 5 stars is the revolution though the cuttlebug isn't listed there.
Love your blog, btw, you've some beautiful craft on it, very inspirational!

[Anne]

I would deffo go for the Big Shot. By far the best looking machine too. :)

[Winspiration]

I'd definitely go for something that has as much versatility as possible.

I like my Big Shot, which works great with all sizes of die and cuttlebug embossing folders too. Latest toys that I'm enjoying using with it are the nestabilities :)

I still use my original sizzix machine quite a bit though, I prefer it for the original small & medium sizzix dies. I also prefer using my sidekick for the Sizzlits type dies. Must confess to having an original QuicKutz too, although it hasn't had much use :o

[gill71]

I have bought my daughter a cuttlekids machine and alphabet and numbers for Christmas, but shh don't tell her!! Got a good deal @ £9.99 on ebay. Nothing like starting them young is there (at 4)?! She will only use it under my supervision though as it says you must be over 7...will warn her not to put her fingers through it!:eek:

[blarf]

I'm with Win - Nestabilities are the best thing since sliced bread.

Also, I don't think it was a big shot I had, what's the purple one called that they sold on QVC a few years back? It's a rolling plate one too.

[CaramelBunny]

Thanks so much everyone for your thoughts! I've done a quick count up & I make that 5 recommendations for the Cuttlebug, 3 for the Big Shot, 2 for the Wizard & 1 for the Revolution. (Cursing myself right now for not making this a poll!)

So far I think I'm being drawn towards the Big Shot.... I don't know if that's because I've seen a 15 minute video online that showed me how to do everything with it & it looked idiot proof! Also I'm a very clumsy bunny so having something that's got such a big & low platform is appealing. That & if anyone can break a machine I can, so I'm a bit nervous about the Cuttlebug on that score.

The ironic thing is that I know I like it more because it's black & pink, but the best deal I can find is here & it's on a flaming blue machine! http://www.cuttingedgecrafts.co.uk/cart.php?target=product&product_id=21195&category_id=262 Can anyone find a better deal on a pink machine? Actually, I have seen the Hello Kitty Big Shot & if anyone can find that to order somewhere I'd be thrilled! I'm only finding it in America & I don't really want to have to ship a big machine all that way!

Ooh... One last question to you all... Can I use my Fiskars texture plates in any of these machines? I love them, but I'm sick of the wrist ache I get using the tool that you're meant to use!

[Marie]

well if its a pressie and the difference in price isn't prohibitive, I'd ask for the pink even if it's more expensive. Remember you've got to use it for a long time and there's nothing worse than getting something that you don't really like but you have to use!!
That's a womans' logic if ever I heard it......

[Chess]

If I remember correctly, the pink machine is the new model - takes bigger dies etc. I suspect the blue one is discontinued. Found this for the new one

http://www.craftydevilspapercraft.co.uk/craft/20-sizzix-machines.asp

By the way, I love my wizard and it takes the Fiskars plates!

[Jeanette]

This 'old colour' BS looks a great buy. It includes an alphabet and a texturz starter kit as well as lots of other goodies

http://cuttingedgecrafts.co.uk/cart.php?target=product&product_id=21195&category_id=262

[Phree]

Maybe at this point I should say the Cuttlebug is not an unreliable machine. It's very easy to use, compact to store - the problem seems to be that this Kars mat is out there being sold as suitable for the machine which of course means people buy it thinking "great, now I can emboss my brass stencils through my cuttlbug". No doubt these same people have never heard the annecdotal evidence that seems to indicate that, while the mat is being sold as specifically for the 'bug, it actually can damage the it. So of course they buy it, and when they feel the machine resist it does not occur to them that there is actually a problem, they probably continue to wind the handle thinking it's just a bit harder to wind the sandwich thru the machine when doing that kind of embossing. So the bottom line is - if ANY diecutting machine seems to be harder than normal to wind stuff thru, you should probably wind in reverse to get what ever it is back out and then do some checking to make sure you have set up the correct sandwich of plates etc.

[LoobyLou]

I love my bug and most everything goes through it.

LL

[Marie]

well me I want them all to play with........!! They all look like good fun! he he!

[CaramelBunny]

You know, Jeanette, that Big Shot kit is exactly the one I have been looking at! It is a fantastic deal, but I know deep down that Marie is right... I'd always be using it wishing that I had the pink & black one instead! Seeing as it is a gift I might just ask for the pink bundle that Cutting Edge do instead, but ask for one of the texture starter kits as well... Unless I can find a better deal that is!

By the way, thanks Phree for reminding me that the CB isn't that fragile! I was more disrespecting my own limitless clumsiness than the machine itself!

[Phree]

No worries CB, I have a Cuttlebug and am very happy with my little machine - I also was one of the stupid ones who bought a Kars mat, but thankfully for me I read something about the risks with that and have never used it - instead I bought the mat from Oyster Crafts when I was at the NEC last weekend - will be trying some brass stencil embossing with that soon.

[Jeanette]

You know, Jeanette, that Big Shot kit is exactly the one I have been looking at! It is a fantastic deal, but I know deep down that Marie is right... I'd always be using it wishing that I had the pink & black one instead! Seeing as it is a gift I might just ask for the pink bundle that Cutting Edge do instead, but ask for one of the texture starter kits as well... Unless I can find a better deal that is!




It is an amazing deal isn't it? I have the old blue one. It stays out all the time as there isn't a card I make that I don't use it for. I'm not sure how I ever coped without my BS, embossing folders/plates and nesties. I did notice that CEC now have a couple of different starter kit options for the texturz which is good.

Is it just the colour that makes you want the pink and black one? It is snazzy isn't it;)

[Marie]

well as you all know from my posts elsewhere i spent my birthday money (and some of my Christmas money really....) on the pretty Anna Griffin bags, even though i could have purchased much cheaper and possibly more practical storage boxes and bags! But I love my AG ones and I know I'd have probably ended up getting them anyway and spending more in the longer run!
So actually, I saved money! lol, that's a woman's logic if ever I heard!

[Phree]

Actually Marie, your logic is pretty sound. My friend Jess, who bless her heart is one of the most sensible people I know (and I don't mean sensible in a boring way, she makes me laugh all the time too) Anyhow Jess once remarked to me, maybe about 6 months after she had started crafting, that in her opinion you should buy the storage first BEFORE you buy the stash. Her reason was if you don't have somewhere to put away new purchases you end up with a very untidy "stash mountain" and can never find stuff.

She is right too - Jess has a very organised stash and can always lay her hands on the stamp she wants, or the right colour of card, whereas I do tend to waste a lot of time wondering where I put something and hunting for stuff I have stuffed somewhere in my ever growing piles but can't quite recall where!

[Wellington]

Jess is a remarkably astute lady in the storage dept Phree :D (Does she still look in on us from time to time BTW?) If only I'd gone with that logic!

[CaramelBunny]

It is an amazing deal isn't it? I have the old blue one. It stays out all the time as there isn't a card I make that I don't use it for. I'm not sure how I ever coped without my BS, embossing folders/plates and nesties. I did notice that CEC now have a couple of different starter kit options for the texturz which is good.

Is it just the colour that makes you want the pink and black one? It is snazzy isn't it;)

Yes, it's just the colour...:o Gosh, I feel shallow now!

I've been going a bit nuts online trying to find the Hello Kitty Bigshot actually, but haven't found anyone in the UK stocking it at all... Drat! To further complicate things I can't see the pink & black Bigshot kit at Cutting Edge any more.:(

[Jeanette]

Yes, it's just the colour...:o Gosh, I feel shallow now!

I've been going a bit nuts online trying to find the Hello Kitty Bigshot actually, but haven't found anyone in the UK stocking it at all... Drat! To further complicate things I can't see the pink & black Bigshot kit at Cutting Edge any more.:(

No need to feel shallow lol!! Pink and black is a FAB version. I hadn't seen the Hello Kitty one till I just googled it. Its brill!!

The pink one is here
http://cuttingedgecrafts.co.uk/cart.php?target=product&product_id=21178&category_id=262

[CaramelBunny]

No need to feel shallow lol!! Pink and black is a FAB version. I hadn't seen the Hello Kitty one till I just googled it. Its brill!!

The pink one is here
http://cuttingedgecrafts.co.uk/cart.php?target=product&product_id=21178&category_id=262

Oooh, thanks for that! It wasn't on the site this morning, but now it's back.:) I think I'll 'phone my parents tomorrow morning & ask them to get it for me.:D (I've given up hope on the Hello Kitty one. May have to import the Hello Kitty Kathy die though as it's just so cute!)

[Jeanette]

What a great Crimbo pressie Caramel Bunny. Have funny with it when you get it. If you're not skint now you soon will be!! Embossing folders, texturz plates, nesties, I'm addicted to them all :D

[Marie]

Not shallow at all! YOu wouldn't make a card or wear a dress in a colour that you don't like, why is it any different when it comes to craft tools?
I think it looks fab, wish I could afford one but it's something else to go onto my wish list! Enjoy it when you get it!

[Faeriescraps]

No worries CB, I have a Cuttlebug and am very happy with my little machine - I also was one of the stupid ones who bought a Kars mat, but thankfully for me I read something about the risks with that and have never used it - instead I bought the mat from Oyster Crafts when I was at the NEC last weekend - will be trying some brass stencil embossing with that soon.

I have been looking at the Kars embossing mat for my new cuttlebug which create and craft delivered to me here in Italy when it was in the clearance recently.

Can you come back here and let me know if the mat from Oyster Crafts works with brass stencils please?

[Phree]

OK lol I guess that's the nudge I need to get that new mat from Oyster out and try it with my Cuttlebug - will post back later to let you know if it worked :)

[jeanfan]

I have the mat from Oyster and it`s works fine.I bought the Kars mat but I ain`t trying that though.I feel a bit miffed about the Kars one though cos it was advertised as THE mat for the CB.

[Mothership]

I'm with Win - Nestabilities are the best thing since sliced bread.

Also, I don't think it was a big shot I had, what's the purple one called that they sold on QVC a few years back? It's a rolling plate one too.


That'll be the Accucut then. I have one and it works with just about any manufacturers dies but will need some pretty inventive shimming to be able to do it..
Have now got a Cuttlebug and must admit to being in love with it. It is so versatile and there are sandwich recipes galore on You Tube. And you don't have to resort to shims. It's even possible to use the Fiskars texture plates in it, that saves a huge chunk of your life I can tell you.
Nestabilities are a dream to use through it, yes I love my Cuttlebug, yes I do!

[Little Jan]

Oh thanks for that I have been wondering what to put on my Christmas list and now I think I'll ask for this, I do have loads of fiskers imbossing plates that I got on sale but they are such a pain to us by hand.I would also be interested to know if I cn use any brass stencil in it too as I have a heap of them and my poor fingers are not what used to be:(

[Mothership]

Here are a couple of tutorials from You Tube for the Cuttlebug the first being how to use the Fiskars plates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOx509UDtPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYJgwhvf62s&feature=related

A search for "Cuttlebug" reveals so many more and indeed you can use brass stencils and although it is possible with the right "recipe" to use the dreaded black mat for this technique it is a safer option to get the tan mat that Oyster Crafts sell http://www.oysterstamps.co.uk/acatalog/Cuttlebug.html#a1459

Hope this is of help