The other day I reviewed the Spellbinders Platinum and as I was sharing it on Periscope, quite a few of the live viewers wanted to know the specific differences between machines. This led me to do another Periscope comparing the four manual diecutting machines that I have in my studio: the Spellbinders Platinum, the Big Kick from Sizzix, the Lifestyle Evolution, and the Fiskars Fuse.
I recorded the “Scope” and edited it into a tidy 20 minutes so that I could share each machine’s pros and cons, do a quick demo, and answer viewer questions. (By the way, if you’d like to participate, you can join Periscope and follow me OR watch the full replays on Katch.me.)
Alright- let’s get to it!
So… to recap:
Lifestyle Evolution: (Amazon Affiliate Link Price- $77 USD) I love the dial that eliminates all of the cutting “sandwiches” but the rubber mat-while durable- keeps you from seeing your work. Moderate cutting area.
Spellbinders Platinum: (Amazon Affiliate Link Price-$156USD ) Nice wide cutting area, sturdy metal interiors. Smooth rolling action. Accepts all dies and has an 8.5 inch plate area. Cons include some fiddliness with embossing folders, small cutting plates in relation to the platform size.
Sizzix Big Kick: (Amazon Affiliate Link Price- $80 USD). This is one of the original at-home machines for a reason- sturdy construction, stable, easy to crank. Cons include the wide footprint.
Fiskars Fuse: (Amazon Affiliate Link Price: $102 USD) While this machine has been discontinued, you can still find them online. This is an amazing price for what is essentially a rolling mill- a huge cutting area, will letterpress and emboss, compatible with other systems and is ideal for difficult materials like multiple layers of denim. Cons- it’s HUGE and HEAVY and not really portable.
Now, notice that I didn’t even touch digital machines- I guess I’ll do that next! I also didn’t mention manual machines that have motors…but if you’d like my take on the eBosser, I have a review of that here.
What machine do you use? I’d love to hear from you!
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How bout the cuttlebug?
The Cuttlebug is smaller, lighter weight, and a great entry level machine. It’s compatible with all of the popular die styles. Amazon affiliate link price: $58! (http://amzn.to/1LevM7l) It has a smaller cutting path than the others I’ve mention, so it’s more suited to card and tag makers. 🙂
I got my Fuse system when JoAnn put them on clearance about a year ago. My biggest issue is holding everything stable to feed it through the machine, especially if I need to use multiple shims. I would prefer a smaller platform and plates unless I am doing something really large. I needed to cut one word out of a 12×12 paper yesterday and had a devil of a time keeping all the layers together and straight enough for the paper to go through. Other than that, I have liked it. ( I am still fairly new to papercrafting, so my opinion may not be worth much. I keep asking the stores if they would do a class and let people try the various machines to see which one they liked best. If they coupled that with a coupon, I bet they would make a bunch of sales!!!
What a great and instructional review of the machines. Thank you Jenny. gb
You really should take a look at the Big sister machine from Cheery Lynn, I just bought it and it’s so nice. A4 size, all metal parts, adjustable solid metal rollers, foldable handle and very smooth to crank. It comes with 6 by 15 inch extended plates but you could buy the a4 too. I’m so happy with it and do recommend it to anyone! It came with a bag but I think that was a special offer.
Thanks for putting this machine on my radar. I have a tendency to shy away from brands that don’t sell in large retail outlets- it’s just harder for folks to find. But perhaps I can get a contact and they’d supply one for review. Have a crafty day!
Jenny, do you prefer manual or auto-feed machines for your own personal use? THANK YOU so very much for this comparison. of machines. This is a sizable investment and mistakes are costly.
For a while I used the eBosser a lot…but now I keep the Big Kick or LifeStyle on my table. It’s just easier!