Which is the best fabric cutting machine? AccuQuilt, Big Shot? Brother ScanNCut? Silhouette? It depends on your needs. I liked rotary cutting until I lopped off the corner of my finger and had stitches. Machine cutters are much safer. I researched machines for weeks before purchasing. Here is what I learned.Note: I’m blogging as a quilter not a scrapbooker here.(Cricut is not included as it not geared for fabric.)
Sizzix Big Shot
What I like about Sizzix Big Shot:
- Quick and Easy. Make a sandwich with the pads, turn the handle, done!
- Over 141 quilting dies from Sizzix (as of spring 2014)
- Uses many AccuQuilt Go Baby and other company dies. (requires shim, i.e mylar or cardboard piece)
- No electricity needed
- Cuts 8 layers of fabric at one time
- Easy to crank
- Small enough to travel. (Carrying case available)
- Great for cutting strips.
- Includes a pair of Standard Cutting Pads
- It’s pretty. Soft blue, turquoise and pink.
- You can get another version in black with pink trim.
- Three-year limited warranty.
What I don’t like about Sizzix Big Shot:
- Limited to 6″ width (eliminated by moving to the Big Shot Pro below)
- You have to buy dies. They range from $12 to $60 (look on Amazon for discounts, swap with friends)
- Starter Kit is geared to scrapbookers, they should make one for quilters.
Sizzix Big Shot Pro
Machine Price: Retail $389 at Amazon $299
What I like about Sizzix Big Shot Pro:
- All the reasons listed above for Big Shot
- Can use up to 12 inch dies
- High Volume Die Cutting
- Over 160 quilting dies and works with every Sizzix and Ellison design ever made
- Also can use AccuQuilt Studio dies and many other dies
- You can use strip die to make other shapes (see video above)
- 13-inch wide opening for all of you materials: paper, cardstock, foam, cork, and more
- Contains one machine, one standard cutting pad and one premium crease pad.
- Includes two 0.10 millimeter mylar shims, and an adapter pad
- Custom dies available
- 3 year limited warranty
What I don’t like about Sizzix Big Shot Pro
- It big 40lbs, requires a dedicated space. (I don’t mind)
- It’s on my wish list and not on my quilting table.
AccuQuilt Go Baby
What I like about AccuQuilt Go Baby
- Quick and Easy. Make a sandwich with the pads, turn the handle, done!
- Cute
- Portable, built-in carry case
- One year warranty
What I do not like about AccuQuilt Go Baby
- Limited size
- Only cuts 5 or 6 layers
- You have to buy dies. They range from $20 to $80
- Only 65 dies
- Will not take other dies.
Accuquilt Go
Machine Price: Retail $349 Amazon $219 or $209
Starter Kit Price: Retail $581, Amazon $359
What I like about AccuQuilt Go!
- Quick and Easy. Make a sandwich with the pads, turn the handle, done!
- New version rolls better than older version.
- 165 dies availble
- Portable (15 lbs)
- Created for quilters
- No electricity required
- Built in carrying case
- Cuts 8 layers of fabric at a time
What I do not like about AccuQuilt Go!
- You have to buy dies. They range from $20 to $80
- Will not take other dies.
Accuquilt Studio
Machine Price: $595
Starter Kit Price: Retail $1,075
What I like about Accuquilt Studio:
- All the reasons I like Accuquilt above.
- For power users. You can make and sell kits.
- Cuts like a hot knife through butter
- Easiest to crank
- Cut up to 10 layers of fabric
- Life-time warranty
- 15″ wide
- Over 400 Dies
- Will use Sizzix and Ellison dies with adapter.
What I did not like about Accuquilt Studio:
- Required dedicated 4′ x 2′ table space. 34 pounds
- High price. Starter set over $1000 , only my wish list if I get a quilt shop or quilt business.
- Dies only available through Accucut. ($30 to $120)
Computerized Cutting Machines
What about the computerized machines? Brother ScanNCut? Silhouette? It depends on your needs.
- If you piece quilt and need layers or strips and shapes you should consider a die cut machine above
- If you do a lot of appliqué and only need to cut one layer, look at ScannCut and Silhouette.
- If you do both, look at both.
Brother ScanNCut
Retail Price: Amazon $399
I purchased the Brother Scanncut and returned in three days. I purchased it for the reasons I liked it below. And returned for the reasons listed I did not like below. If I had a bigger budget I would have kept it and worked harder on the learning curve. I just kept thinking how many dies and much fabric I could purchase for $400.
What I liked about the ScannCut:
- The computer was very easy to use
- No dies or design cartridges needed!
- Perfect accurate cuts
- Ability to resize all images
- Do not need to hook to computer (works as stand alone)
- Can hook to computer
- 600 Built in Designs
- Can draw on the 1/4 inch seam allowance (or not)
- Built in Scanner
- You can scan in fabric for fussy cutting
- Easily converts .SVG files to .FCM files.
- LCD touch screen with on-screen editing capabilities such as rotating, welding, resizing and organizing.
- Online community
- Scan to USB
- Easy to return and get my money back
What I did not like about the Scanncut:
- You can only cut one layer of fabric (which is OK if you do a lot of appliqués)
- You have to prep fabric with starch and paper mats before cutting
- Can’t cut strips longer than 12″
- Lousy manual
- I felt like the time it took to set everything up to cut you can cut it easier by hand.
- The sticky mats were not sticky enough to hold the fabric (as fI understand it you have to replace them often)
- Maybe a in few years they will come up with a better machine for fabric. Some quilters love it.
I did not research nor use the Silhouette cutter. Sorry. If I do I will add to this post.
And the Winner is…
I purchased Sixxiz Big Shot. I love it! The reason I decided on Sizzix over Accuquilt is 1. cheaper to get started and 2. I can use dies from other companies.
I cut out a ton of adorable, accurate, Dresden petals this morning in a few minutes.
I also purchased the Brother Scanncut and returned in three days. Had I not purchased both I would have gone for the Big Shot Pro. But I am very happy. I would love to have a computerized cutter but….
What fabric cutter do you use? Why do you like it? What don’t you like about it? Share in the comments.
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