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Hi. I'm looking for a new manual die cutting machine. Like the big shot plus but also interested in the todo machine as well. Not sure about the dial on the top of the todo. Could anyone please advise or tell me their experiences on either machine. Had a big shot in the past n loved it but now looking for one which takes bigger dies. Appreciate your help. Thanks B) xx
I have the Spellbinders Patinum (no dial) excellent machine and a Tattered Lace Cross Over (with adjustable dial) excellent machine. I tried three X-Cut and all were faulty and had to go back, maybe I was unlucky - extremely unlucky I'd say.:unsure: Anyway, they're both A4 and the only difference is do you want a dial to adjust or not. I needed a machine that folded up as I don't have the space for one to be left out all the time and both of these machines fold away quite neatly. The Crossover is the slimmer of the two and the plate hasn't warped at all and the X-Cut plates warped in no time. Both good sturdy machines. I liked the Big Shot Plus but didn't have the space for it. Hope this helps.
I have the big shot plus great machine same reliability as the big shot only does A4.
I'm an xcut fan. No trouble with mine at all. The plates do warp after awhile, but I put them in a large container, pour boiled water over them & place a weight on top till the water has cooled. This straightens them up.
I've also just bought a sapphire for when I only want to cut small dies- so portable & the plates tend not to get misshapen as the dies pretty well cover the whole width of the plates. It seems to be putting a small die in the middle of large plate that causes distortion.
Hi. Thanks for all your info and advise. I will have a look at the other machines mentioned too, thanks. I do have space to leave it out which is a bonus. Can I ask, when using a machine with a dial, do you get used to knowing what to set it too for various paper/card or do you waste time/stock as you have to re-do it, as it can sometimes be trial and error? Watched the todo machine on create and craft tonight which has a dial but not sure. Thanks again. Xx
If you get a machne with a dial why don't you get a little notebook and write down the dial numbers for which paper to emboss/cut/embossing folders.that way until you get used to it and remember settings you aren't wasting too much card/paper/time.
When I first got the Xcut I did keep a note of pressure, paper weight & dies, but over time you get a feel for it. Also if you run something through & it isn't a perfect cut then just change the pressure. Tape your dies to the card using washi tape, or lo tack tape or just plain old masking tape that you have de tacked by pressing it on your hand or a piece of fabric ( usually my trouser leg!) this way the die won't part company with the die so if it is an imperfect cut you can do it again.
Hi. Thanks again for your tips and suggestions. It's like everything else, as you say, you get used to it and just becomes routine. I make myself wee notes for other things, so one more added to the list won't do any harm. Thanks xx
forgot to mention that the Xcut comes with a comprehensive list of dies, embossing folders and types of media to cut along with recommended pressure & whether the metal shim is needed.
I have the Bigshot, Xcut Xpress & the Todo and love all three.
The Bigshot tends to get used the most for standard dies as I love the magnetic platform which holds the thin dies in place instead of relying tape.
The Xcut is used mainly for crops as it's so portable, and the size helps with a majority of dies.
The Todo is also great for all sizes of dies and I love the hot foil function, but it is a bit of a beast size wise so it takes up a fair amount of space, which luckily I can accommodate ^_^.
I was nervous of the dials at first but as others have said, you soon get a feel for the right setting :)