Trimmer/Guillotine recommendations please

[hsanders]

Hi,

Hoping someone can recommend a trimmer/guillotine for me.

When I first started scrapbooking I got a making memories trimmer. It was brilliant until I tried to cut corners and put to much through in one go. After that it never cut straight.

Since then I have tried all the uk companies models. They have been either faulty or not lasted very long.

I've had in the past fiskars but found the need to get replacement blades annoying and difficult to get locally.

I don't mind if its a trimmer or guillotine.

Recommendations anyone?

Thanks
Viv

[elainevking]

I am pleased with my Stampin' Up one..you can go rotary or normal whichever suits you. I also have a fab A5 guillotine that I use just for trimming photos or small pieces for cards.

[cantstopstampin]

I am pleased with my Stampin' Up one..you can go rotary or normal whichever suits you. I also have a fab A5 guillotine that I use just for trimming photos or small pieces for cards.

exactly the same as me

[SarahK]

Biased with the SU one, had it since released and the blades have lasted well - ping me if I can give you any info on it. I've also got one of the little creative memories guillotines (A5 size) but not sure they are still around.

[hsanders]

Thanks guys will investigate this option.

Viv

[Beanpie11]

I have tried practically every trimmer under the sun and yet I still go back to my good old xcut guillotine. I have the 12 inch one, the 8 inch one and a little one for photos

[sharon1973]

Yes I have the X cut 12" guillotine and it's very good and sharp. I also have tried various timmers. I have the latest Woodware one and that does the job, so long as you hold the paper still! There is a fiskars one that Dan99 recommended, which has two rails that the blade runs along, it's priced £80-£100 but it looks very good and on a bigger budget I would go for that....

[Dan99]

I do love my fiskars procision, it's true!

[hsanders]

Unfortunately I can't go for xcut. Had problems with guillotine not cutting straight and had to take it back to the shop. And my xcut trimmer has broken - the actual housing strip fell away from board and despite putting it back together after a few cuts it would fall out. Had problems also with Tonic and crafters companion.

My friends have told me not to buy a trimmer as I appear to be the 1 in 1000 person to have problems. lol But I can't manage without one so do need to get something.

I have heard good things about woodware but can only seem to find the blades and not the actual trimmer.

Fiskars I've heard is also good but am worried about how long the blades will last for. And Dahl though I've heard is excellent is unfortunately out of my price range.

[Dan99]

The blade on the fiskars procision is self sharpening and should never need replacing. There's no denying that it's not cheap though, agreed.

[phoenix rising]

I use the Tonic Studio 31 cm. guillotine. No problems with it at all. Blade stays nice & sharp & you can easily cut up some tin foil to put an edge back on it. If I have a niggle with it, the handle comes off for storage & sometimes works a bit loose during use. Have tried various trimmers in the past & the blades for the model I have always seem to go out of production when I need to replace them!!!

[hsanders]

Just looked at friskars procision trimmer. It looks really good Dan. But unfortunately out of my price range.

When you said friskars i was thinking of the friskars surecut - worried about the amount of time you'd be replacing the blades.

I do want to say thank you all for your recommendations I've had so many problems with trimmers and guilotines, I've had 5 in the past 4 years, 3 have been faulty (returned to supplier by retailer), 1 has broken and 1 the blade blunted really quickly I wasn't getting a clean cut.

[CoventryAnn]

Woodware trimmer with bypass blade cuts nicely, and not to pricey at all. Blade stays good and sharp, lightweight if you are off to a crop. I take that when I'm out crafting, and use my Fiskars Procision at home.

[CraftyPrincess]

I just got a Surecut Fiskars trimmer. I've had, (still got!) the older version and always loved that one. The new addition of the wire is really good as you can see exactly where it's going to trim. I would say though that I'd use it as a trimmer only and not for cutting large amounts as the blades don't last long. With my older Fiskars trimmer I used about 4 packets a year, (medium to heavy use) so roughly about £20 in blades. If you're doing a lot of cutting, i.e making lots of cards to order like invitations or something I'd spend a little bit more and go with either a Fiskars rotary cutter or guillotine but if it's just a trimmer for matting/ cutting out photos I'd recommend the Surecut as it's the best of its kind, (low budget easy to use portable paper trimmer).
Oh and if you really still weren't sure you could try out the A5 version first, (still good size for photo trimming and cardmaking) as it's only like £12 and then 'upgrade' to the bigger one if you liked it. The little one also has holes in the side so it can go inside a ringbinder so really good just to keep as a household item too (they don't fit in A5 planners though, I tried with the one I have, how cool would that have been! )

[yizzard]

Well going on recommendations here I have just got myself a new trimmer. I was using the original Fiskars one I bought in 2003 (surprisingly it takes the new triple blades) but the track was so bumpy I couldnt get a decent cut anymore. I was torn between the new Fiskar one or the SU and even though I have a small stock pile of Fiskars blades I decided to go with the SU! one (mainly because there are so many different names on different sites for the Fiskars trimmer I wasnt sure which was which).
I am so pleased with it! I have been making mini albums which need precision cutting and it has yet to give me one naff cut. I can clearly see where I need to be cutting, the measurement guide and grid are a real help and even better, I can have my cutting blade and scoring blade in use at the same time without having to change them. The best bit though is being able to lock the paper in place so that I can trim tiny bits without them sliding out from under the blade.
Thank you for the recommendations.