I love mine. I have arthritic hands, and my strength is not so great. With the Altos, I can be sure one end of my fabric is secure, and I only have to hold on to the other end. My cutting is much easier and more accurate. I looked at the accuquilt, but couldn't see paying $300 for the machine and then $35 to $70 for each die shape I wanted to cut. You could easily spend $500 and still have to use a rotary cutter for your cutting.