Question/Opinion
 

I have recently decided to buy one of the cutting machines. I have looked at so many, I am really confused.
I will probably start out just cutting strips, as I have so many scraps. I am sure later down the line I will probably want to use it for blocks and appliques. So what do I want? I am a senior citizen, so do I want an electric one? Jo-Anns has the Cricut Air for $249.
I would love to be able to say, price is not a concern, but it is. So come on gals and guys, what should I do?

I do have the non-electric Go and it is not a problem. When I first got it, it was kind of hard to turn but then has gotten much easier after a short time. I cannot talk of the Circuit Air - but I am sure others will be able to tell you something.

You said you are a Senior - I am 61, so considered a senior too. And I have arthritis in my hands, not severe but it is there. I do use the June Taylor Shape cutter too, but prefer my Go when doing a lot of cutting.

It really depends on the type of quilting you do. The computerized ones, like the Cricut & Silhouette are great for applique. You can basically cut just about any shape you want and there are no dies to purchase and store, however, depending on the brand, you may have to purchase cartridges. You can generally only cut one layer at a time with these, and the blade will need replacing periodically.
With a machine that uses a die board, like the GO, you can cut many layers at a time, however, you do have to purchase a die for each one. If you are cutting a lot of shapes that you are going to piece with like squares, strips, triangles etc. Then the GO is the way to go.

There are lots of threads on this board regarding this question. You can do a search and read them. Here's a link to a site with lots of comparison info:
http://heartofwisdom.com/heartathome...ting-machines/

I mostly cut strips for my quilts and the dyes are so expensive for the crank. I am 63 and I still use my Jane Taylor Pro (60% off at JAF sale) for cutting strips. My friend who lives in northern Texas bought her's from her LAQ because they allow purchases to borrow dies for a few days.

I think the Accuquilt Go! is among the most versatile cutters for both piecing and applique. I have the crank Go! and really like it. However, it ***was*** hard to crank at first. With use, it has gotten much easier. If you have or anticipate any shoulder, arm or hand problems over the next 10 years, I would pay the extra money and get the newer Go! electric. There is an Accuquilt group on Yahoo and all of the posts there, from people who had gotten the Go! Big electric cutter, have been very positive. It would be worth the extra money to me if I didn't already have a regular Go!

Accuquilt also has a studio size which would be very fun to use because it can cut more layers than the Go! and because its dies can cut many more pieces at one pass. However, the dies for it are considerably more expensive plus there is no electric option for it. The Studio is wonderful for prolific quilters, but for most home quilters I think the Go! is more practical. One thing I really like about the Go! is that it folds up into a very compact unit that is light enough in weight to be easily moved around for storage. Although the new Studio now folds up, I imagine it is still very heavy to move. You would want a dedicated space for it.

I have not been tempted by the other cutting machines. The ones such as the Cricut would be too fiddly for me. I believe you can cut only one layer at a time and fabric has to be adhered to an adhesive board. It would be great for a quilter who likes to design their own unique applique patterns. That's just not me.

Some people like the Sizzix because it can handle Accuquilt dies (with a shim) as well as Sizzix dies, giving more choices in dies. However, it is hand crank.

Based on my experience, I would recommend the Go! Big electric cutter. Start with just the dies you will use most, and gradually add on to your die collection as sales come up. For geometric shapes, I find the triangles and odd-shapes (hexagons, circles) to be the ones I am most grateful for. The triangles are produced with the dog ears cut off, which makes accurate piecing so easy! I also like some of the block dies (such as Hunter's Star) for the fast, accurate cutting of difficult pieces. And finally, I have quite a few of the applique dies. I use the applique dies for cutting the freezer paper I like to use for turned-under machine applique; however, a more common use of them is to cut fabric that has already been ironed to a fusible, so you can do really fast fusible applique.

My 32 cents worth of advice.......... (inflation!)

Edit: Here is a link to the Yahoo accuquilt group, if you want more information from people who own the various accuquilt cutters:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...tquilters/info

I have an electric (BIG GO) Accuquilt and love it. No more wrist or other body parts aching. It is fast, saves me tons of money on precuts and I really look forward to using it each time. It helps me get at what I love to do--piece fabric for quilt tops.

If I were going to do i die cutter it would be the sizzix big shot pro. The crank handles are built better than the accuquilt. As for the cricut air it is pretty new I believe so not sure if anyone will be too familiar with it. I have a brother scanncut that is similar that I love. I believe the newer models are going for a good price on HSN with flex payments. You can actually cut blocks on it and I have seen awesome pictures of full quilts done on it so it is very versatile but I have not tried this yet on mine. I have my sizzix and hardly use it because the dies are so expensive for the die machines, and I only have like 3 quilt dies which probably cost me a hundred dollars just for those so while they do cut many layers it is overall very costly in that you have to but dies for it and dies are only 1 size whereas my scanncut can cut multiple sizes of squares triangles without the need of dies or cartridges. It only cuts one layer thought but it has a 12x24 sheet so you can cut many pieces at a time to fill up the sheet. I can also take pattern pieces from books scan them in and cut as well so while it was initially pricey I have no need of dies which is why my sizzix now collects dust. I love both, but really love my scanncut a lot more

Thank you all for the information. More to think about.

I started out with the original AccuQuiltGo cutter back in 2009 and it has given me great service. However, arthritis in both hands, has been acting up so I sold it and bought the Go! Big electric cutter. The nice thing is that I can use my current dies. Strip dies of different widths, although more expensive than the smaller dies, are great for cutting squares, diamonds, etc. Even bias binding strips. There are a lot of helpful tutorials online. A local quilt store not far from my home offers a periodic class on using the cutter. It does not matter if it is manual or electric.

I am 70 and still use my Go. Love it. I have arthritis in my shoulders but do not have trouble cranking it. Have used the 2 1/2 inch strip die so much that I need to buy a new one! The electric cutter might be in my future....when I get old!!! LOL!

I love the accu quilt brand and since they now have the electric GO that is where I would start.

Last year I bought the Silhouette Cameo primarily to use for applique shapes and also for vinyl and cardstock. You have to have fusible on the fabric to get a clean cut--but it does a nice job and I can either download shapes/patterns or design them on my computer. I like that I can use it with several materials, but you can only cut one layer at a time and only with fusible on it. I have an Accuquilt GO BIG (electric) cutter on my Christmas list this year---I've come to realize that cutting really wears me out (especially after fracturing my sternum 6 months ago and my knees don't like the constant standing I need to get decent cuts) plus I'm realizing that my piecing needs more accuracy and know that it starts with the cutting. I'm talked to others that have the Accuquilt cutters and they assure me that my cutting, and thus piecing, will definitely improve with the cutting machine--so hope that "Santa" treats me to it (especially if he comes home this weekend from a trip to check out a classic Mustang show quality car with the car!)

I might get this one if I did not want to have a crank. http://www.accuquilt.com/shop/go-big...arter-set.html You can only use Go dies on it.

I looked at that one too but decided for the Sizzix Big Shot Pro. I can use all Go dies on it except some of the newer ones for the electric Go, too wide. I can use most of the Studio dies on it as long as they are not wider then 12 inches and I can use all Sizzix dies. Sizzix dies over all are cheaper then the Accuquilt Dies and I prefer the layout on them. It is also easier to crank. If you do decide on the Sizzix Big Shot Pro be sure to get the one with the extended tray that is for quilting. See link.
http://www.sizzix.com/product/657600...ed-accessories It is not hard to find them for under $300.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SdgEg6WQ8g

I have the Brother Scan & Cut. It is pricey, but it cuts almost anything. I use it for scrapbooking, vinyl, paper of all kinds and FABRIC. Fabric needs to be heavily starched, and a brayer used to hold it down, but it cuts beautifully. I even cut cursive words out of fabric for applique work. Very versatile and worth every penny to me. BTW, it also will mark the fabric(put on the seam line or the diagonal) for me. The newer model has a 12 X 24 inch loading mat, but the one I have is only 12 X12 so I am limited in how many pieces I can cut from a fat quarter.

my friend has one, I cut out a small quilt and the top piece you put on was so chewed up, we had to get a new one.

I have the Accuquilt Go and love it. If you decide on the accuquilt, I would recommend getting the strips first because you can always cut squares by turning the strips 90 degrees and cutting. I then started purchasing the half square triangles and then the other shapes. I have some specialty shapes such as the double wedding ring and the hunter star dies too as a whole quilt can be made of these dies. Good luck with whatever you decide.