Sizzix vs Accuquilt - My humble opinion
 

For Christmas Santa offered to buy me a fabric die cutting system. I did a bunch of research between Sizzix and Accuquilt. I decided on the Sizzix Big Shot Plus for the following reasons:

1) Sizzix dies are cheaper than Accuquilt dies
2) Sizzix machine was cheaper than the equivalent Accuquilt machine
3) I could use both Accuquilt and Sizzix dies on the Sizzix machine

However...I have since returned my Sizzix Big Shot Plus machine and ordered an Accuquilt Go Big Electric for the following reasons:
1) Sizzix does not specialize in quilting so it is very difficult to find the "right" dies on their site. The Accuquilt site is easy peasy since they do specialize in quilting.

2) In general I think Accuquilt dies are more thoughtfully designed.

• For example, check out the clamshell dies on both sites. Accuquilt version includes indicators to help you match things up when you sew the clamshells together....Sizzix's clamshell die does not. If I recall correctly it's the same situation with the Drunkard's Path die.

• Accuquilt dies have 2 color foam so it's easier to see where you need to place your fabric. On the 2 Sizzix dies I have purchased....they do not.

3) The Accuquilt dies seem to cut cleaner and better than the Sizzix dies. I have been cutting a bunch of clamshells with my Accuquilt die and have not had to pick fabric out of the die yet. I have a Sizzix 1.5" square die....every time I use it (6 layers of fabric stacked) I have to pick fabric out of the die. Same results when I only cut 5 layers of fabric at a time with it.

4) The Sizzix cutting mats are some sort of plasticy thing. Every time you cut a die it etches the die shape into the cutting mat. You are supposed to keep flipping and turning the cutting mat. I have been trying to do this but dislike it for a few reasons. A) Little fabric bits keep getting stuck in the grooves etched into the cutting mat and B) I am having some difficulty utilizing all parts of the cutting mat so the same spots on the cutting mat keep getting etched. Accuquilt cutting mats are a rubbery kind of thing. I like them MUCH better. Also some of the individual Accuquilt dies I purchased have included their own cutting mat. Individual Sizzix dies do not come with their own cutting mat....at least not the two dies that I purchased.


I have not actually received the Accuquilt machine yet but am expecting huge success.

Hope this helps someone.

Thanks for posting such a thorough review! I have sometimes wondered if I should have purchased a Sizzix instead of my manual Accuquilt Go! I have heard raves about the electric Go Big! If I ever develop physical issues that make cranking difficult, I will have my reason to get one.

I will mention that some of my Accuquilt dies are not perfect. Some will leave a thread or two uncut where the metal die ends meet. I can't remember which one now, but one of my dies did seem to get threads stuck. And my older dies do not have the 2-color foam. However, I still love my Go! In my case it was not love at first sight; took me awhile to get used to it. Helped a lot when I realized I did not have to pre-cut all of the fabric (the way most Youtube demos show). Now I just let excess fabric run under the roller and trail behind. Wish I had known I could do that when I first got it!

Prism- I have a new Go and didn't know that. Thanks for the tip!!!

Great customer review. I haven't considered this purchase yet. What keeps me from purchasing one is that you have to buy so many dies for the different shapes/sizes etc. But, then again, I haven't done a lot of research yet so I may be wrong and have no clue what I'm talking about since I'm not entirely sure what these machines can actually do.

Just wanted to say that with the Big Shot Pro- I use Accuquilt cutting pads with Accuquilt Dies rather than the Sizzix cutting pads

Also, my experience is that it doesn't matter whether I'm using Sizzix Dies or Go Dies I still have to pick fabric out and sometimes don't get a clean cut.

Keep in mind that all cutting pads will wear out and need to be replaced at some point, so while it's nice that the Go dies come with a cutting pad, you will eventually have to buy a replacement cutting pad. I've got several Go pads that are getting to that point. Dies also wear out eventually.



Rob

I did notice a couple of the videos where the fabric lops outside of the die and I cannot wait to try that out on the Go! Big. Since I received the Big from Santa I've only been cutting binding.

I started with a Go! Baby off of eBay and was able to cut many things with just that. Sure it took some effort to get it through the device, but I was much more comfortable spending $60 than $500. When I got my Big, I sold the Baby on eBay and got about three quarters of what I originally spent back, which I think was a fair rental price for two years.

It is nice to read this review also, because I always worry there is some better thing out there, and I'm so very invested in Accuquilt right not.

The Qube die sets and their companion angle sets are a way to get dies for somewhat less than they would cost separately. If I remember correctly, you can make something like 72 different quilt blocks with one. Granted, they're not cheap either but any kind of discount is better than none in my world. And they do go on sale occasionally, and I see them on eBay once in awhile.

I purchased an AccuQuilt Go a couple months ago, after years of yearning for one. I did extensive research, and decided on the AccuQuilt because of its quilting focus. I want the die cutter to cut shapes that I would otherwise have to use templates for (apple cores, clamshells, etc), and these are just more available from AccuQuilt.

As a tip, if you have older dies with just one colour of foam, you can trace over the lines of the blade with a metallic Sharpie. I know a couple people that have done this, and it worked well.

I will warn you, just so you aren't disappointed: The difference in cleaning between your clamshell and square dies is the shape, not the manufacturer. When cutting shapes along the straight of grain, you are more likely to end up with threads stuck in the die than with curved shapes.

Regarding cutting mats, they will all (even AccuQuilt) last longer if you flip and turn the mats, like the Sizzix suggests. I do prefer the feel of the AccuQuilt mats, though.

I think you will love your new machine! I know I love mine. :)

Accuquilt Studio owner here - love the thing!

I find I use the strip dies, square dies and triangle dies most.

Accuquilt Go big for me is the one thing I couldn’t give up, started with Go and moved up, I recently cut the Go big Snails trail blocks for a quilt 84” by 96” in about 30-40 mins every piece perfectly accurate this would have taken my hours by hand.