Silhouette Cameo has just come out with the Cameo 3. Maybe you can find a new or gently used Cameo 2 at a reasonable price.

I have the Go and I bought it used. (Sew its for Sale yahoo group) I am saving up to get the Go Big so I can cut 10 inch squares. I bought mine specifically to cut scraps into useable sizes for scrap quilts. I love mine. I have a sweet quilting friend that has arthritis and her Go system enables her to continue to enjoy her quilting passion.

What great suggestions! Thank you

O.M.G.
I never knew you could do this!!
Now, I'm heading to the sewing room to make a list of the dies I Do have, so I won't put it on my Walmart or Amazon list.
thank you so much, Onebyone!!

I have the original AccuQuilt GO cutter, and quite a few dies. I love mine!!

So, some thoughts here about this particular system...

One, it IS a hand-crank, so if you have wrist/arm/shoulder issues, don't get it. It advertises that you can cut 8 layers... well, you can, but it's very difficult. I usually do a maximum of 6 layers. When cutting with the rotary cutter, I can seldom accurately cut six layers (something always slides/moves/jiggles) .

Two, if you don't have any health issues, but you DO want to use up your scraps, or make your own "jelly rolls" out of your scraps/yardage, then it's well worth the money. I think, (but not certain) that Bonnie Hunter uses AccuQuilt for cutting her scraps for her scrap system.

Three - If you like some of the "vintage" cuts that have curves (SunBonnet Sue, Dresden Plate, Double Wedding Ring, etc), AccuQuilt has them, and doing "vintage" is easier than ever. I really had a blast doing my Dresden Plate - those petals came out SO fast!!

As far as interchangeability goes, some of them CAN use each other's dies - but you need an adapter.
I would NOT get the GO BABY cutter, as it's the smallest one out there and has a limited amount of dies that it will accept, even from its own manufacturer.

Personally, if I could have afforded the Studio cutter, I would have bought it, along with the adapter, as it can utilize all of the AccuQuilt dies.

If you are on Facebook, go to Accuquilt and Beyond and ask to join. You will get a lot of ideas from the other members to help you with your decision.

I started with the regular Go! last summer from a Craigslist purchase. I really liked it but I upgraded to a Go!Big earlier this year.

It really depends on your reason for wanting a die cutter and how much room you have to use it. I make charity quilts from scraps so I am happy with my Go! Cutters plus both are portable. I know Studio owners love their machines especially because they can cut up to 10 layers at a time, are easy to crank, and can use all of the Go! dies.

Good luck with your decision.

Connie

I went from a Go to a Studio. I use mine for cutting out pieces for large projects ( I tend to make large quilts) and I also cut binding and pieces for QOVs. I can use almost any die in it with an adapter (when necessary). As others have said, it depends on how much you will use it, how much space you have (though the Studio 2 [new version] folds up into a smaller footprint for easier storage.

You can find a lot of useful information from Ebony Love's website (http://lovebugstudios.com/). She is the main die cutting expert. She has written books about the various dies.

Thanks for this hint, I'm going to try this too.

If it is a financial concern, Sewing Machines Plus does free financing. The length of your 0% interest depends on how much you finance. I got my go big there when they were on sale last Christmas time and got 6 months to pay it off. If you wanted to add dies to make it more usable I'm sure you could add up to enough for the 12 months no interest. I got my long arm there on the same financing. I've had no complaints with anything I've gotten from them.

I'm considering buying a Scan 2 Cut. No templates to buy and several designs built in to the machine. Can only cut through only one layer of fabric at a time but looks like it has a larger cutting surface. Looks like you can, for example, cut 8 or 9 2 1/2 inch squares at once. I believe the machine even marks the seam allowance. I've never seen a demo for one in person, only a video on Utube. Anyone on this board use one for quilting? Would you recommend?