I want to buy a new dye cutting machine. Which one?
 

I need to know about the dye cutting machines. There's a few out there but they seem expensive and you have to pay quite a bit for the dies, right? Which size and shape dies do you buy when you first start? I would love to see a website that shows how they work. I really am interested in them, but have no knowledge really. Just read the ads. Is there one that is better than the others? Are the dies cheaper on one machine than the others? I just need some information. I buy online and only trust quilter's with my question. Which is the best working, best price, best dies, best price dies? Any stand out?

I have the Accuquilt GO and love it. I have several dies that I use, but I go to the 2 1/2" strip or the 5" square dies alot. It is just a quick and accurate way to cut.

I have the Accuquilt Go and like it. You can find good deals for it on Amazon, eBay, sometimes JoAnn's sales, etc. It folds up and is portable. There are lots of videos on http://www.youtube.com that show the Go in action. I like it best for cutting triangles (it lops off all the ears, and pieces match up precisely when sewing) and odd shapes such as the tumbler. I'm not sure it's any better for cutting strips than the June Tailor shape cut mat, but a lot of people like it for strips too.

If I had the space for a permanent setup (and $$$ for the machine and dies), I would love to have the Accuquilt Studio. This is a heavy-duty machine that makes cutting layers easier.

Some people like the Sizzix Westminster Pro, which can take dies from multiple manufacturers (using trays and shims).

I have the Westminster pro...my favorite and most used dies so far are the 2.5 and 1.5 inch strips, 5 inch square, 2 inch squares and I like the tumbler die too.

Go to youtube.com and look at videos of the brands. I bought an accuquilt Studio and like it a lot. Yes they are expensive, I needed something to help because I have bad hands. I bought a 2 1/2" strip and want a 1 1/2 inch one, also bought a set for the 12" block, which has a lot of usable dies in it. Then, hearts, circles, hexes, dresden plate and the tumbler. There are so many for the go and studio you couldn't probably buy them all. You can now use the dies of the go in the Studio with an adapter. Good luck.

I bought the AccuQuilt go on sale for 350.00 this came with 11 dies 3 mats and the AccuQuilt Go. I have not had time to use it yet but after much research I thought it was the best machine and the best deal. Yes the dies are expensive but if you look you can get good deals. I bought a 8 in rag die and a critters die set for 30.00 on ebay and that was a deal!!!!!

Take a look at ihaveanotion.com, I think there is a review on there about the different machines. I have the Studio and the dies are really pricey but with an adapter I can use Go dies and Sizzix dies. The Sizzix machines are a bit less pricey and the biggest Sizzix machine uses all but the biggest Studio dies. My suggestion would be to take a look at which dies you want before deciding on the machine.

Suzy

Ebony Love had some great video tutorials but I wasn't able to find a link for you. They may be on youtube.

Suzy

I have the accu go and I love it. The 2 1/2" strip cutter is great for the binding. My favorite is the triangle. Comes out cut perfectly and matches perfectly.

At www.sewvacdirect.com the Accuquilt Go is $219.00 free shipping. When you get to the website go to the site index and you will see the Accquilt sections. The Accquilt website has the GO at $349.00. Both offer the same sample die/mat in the box. Hope this helps you. I just bought the GO and it looks to be a lot of fun. I based my purchase on the responses from this board! Thanks all!!