Accuquilt Go Big
 

I am seriously considering buying the Accuquilt Go Big because in almost 20 years of quilting, my cutting accuracy has not improved. Right now, I can purchase a new one on sale for $449 with possible free shipping. I say possible because they say free shipping with the exception of oversized/overweight and I don't know if the Go Big falls in one of those categories but I bet it does. My question to y'all is this, is it worth it? I browsed pages and pages of dies and, unless I am wanting to make a special quilt, none of the dies, such as squares and HSTs are sizes I ever use. And horribly expensive. And there are multiple mats available in different sizes. Why would you need mats of different sizes? So again I ask, is it worth it? TIA

It was for me. I couldn't turn the hand crank one so I sold it to a friend.
Yes the dies are expensive so I got some from family for Christmas gifts etc. I bought the strip ones like 2 1/2 etc. I also have some of the circle ones 1/2 sq etc.
I shopped on Amazon and other places and compared prices. My actual Go! Big was purchased on Amazon by Elanor Burns offered it for around $350 and I think shipping was free.
The reason for the various mats is to fit each die. You have to have enough to cover the sharp blades in the dies so it doesn't ruin the roller or too much might hinder it going through.
I heard Accuquilt has specials around Christmas time, but I found mine on sale way before.
Good luck and if I can help you further please send me a private email if you like.

I have the regular accuquilt go. I would say that was worth it, but i would not be able to justify the cost of the larger one (I still have the capability of managing the crank, so that is not an issue for me). i find the cost of the dies most prohibitive, as you do have to find the right size for each cut. I got mine with a package that included multiple dies that also had an eleanor burns book full of patterns made only from that selection of dies, so that was helpful and made it feel more versatile. but honestly, I have only cut fabric for one quilt with it. while I have intention of using it more, i jsut haven't. but for some reason, I am still happy to have it.

I purchased mine with the idea of only purchasing the basic dies and making adjustments to the sizes to make everything work together. I mainly make scrappy quilts. I also make quilts that are to be used and wore out. I guess you would say probably utility quilts. I have enjoyed mine so far. I researched this item for years before buying one I got it for 300 dollars and one die it had cut one quilt previously so it was used. It was a big decision for me. Hope this helps a little.

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I have the Accuquilt Go and love it. I have quite a few dies - you need different size mats for the different size dies- you don’t want to try to use a 6” x 24” mat on an 8” square die.....
I use most often my strip dies- can cut r (5) 1 1/2” x width of fabric x (2) at one time- so, (I) run through and I have (10) 1 1/2” x 40” perfect strips. I also have some applique dies I definitely use the strips & squares most. It’s so nice to be able to cut multiples perfectly and quickly. I cut all the 1 1/2” strips needed for a king size log cabin quilt in less than an hour. By hand it probably would have taken me a week.

I bought the Go a couple of years ago and really like it. My accuracy has improved a lot. I paid a lot for it, in fact right after I bought it they had a sale. But I still love it.
I don't have problems with the crank. That depends on the individual.
If you buy from the site I think shipping would be free, wouldn't it? I don't buy unless they offer it. They always have some sale going on.

Sounds like a money hole to me.

I have had my Go cutter (the manual one) for only a few months, but I have made a number of things with it. They have strip does for finished sizes of 1/2” to 6” and the standard half square, quarter square triangle, and flying geese dies in pretty much all the same sizes. And then there are the more unusual dies that are the devil to cut by hand such as angled wedges and such. What shapes do you quilt that they don’t have?

What dies would you use for your quilts?

I have the electric-big and the baby cutters. I love the convenience of cutting multiple pieces quickly. Plus it limits my exposure to the rotary cutter and cuts off the points for easier piecing so quite "worth" it.

My first purchase was 8 dies that make 72 different blocks before the qubes were available. Over the years, I have added the different sized qubes when they are on sale. The strip dies are time-savers for making cuts and then cross cuts of pieces. Easy bias binding too.

Yes, mats match the size of the die and they need to be replaced with use. I twist, turn, and flip the mat to get a few more cuts from them. You can use a smaller mat if you are only cutting one shape on a die. The die area won't cut without a mat over it. Example would be applique shapes or multi-shape dies.

Always cut with the die label facing you as you put it through the machine. Good luck!

My current project calls for 6 3/4 squares, 3 3/4 HSTs and 2 1/2 strips sub cut into 2 1/2 squares. I think they did have the 2 1/2 dies. Thank you everyone for your comments. Very helpful.