accuquilt...many heads make better decisions
 

i like cutting and have thought a machine isnt for me, but fell and busted my arm but good. am on vacation so wont know much more for a few weeks. just getting all that out of the way, dont need sympthay, ive had worse happen ;)

but between that, failing vision and aging bones/joints been thinking
i use 1.5. 2. 2.5 and very occassionally 3" squares.and 1/2 squares
i dont mind calling on rob to run the handle for me and i know he wouldnt mind, just dont want him doing more, quilting is My thing.
so tell me would one of the small cutters suffice in the long term?
would an old typewriter table suffice to use one or do you need something a lot more stable?

cutters come up on my nwquilters sale page but they seem to have a ton of dies i wouldnt want or to pay for, bt would you recommend a used one?
i have written to my local quilt store to ask if they have a shop machine to rent time on but they probably dont.

thoughts? suggestions? what am i not considering? im not adverse to buying a bigger machine but would prefer to avoid it. thank you, sharyn

I can't tell you lots about different cutters available, or how heavy the smaller, hand-cranked ones are. I was forced to get a cutter because of back trouble. I knew my arms/hands/back couldn't handle a crank, so I bought the Accuquilt GO! electric. It is large and tremendously heavy (for me, anyway). I love it, for the simple reason that I wouldn't be able to quilt at all without it.

I'm not a scrap quilter as you are. However, I know (because I've stumbled upon them) that there are videos out there that show how to make the most of your scraps with a cutter.

No doubt many more will weigh in who are familiar with the smaller versions. Good hunting, and I hope that arm heals quickly!

I think there are four different models of accuquilt The smallest size is the GoBaby, then the Go that is powered, then the Studio. For the sizes you mentioned, even the Baby Go is big enough. But both the GoBaby and the Go, still have to be hand cranked and you do have the do some precutting unless you are using precuts, so you can feed the fabric through. That prepping the fabric to feed through the machines is true for all of them. If you can use your arm enough to crank, the Go or Go Baby would work. And they are still easier to use then a rotary cutter and mat. The Powered one can cut a little bigger but is heavier and you need to plug it in. I am happy with my Go size which I have used a lot. I did a lot of cutting one day prepping to make quilt kits, but I don't recommend that and it is easier to just do a limited amount each day. I think if you can find a used one and not have to get all the dies with it, it would be worth it just to see if you like it. I find them nice as my cutting is more accurate.

I have the smallest Go Me and the Go. It's hard to get a die started in the smaller one than in the bigger manual Go. I get frustrated with it. I need three hands! I have no problem with the larger size Go. My four year old grandson can use it. The Go will be okay on most any table top, the length is what is important. It has to long enough to catch the longer dies coming out of the machine..

totally agree with this and also make sure the table is sturdy. I usually just lift up my go and use it on my sewing machine table but is a big table and I just barely have room to use my strip dies with my sewing machine still in the raised position.

I have the original Go machine - bought it when they first came out. I don't use it much, but over the years I have bought a few dies...dies that are so intricate that they would be difficult to cut myself. But like Sewing pup says, there is a lot of prepping and set up to do first. And there is the cranking....you have to hold the machine still while you crank. It is a little bit heavy...

I also have an electric cutter that I haven't used much.

I guess, for me it's just easier and faster to grab a cutting mat & rotary cutter.

I recently dug out that Go, and have been having quite a bit of fun with it. It's pretty portable, but there is the weight issue, and you have to have a place to store the dies

There is also the buying/using pre-cuts option - 5" square precuts would work for most of what you say you do. That cost keeps rising too, and you still have to cut them yourself, so...

Sorry about the arm - - - -
Hope your recovery is complete and quick.

Mine was not.

you are the person that came to mind while i was laying there in the texas mud, hoping i hadnt repeated your fall. can you rotary cut?

thank you all for advices, am very apprecitave!!!!

It hadn't occurred to me that with the crank, you would need to let the die fall onto the table behind the machine, since your hands aren't free to grab it as it comes out; so that could be a factor to consider if you don't have space for a longer table.

you have to hold the machine still while you crank.

I don't have to hold my Go while cranking. My 4 year old grandson uses it and never holds the machine. Get the die started and just turn the handle until the die comes all the way through. the only prep work I do if using yardage is to cut the fabric to fit over the shape, not to cover the die. If I'm using scrap pieces I don't bother to cut to fit. Starching the fabric first is best for any bias edges. I also had my Go preordered as soon as it was available. It is about 20 years old ? and still working fine.