Which Electronic Cutter is Best for Me? A Comparison of 5 Popular Machines (Sparkle Tart

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Which Electronic Cutter is Best for Me? A Comparison of 5 Popular Machines

So I'm looking for a personal electronic cutter and honestly finding the whole thing a bit confusing, so to help me (and hopefully some of you all as well) I've created a comparison table so it's easier to see what the differences are! First what am I looking for specifically, what do I want to do with it?

I'm looking for one machine that can:

Cut paper
Cut fabric - to make flowers or t-shirt logos
Cut Matt board or chipboard to create my own embellishments
Cut adhesive backed material so I can create custom stickers
Cut plastic so I can create my own stencils (really important)
Would be nice to sketch and emboss
Fine detail cutting would be an advantage
Mac or PC compatible
Allows custom designs to be uploaded is a must!

I don't plan on carting it around so weight is not a concern.

These are the models I'm considering...

Klic N Kut MAXX AIR 15" from Skat Katz

http://www.skatkatz.com.au/klic.php

In the box:

Klick n Kut machine
KNK Studio software
Laser Alignment
2 Blades (1 Standard material blade, 1 Thick material blade)
1 Blade Holder
1 pen
1 24" Carrier Sheet
1 Can of Krylon Easy Tack spray adhesive.
KNK Studio Software.
Font and Clipart CD (1100 fonts, 3900pcs of clipart
Designer CD

Silhouette CAMEO

http://www.craftonline.com.au/shopping/c-silhoette-machine-cameo.asp

In the box:

Silhouette Cameo Machine
Silhouette Studio® software for Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac® OS X 10.5.8 and higher
51 exclusive cuttable designs
Power cable, USB cable
12" cutting mat
Cutting blade
$10 Gift Card to buy Silhouette Images
Basic Instruction Guide

Silhouette PORTRAIT

In the box:

Silhouette Portrait machine
Silhouette Electronic Cutting Tool with Adjustable Blade: Blade with ratchet cap
USB Cable: High-speed 2.0
8-Inch Cutting Mat: 8.9" x 13.5" (22.6 x 34.3 cm)
Digital Cutting Files: 50 exclusive cutting designs
Download Card: $10 gift card for more digital designs from the Silhouette Online Store
Software CD: Silhouette Studio design software for Windows XP and newer and Mac
Power Cable: 100-240 volts AC adapter (Power cables are available for US/Canada,Europe, South Africa, Australia, and other regions)
Basic Instruction Guide

Brother ScanNCut CM110

http://www.lincraft.com.au/shop/craft/paper-craft-scrapbooking/tools/brother-scanncut-cm110

In the box:

ScanNCut machine
Standard Cut Blade Holder
Standard Cut Blade
Deep Cut Blade Holder
Deep Cut Blade
Standard Mats 12" x 12"
Low Tack Adhesive Mat 12" x 12"
Spatula
Stylus
2 High Tack Adhesive Fabric Support Sheets
2 Iron-On Fabric Appliqué Contact Sheets

Cricut Explore

http://us.cricut.com/Shopping/detail--Cricut-Explore-Machine-363-12470.aspx

NB: I've just found out that the online software is available to USA residents ONLY - so since this unit will not work without software, and software can only be used if you re in the USA - this machine is not being sold and will not work in Australia - this seems really DUMB!

In the box:

Cricut Explore™ machine
German carbide blade
Metallic silver pen
USB cord and power cord
12" x 12" StandardGrip Cricut® cutting mat
Getting started guide
Black and jade Cricut® cardstock
Silver Cricut® vinyl
White Cricut® iron-on
2 Duck Tape® sheets

The following details correct as of as of June 8th 2014

	Details	Software, Compatability & Images	Special Features
Klic N Kut MAXX AIR 15" $980 weight 35.5lbs	950g of force cuts up to 24" wide (depending on model) & unlimited length cuts: cardstock chipboard matt board vinyl metal foil fabric magnetic sheets stamp material	KNK Studio software Mac and PC compatible Can use Internet graphics Recognises more file types than any other cutter	repeat function laser alignment flatbed table option able to cut tiny detailed images engraving tip option Clean & intricate cuts 3 pinch rollers hold your media during cutting Large, extra thick, gridded mat use marker / pen for written embellishments user forums instruction DVD Bluetooth connectivity (pc only) Blade $14.99 each Mat $19.99 each
Brother ScanNCut CM110 $649 weight 12.8lbs	11.7inch wide scanning and cutting area Cuts: paper cardstock vinyl fabric	no PC required, use on board display instead Online application ScanNCut Canvas to convert files Large 3.7inch colour LCD touch screen with on-screen editing capabilities such as rotating, welding, resizing and organizing 600 built in designs	built-in 300dpi scanner create outline cutting design from sketch or magazine without needing a pc Lifetime Customer Phone/Online Technical Support add pen to create drawn images Background scan option allows use of every last bit of paper Blade $9.99 each Cutting Mat $15.99 each
Silhouette Cameo $349 weight 6.5lbs	1/4" wide to large 12" wide and unlimited cutting length Cuts: paper cardstock vinyl fabric other materials max thickness 0.8mm	Silhouette Studio software (Mac / PC) .jpg .gif .bmp .wmf .dxf and .gsd controlled from computer cuts designs created in Silhouette Studio, cuts fonts installed on your computer Silhouette Online Store, thousands of designs.	Need to set pressure and depth to cut can use with or without cutting mat blade can be replaced by a pen for sketches able to cut around designs printed on home printer remove blade to adjust settings for material Cutting mat $14.99 each Blades $12.99 each
Silhouette Portrait $239 weight 3.5 lbs	Cuts: cardstock, fabric, transparencies, paper, vellum, adhesive vinyl and magnet paper Max thickness 0.8mm	cuts to A4 size uses Silhouette Studio software requires extra paid software to use .svg files can cut any font instaled on your computer 50 cuttable designs	Need to set pressure and depth to cut optical scanner able to cut around designs printed on home printer remove blade to adjust settings for material Cutting mat $14.99 each Blades $12.99 each
Cricut Explore weighs 18 lbs	Cuts: paper, cardboard, chipboard, rubber for stamps Max up to 1.5mm with deep cut blade	Mac and PC - cloud based software Cricut Design Space Software upload .png .gif .svg .bmp .dxf & .jpg 100 free images 50 free project ideas can upload own designs	Smart set dial for material selection draws shapes, writes and scores turn dial to adjust for material Wireless with Cricut adapter Cutting Mat 2 for $12.99 Blades 2 for $9.99

UPDATE - I got my hands on the Cricut Explore and will let you know how it performs!

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June 2014 in Reviews | Permalink | Comments (4)

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I'm looking for one machine that can:

Cut paper
Cut fabric - to make flowers or t-shirt logos
Cut Matt board or chipboard to create my own embellishments
Cut adhesive backed material so I can create custom stickers
Cut plastic so I can create my own stencils (really important)
Would be nice to sketch and emboss
Fine detail cutting would be an advantage
Mac or PC compatible
Allows custom designs to be uploaded is a must!

I don't plan on carting it around so weight is not a concern.

These are the models I'm considering...

Klic N Kut MAXX AIR 15" from Skat Katz

http://www.skatkatz.com.au/klic.php

In the box:

Klick n Kut machine
KNK Studio software
Laser Alignment
2 Blades (1 Standard material blade, 1 Thick material blade)
1 Blade Holder
1 pen
1 24" Carrier Sheet
1 Can of Krylon Easy Tack spray adhesive.
KNK Studio Software.
Font and Clipart CD (1100 fonts, 3900pcs of clipart
Designer CD

Silhouette CAMEO

http://www.craftonline.com.au/shopping/c-silhoette-machine-cameo.asp

In the box:

Silhouette Cameo Machine
Silhouette Studio® software for Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac® OS X 10.5.8 and higher
51 exclusive cuttable designs
Power cable, USB cable
12" cutting mat
Cutting blade
$10 Gift Card to buy Silhouette Images
Basic Instruction Guide

Silhouette PORTRAIT

In the box:

Silhouette Portrait machine
Silhouette Electronic Cutting Tool with Adjustable Blade: Blade with ratchet cap
USB Cable: High-speed 2.0
8-Inch Cutting Mat: 8.9" x 13.5" (22.6 x 34.3 cm)
Digital Cutting Files: 50 exclusive cutting designs
Download Card: $10 gift card for more digital designs from the Silhouette Online Store
Software CD: Silhouette Studio design software for Windows XP and newer and Mac
Power Cable: 100-240 volts AC adapter (Power cables are available for US/Canada,Europe, South Africa, Australia, and other regions)
Basic Instruction Guide

Brother ScanNCut CM110

http://www.lincraft.com.au/shop/craft/paper-craft-scrapbooking/tools/brother-scanncut-cm110

In the box:

ScanNCut machine
Standard Cut Blade Holder
Standard Cut Blade
Deep Cut Blade Holder
Deep Cut Blade
Standard Mats 12" x 12"
Low Tack Adhesive Mat 12" x 12"
Spatula
Stylus
2 High Tack Adhesive Fabric Support Sheets
2 Iron-On Fabric Appliqué Contact Sheets

Cricut Explore

http://us.cricut.com/Shopping/detail--Cricut-Explore-Machine-363-12470.aspx

In the box:

Cricut Explore™ machine
German carbide blade
Metallic silver pen
USB cord and power cord
12" x 12" StandardGrip Cricut® cutting mat
Getting started guide
Black and jade Cricut® cardstock
Silver Cricut® vinyl
White Cricut® iron-on
2 Duck Tape® sheets

The following details correct as of as of June 8th 2014

	Details	Software, Compatability & Images	Special Features
Klic N Kut MAXX AIR 15" $980 weight 35.5lbs	950g of force cuts up to 24" wide (depending on model) & unlimited length cuts: cardstock chipboard matt board vinyl metal foil fabric magnetic sheets stamp material	KNK Studio software Mac and PC compatible Can use Internet graphics Recognises more file types than any other cutter	repeat function laser alignment flatbed table option able to cut tiny detailed images engraving tip option Clean & intricate cuts 3 pinch rollers hold your media during cutting Large, extra thick, gridded mat use marker / pen for written embellishments user forums instruction DVD Bluetooth connectivity (pc only) Blade $14.99 each Mat $19.99 each
Brother ScanNCut CM110 $649 weight 12.8lbs	11.7inch wide scanning and cutting area Cuts: paper cardstock vinyl fabric	no PC required, use on board display instead Online application ScanNCut Canvas to convert files Large 3.7inch colour LCD touch screen with on-screen editing capabilities such as rotating, welding, resizing and organizing 600 built in designs	built-in 300dpi scanner create outline cutting design from sketch or magazine without needing a pc Lifetime Customer Phone/Online Technical Support add pen to create drawn images Background scan option allows use of every last bit of paper Blade $9.99 each Cutting Mat $15.99 each
Silhouette Cameo $349 weight 6.5lbs	1/4" wide to large 12" wide and unlimited cutting length Cuts: paper cardstock vinyl fabric other materials max thickness 0.8mm	Silhouette Studio software (Mac / PC) .jpg .gif .bmp .wmf .dxf and .gsd controlled from computer cuts designs created in Silhouette Studio, cuts fonts installed on your computer Silhouette Online Store, thousands of designs.	Need to set pressure and depth to cut can use with or without cutting mat blade can be replaced by a pen for sketches able to cut around designs printed on home printer remove blade to adjust settings for material Cutting mat $14.99 each Blades $12.99 each
Silhouette Portrait $239 weight 3.5 lbs	Cuts: cardstock, fabric, transparencies, paper, vellum, adhesive vinyl and magnet paper Max thickness 0.8mm	cuts to A4 size uses Silhouette Studio software requires extra paid software to use .svg files can cut any font instaled on your computer 50 cuttable designs	Need to set pressure and depth to cut optical scanner able to cut around designs printed on home printer remove blade to adjust settings for material Cutting mat $14.99 each Blades $12.99 each
Cricut Explore weighs 18 lbs	Cuts: paper, cardboard, chipboard, rubber for stamps Max up to 1.5mm with deep cut blade	Mac and PC - cloud based software Cricut Design Space Software upload .png .gif .svg .bmp .dxf & .jpg 100 free images 50 free project ideas can upload own designs	Smart set dial for material selection draws shapes, writes and scores turn dial to adjust for material Wireless with Cricut adapter Cutting Mat 2 for $12.99 Blades 2 for $9.99