I’m toying with the idea of getting a die cutting machine and wondered if anyone here has one and which on you would recommend please? I think it’s a manual one I would want rather than getting a Cricut machine, but my head is all over the place with this.
Hi Altaira, I have a Sizzix Big Shot which I’ve had for a couple of years which is great, my only regret is not getting the larger one as it does restrict what size cards etc you can put through it. It works really well and gives you a good upper body workout too 
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there are a lot to choose from. I have a sizzix because it does ALL sizes of dies. Some of them only do THIN dies but the sizzix does thick OR thin. I personally like manual machines because they don’t need electricity ( I like to save money…lol)…A lot of people love the Tonic Tangerine one which seems less complicated and doesn’t need all the different combination of plates ( which can be very confusing at times ) It baffles me why some of the machines need so many different plates.
with my sizzix I only need two , plus the base plates…and one tip I learnt a long time ago was that the base and top plates can wear out quite quickly HOWEVER, some genius lady on you *ube said to replace the base plate with your self healing cutting mat…I did that and have never had to replace a plate since…saved me a fortune…sssh don’t tell anyone.
I have heard negative reviews about some of the electric machines and IF you splash out and go for a cricut,…remember you have to keep buying blades and mats etc…so brilliant as they are..it works out quite expensive.
A lot of the electric machines can also be noisy.
Some of the smaller manual machines look really good but are often A5 size only…my sizzix cuts A4…it depends what you want.
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Hilary… @kokoblue ..read below about how you can use a self healing cutting mat to replace your base plate…saved me a fortune x
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Woo Brenda @teabreaks mind blown I would never have thought of using a cutting mat, that’s a game changer, thank you 
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Hilary @ it has saved me a fortune…only works for the base plate ( not tried it for the top one…lol
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I have a Cricut Joy Extra and a Crafters Companion electric die cutter, which is brilliant.
The Cricut you need a strong Bluetooth connection, mine was a nightmare until upgraded to super dooper broadband.
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@kokoblue That was one I was looking at as I do want the A4 size
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Thanks for that advice Brenda @teabreaks yes I think it’s the Sizzix one I’m looking at, and good tip about the self healing mat too! I just want something I can easily put away when not in use, so I don’t really want an electric one or a Cricut.
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One more vote for the Sizzix big Shot, I have the large one and it is brilliant if you do use large cutting dies. Cannot fault it. I bought a hobbycraft one for my daughter a couple of years ago, with A5 plates, and it has also been brilliant for the smaller dies, I also use it a lot. Could do the job if you would like a cheaper option.
Regarding the cricut, I have the maker and though I mainly use it for vinyl and card occasionaly, I avoid using it for glitter card as it absolutely destroys the blades. Replacing them is one thing to consider if going for electric.
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Thanks for letting me know about the internet connection @Caroleecrafts mine is better than it used to be but maybe not strong enough by sounds of things.
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I had the big shot but found increasingly hard to turn the handle due to the arthritis in my hands. Loved it though.
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Thanks Mina @theslothscavern I think it’s probably the Sizzix I will go for rather than the Cricut.
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Hmm that might be a factor to maybe get the smaller one @Caroleecrafts as I’ve got ME and very often I just don’t have the strength in my hands to do much… 
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I have bad arthritic hands Altaira but I manage to use the Big shot…just take it slowly, especially when it comes to the end of the die and it can jump a bit… but I manage x
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Bless you Brenda @teabreaks Like your nail polish x
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I have a Sissix big shot manual but I struggled with turning it so I was gifted the big shot electric one last Christmas which was much easier, the platform isn’t as big but it takes all the dies with the exception of the big plus extended size. I like Sissix machines because they can take any manufacture of dies not just Sissix. I don’t use mine a lot, mainly for cutting tags and small fabric hearts but handy to have. My big shot electric one is smaller than the original manual one so does take up less room.
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Thanks Debby @Bearlescent I’ve just had a look, a bit out of my price range at the moment but something to think about.
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I have spine problems including the top and neck hence the reason I had to change to an electric one but if you are in better health you probably will be fine with the manual big shot plus, I’ve had mine years and never had any issues with it, I would definitely recommend one.
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Bless you Debby @Bearlescent it seems like so many of us have issues with our health in one way or another. The electric one would be so much easier for me, having ME and not much strength most days, I think I maybe could cope with the smaller 6 inch manual one. So much to think about.
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