Sizzix Big Shot Plus 660340 Manual Die Cutting & Embossing Machine for Arts & Crafts, Scrapbooking & Cardmaking, 9” Opening

Works great.

I recently got into papercrafting and such, and have been eyeballing a die-cutting machine for a while. I will most likely get a Silhouette also at some point, but the main idea behind me doing crafting is to get AWAY from the computer for more than five minutes at a time, so a machine like a Silhouette or a Cricut means I'm right back at the computer again.So with that in mind, I looked at all of the manual die-cutting machines out there, doing an in-depth comparison between the brands and sizes and such. Other people who've reviewed have said that the Plus isn't worth buying if you already have the regular Big Shot, but that obviously wasn't a consideration for me. I wanted to "get it right" out of the gate, and so I decided to go for the Big Shot Plus so I could run 8.5x11 paper through without cutting it down, which is a real paper and time waster. I briefly considered the Pro but decided that the size meant taking up too much of my crafting space, plus the cost difference was pretty large. I feel like the Plus is just right – not too small, not too large.So far, it's been cutting like a dream. Having never owned or even seen a die-cutting machine in person before, I was fairly confused about all of the plates and things, but there are instructions included that walked me through it, and I was able to make it work on the first try. Someone else derided the lack of instructions; I don't know if that used to be true or not, but INSTRUCTIONS ARE INCLUDED NOW. So don't panic about that. :)I say if you have the space and money, this is the size and brand to go for – you won't regret it!

I make a lot of the larger half-page A9 cards, and needed this is to emboss the whole front of the card. As with the standard 6" Big Shot, it is sturdy and well-built. The handle is easy to turn and it is a solid machine. Be aware, though, that additional 3" in width translates to a larger footprint, and the weight is definitely heavier than the standard 6" Big Shot. You will either have to leave it in a dedicated place for use, or be able to lift it from storage place to table.The rollers of the Big Shot Plus are larger and they do exert a lot of pressure. It is my understanding that this is hard on the small thin dies and may dull them. For this reason, I only use this machine for my larger embossing folders and larger dies that won't fit in the standard 6" Big Shot. Since I'm only using this as a supplemental machine, and not all the time, price was a large factor. I was fortunate to find it on sale here at 50% off, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it at full price just for part time use.

I ordered this and a 6" finished square die to see if die cutting is something that I would like. Took me less than 30 min to cut out over 100 perfect fabric squares! No elbow, wrist or shoulder pain, handle easy to turn, no electronics to break. The cutter is very heavy and sturdy and will take Sizzix dies and Accuquilt Go dies with an adapter (which is about $15 here on Amazon). Very happy with my purchase, I also grabbed a Sizzix 2.5" strip die and cut enough binding for a king size quilt in about five minutes and way more accurate than rotary cutting! Sizzix sells all their products on their own website too but they aren't price controlled like Accuquilt and you can save quite a bit of money getting them here.ETA: Yes, you can use this with either dominant hand because you can send the sandwich thru the rollers either way. I'm right-handed but have put the sandwich thru from both directions with no issues. You can cut down the fabric some but I have no problems with carefully layering and then letting the rest of the fabric just trail behind. No, it does not fold up like the Accuquilt Go Baby, Go, and Go Electric do, it looks exactly like you see in the pics and does not fold up. It is sitting on an old wooden TV tray in my sewing area stored inside a pillowcase to keep the dust out and it takes up the whole surface of the TV tray.

I have used the regular size Big Shot for years and my husband splurged on this larger one for me as a Christmas gift. I love it! Its like going from a sedan to a luxury SUV. This Big Shot Plus came with the crank machine, base platform, a thin shim plate, a thick shim plate, and 2 clear cutting plates (there are no extra starter dies in this package). The platform and shim plates have instructions printed on them, but always be careful not to force your "sandwich" through the machine which will permanently damage the interior pressure rollers. I have been able to cut numerous dies all in one pass, and can fit my larger embossing folders in sideways, which allows more options for using those. Longer strip dies and oversized embossing folders fit perfectly. I can also use multiple embossing folders in one pass. I can still use my regular size clear cutting plates, which is good because I have a couple extra pair of those in my stash. Initially, I was concerned that the shims not being attached and hinged to the main base platform would be an inconvenience, but they would be too cumbersone and take up too much space if they were attached. The Sizzix people did the right thing by making them seperate. In my opinion, it is a little big for travel, but I would recommend this larger Big Shot Plus to any paper crafter, novice or veteran.

I bought this as a gift when it was on sale. Unfortunately, the gift giving was done outside of the return window and when it was opened, we found that it had been used-likely a returned item. That's why I knocked a star off, not because of the product itself.Sizzix is unmatched in quality, so I am surprised it was returned and then resold. I have two other Sizzix die cutters, the old school original "big red" and a big kick. I've used them both so many times I can not even count. Sizzix die cutters are smooth, consistent, and produce nice sharp crisp cuts. I trust Sizzix with all of the crafting needs I have and might even find a reason to buy myself a third cutter sometime soon!