Most of today?s serious paper crafters own some sort of cutting machine to create titles, frames, and other embellishments for their scrapbooking or card making projects. There are a number of personal paper cutters currently on the market, each with their own special features and functions, making it a difficult decision for first time buyers.
Both the
Cricut and the Craft Robo are quality cutters that are fairly simple to use. The Cricut is a great machine that does not require a computer connection. Cartridges are used to cut a variety of shapes and letter styles and the machine features a carry handle for extra portability. The Craft Robo is more lightweight, but not as portable, because it requires the use of included software to create die cut embellishments.
The initial cost of the Cricut is generally a great deal less than the Craft Robo, but the Cricut also requires the purchase of at least one cartridge to actually function, while the Craft Robo includes everything you need to begin cutting. Each Cricut cartridge will produce a large selection of designs and there are different cartridges for letters and shapes. The Craft Robo will cut any design the user can create on their computer, meaning much more opportunity for creativity.
While the Craft Robo?s replacement parts are more expensive than Cricut?s, Craft Robo?s parts do last longer, making the costs about equal over long-term use. The Cricut features a paper saver function and the special function that sets Craft Robo apart from other cutters is the ability to print any image with a desktop printer and then cut the image outline with the Craft Robo.
Overall, the Cricut is much more user friendly with a simple cartridge, minimal keybord entry, and the press of a button. The Cricut is also a less expensive initial purchase and easier to bring along to crops or crafting workshops. For serious paper crafters with some knowledge of computers, the Craft Robo is a much better value over time. It is much more versatile because it is capable of precisely cutting any image and is not limited to only the fonts and images available through the manufacturer.
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Richard Greenwood has tested both the
Craft Roboand the
Cricutmachines and has his own views on the outcome.
