Paper trimmer vs. Rotary trimmer?

[Mischief_Managed]

My 12" Fiskar paper trimmer, I think, needs to be retired. It no longer cuts straight - I think the arm has too much play now. So I was looking to buy a new trimmer, but curious what you all thought about rotary cutters. Any better or worse? Which ones are best? Or should I just stick with a paper trimmer?

It doesn't have to be portable. In fact, I would prefer a desk one that has a very large cutting surface. I'm looking to buy at either Michaels or Joann - so no CM.

What do you use and love?

 

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

My DBF bought me the purple cows one for my bday. I love it. i use it for everything. I don't care much for the smaller attachment because it doesn't have all measurements on it, my other draw back is i don't have a dedicated spot for it so i have to move it around.

For a small straight trimmer I love the cricut one. I have a hard time finding the replacement blades around here though. But I got it to replace my CM one because the blades are way pricey.

 

[mommy2mrb]

I have the Making Memories one from Michaels...it fold out to 12x12 or fold up to 6 x 12 so it saves on space....bought it probably 4 years ago and still does a great job!

 

[Lisa]

I use the CM rotary cutter. I like it because I can also use a nice variety of blades with it.

 

[mybestieismickey]

I have the Tonic 12 inch guillotine paper trimmer and I love it. I bought it in the summer of 2007 and the blade is still going strong. I know this style of paper cutter is not for everyone (yes, I have scars ), but I find it much easier for me to use. I struggle with rotary and sliding paper trimmers. The only complaint I have is it is impossible to trim down a piece of paper that is smaller than one inch to start with.

 

[morgansmom2000]

I have the Purple Cows one with a rotary on one side and a guillotine on the other, I find I like the guillotine better, because the rotary "clicks" into place and opening it is a pain.

My old old Fiskars rotary is still my favorite though.

 

[DisneyIsTerrific]

I have the Making Memories one that Michaels sells. It's self-sharpening which is a plus as well as being really sturdy. It folds to have a 6x12 work surface or you can unfold it to have a 12x12 works surface. I've had it for about 3 years now and still love it. It's not a portable trimmer, but if you are going to just be using it at home, it's perfect.

If you want a portable trimmer, one that I've found to be really popular at Michaels is the Fiskars Premium Trimmer. The nice thing about it is that it has a really thin wire that when you have the arm closed, shows you exactly where it's going to be cutting. I love that feature as many times I've cropped things off my photos that shouldn't have been.

 

[Mischief_Managed]

Thanks everyone! I'm excited about buying something new - but I want to make sure I get a good one.

I have the Making Memories one that Michaels sells. It's self-sharpening which is a plus as well as being really sturdy. It folds to have a 6x12 work surface or you can unfold it to have a 12x12 works surface. I've had it for about 3 years now and still love it. It's not a portable trimmer, but if you are going to just be using it at home, it's perfect.

If you want a portable trimmer, one that I've found to be really popular at Michaels is the Fiskars Premium Trimmer. The nice thing about it is that it has a really thin wire that when you have the arm closed, shows you exactly where it's going to be cutting. I love that feature as many times I've cropped things off my photos that shouldn't have been.

I saw the MM one today at Michaels, it looked good. After three years, does it still cut straight? And how does it do with thicker papers like Bazzill Bling? I hate having to follow up my cut with a "trim" to get rid of the threads of paper that remains sometimes.

 

[DisneyIsTerrific]

Thanks everyone! I'm excited about buying something new - but I want to make sure I get a good one.



I saw the MM one today at Michaels, it looked good. After three years, does it still cut straight? And how does it do with thicker papers like Bazzill Bling? I hate having to follow up my cut with a "trim" to get rid of the threads of paper that remains sometimes.

Yes, it still cuts straight. I've had no problems with that. Well, except when it's user error with me not holding the paper properly!

Yes, it'll cut thicker papers like Bazzill Bling easily. It's got a good strong blade. The whole trimmer is nice and sturdy.

I really love this trimmer.

 

[Mischief_Managed]

Yes, it still cuts straight. I've had no problems with that. Well, except when it's user error with me not holding the paper properly!

Yes, it'll cut thicker papers like Bazzill Bling easily. It's got a good strong blade. The whole trimmer is nice and sturdy.

I really love this trimmer.

Great! I think this is the one I'll get. Thanks!

 

[wdwmickey]

Another vote for the Making Memoiries trimmer

 

[Reddy]

if you get one that has replacable blades - go ahead & buy extra blades - I alway seem to not be able to get new ones when I need them or they changed it up & no longer stock the blades to the old style

 

[Lyndarella]

I have the MM one also and it seems to still cut well after a couple of years. It will shave off an extremely narrow strip, which I don't think you can do as accurately with the other kind of cutter.

 

[morgansmom2000]

Is this the MM one with the template printed on it? I wore the template off of mine.

 

[Lyndarella]

It has a grid with extra markings on it, if that's what you mean by template. For example, it shows you where to place your paper to get a 5 x 7 result or a 4 x 6 or other standard sizes.

 

[MazdaUK]

I've got the MM one (and my gridlines are also wearing off!) which I bought because a) I hated buying new CM blades every 5 mins and b) CM blades chew Bazzil and wear out.

It seems to have developed an annoying squeak though - I've tried taking the blade off and replacing it in case I had it out of alignment but its still squeaky.

 

[morgansmom2000]

Yeah, that's the one. I can't cut to size with it anymore. If I just need to cut a "slice" off something it's fine.