Cricut vs. Slice…
Happy {rainy} Monday!
I have been getting a few comments and emailed questions in regards to the Slice machine, so I thought that I would address the subject here.
The main comment/question that has been popping up is…
I have a Cricut that I have barely used. The Slice looks fun, but is it worth it? I am afraid it will end up gathering dust like my Cricut.
Cricut vs. Slice…
I have a Cricut, too. I certainly don’t use it as much as I thought that I would. Tony is probably scowling right now, as I sent him out at 5am on VERY blustery Black Friday to Wal-Mart {a.k.a. The Devil’s Lair} to grab the last one…literally. While I certainly am grateful and truly appreciate the efforts of my dear sweet loving and doting husband, this machine is not made for the everyday card maker. Why?…The Cricut is big and bulky, you have to replace the sticky mat when it loses it’s sticky and the cartridges are expensive. Most of those cartridges only come with images and unless you are doing a themed set, you probably won’t use all of them. What I do like about the Cricut is that you can cut larger images. I especially like this on the Bags, Tags and Boxes cartridge. You can also {inexpensively} purchase a deep cutting blade {don’t forget to get the housing with it, too} that will cut through chipboard. There are 3 Cricut machines. I have the original Personal Cutter Machine, but the Create and Expression machines can cut even larger items. I think this is so cool, but really don’t have a need for it. You can read more about the Cricut machine HERE on the Provo Craft site.
I have used the Slice at least 10x as much as I have used my Cricut. Although I am not ready to ditch my Cricut, because of the functions I mentioned that I liked, I do like my Slice a bit more. Why? First, I love that EVERY design card comes with a font. I love alpha stickers like Thickers, but I always seem to run out of a letter and that drives me CRA-ZEEE! The images seem more up-to-date and I think that there is quite a bit of versatility among the images on each card. The Slice machine is light and compact, making it easy to take with you. It comes with a 6×6 glass cutting mat, but I ended up getting the larger 12×12 mat because it was more convenient. Instead of having to purchase a new mat when it loses it’s stickiness, just clean {kind of a pain, but not too bad} and apply more re-positionable adhesive. The major downside that I have found with the Slice is that it won’t cut through anything thicker than cardstock, and very thick cardstock can even be difficult to cut through. Bazzill and Prism papers are very friendly with the machine. I use SU! and PTI cardstock a lot, too, but sometimes have to do some extra trimming because of the thickness. The new design cards also offer shadow and mirroring functions, which I love! There are 2 Slice machines, but the only true difference in the machines is the color. I have the original and love it. Now there is a limited edition pink one that comes with 2 design cards and supports breast cancer research. You can read more about the Slice machine HERE on the Making Memories site.
I hope this helps those of you that were wondering about this. To sum it all up…YES YES YES!!!…the Slice is worth it. I am so happy I have it and wouldn’t give it up. Like I said, I am not ready to ditch the Cricut because of the functions I love on it, but if I had to make a choice, it would DEFINITELY be the Slice.
September 14, 2009, 12:07 pm
You are the first person I know that admits to loving their Slice. I do too! (And I own a Cricut so I’ve played with them both.) I will have to say that my love for my Slice was slow to grow. It does seem to have a lot of issues with not cutting at all or cutting too much. These issues aren’t covered well in the manual. But they are exceedingly well covered on their website. If you have problems, check out their videos and read some forums. It’s really just a matter of feeling comfortable adjusting the blade and knowing how much is too much. I use my Slice every day for scrapbooks and for cards; my Cricut sits in its case and only comes out if I am having a major scrapbook day
September 14, 2009, 1:17 pm
Thanks Jen.
I have wondered. I have neither and Santa said he’d bring me one… so I appreciate this so much.
Take care.
Hope you are feeling well and enjoying your pregnancy!
em
September 14, 2009, 7:09 pm
Hi Jen. I always enjoy visiting your blog! I have a Slice and I love mine, too. One thing I do with thicker cardstock is make one cut, then don’t move the Slice at all and just run another cut. This has worked well for me.
September 15, 2009, 1:59 pm
Thanks for that Jen, I wondered about getting one since I have the Robo and Big Shot, and I didn’t in the end, but I am tempted now.
Cazzy x
September 17, 2009, 1:53 pm
Interesting comparison. I have the Cricut Expression and I LOVE it! I wonder if you are more of a card maker than a scrapbooker? I do both but use my Cricut far more for Scrapbooking than cardmaking. I am also lucky enough to have a dedicated room for my crafts so it can stay out, always at the ready!
Also, I just wanted to add that you can ‘re-stick’ your mat with a wide tip 2 way glue pen. I’ve done that more than once to my mats and they last a lot longer. I actually prefer the glued mats to the brand new ones….
September 17, 2009, 7:48 pm
I own the Cricut and have done demonstrations at the shop I work at on the Slice and I absolutely would not buy the slice. I find that it is too slow, you waste a ton of paper as it does each letter individually and the machine has to be held down while cutting. I still vote for the Cricut.
October 22, 2009, 4:28 am
I have the Slice and am just curious if it is possible to use the cricut cutting mat as a replacement for my slice cutting glass. I find it messy to apply repositionable glue on top of my cutting glass? Pls. e-mail me and more power.
Kim