Anyone using a Cricut

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My Sihouette Cameo cutter is sick, I've diagnosed it's problems and the number of bits it needs some of which are ominously out of stock, and probably difficult to fit has got me looking at the various Cricut models and wondering how good they are. They have the advantage in terms of acquisition as locally they are in stock at HobbyCraft and Crafters Companion and on line at Amazon. Is anyone using one and if so would you like to tell me (and anyone else interested}, what you think of it. I was looking at the spec online and the list of materials it can cut is amazing. I'm always suspicious of these lists from my days with the photocopiers which claimed a huge range of input stock much of which was conditional and included on a wing and a prayer. Cutting plasticard if it works would be a big advantage, as would self adhesive card and metal foils.

[GreenBR]

Hello
I have a maker which i have had for about 3 years, it has its own cad prog but unless you join the club not all of the shapes are available to you. It has a process called print and cut but it does not print out a full A4 page so if you are using a pdf you need to be able to take it apart to get the part seperated to be cut out. Have not used it with plastic only use card normally 1mm and double up if required. There are a lot of materials listed which can be doctored slightly to suit your needs. The knife blade progs are fixed and do not allow you to alter them. Have cut 2mm card with it and it was very good and gave a clean cut. I think it would be much better if i could get to learn a seperate 3d prog but have not been able to get my head around them. I mainly use it for cutting out squares oblongs and triangles with window apatures. I think i am more dissapointed with myself than the machine.If you go to the american forums you will find it much more used there than in the uk.I did have trouble finding information in the uk. I think the best way to sum it up (for me anyway) it is a good tool being used by a crap user (me)

[GreenBR]

Hello
Forgot to say Hobbycraft used to do demos in the shops might be worth ringing to see if they still do.

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My main requirements are for items with many repetitive cuts, and the dreaded round cornered windows, I've done print and cut with the silhouette cutter you just use their software to put the registration block on the corner of the page. They do demos at Crafters Companion at Evesham, I might take a trip down there, hopefully on a day when the Evesham Vale Railway is running.