Since my last post I've received several e-mails asking lots of questions. Instead of answering each person I'm going to write a post and do my best to answer everyone's questions. I'm sure there will be more over time, feel free to either leave a comment or e-mail
IHAN. (
IHaveANotion@yahoo.com)
I like them both and I don't think one is better than the other, just different. I tried to point out the differences I noticed in my previous post : size, weight, storage, effectiveness, tips etc.
Because that is what I do....I test sewing, quilting and needle art notions and supplies and report my experience here on the
IHAN blog. I probably own 20 plus pair of scissors....many different manufactures....do they all cut? Yes. Why do I have so many pair.....because many are different and are good for specific projects, I like to have them at my sewing area and in project bags....and because I love scissors. Yes, Brint - The Scissor Man- still loves me even though I own scissors made by others.
I might consider bringing my
Big Shot to a stitch-in because it is smaller. By the time I've taken my machine and all my other necessary supplies I'm not likely to bring the
GO! Fabric Cutter. Just my way of doing things. Everybody has their way of doing things and that needs to be taken into account here.
4. Are Sizzix/Westminster and AccuQuilt coming out with more dies?I was told that there will be 16 new
Sizzix Dies in October (probably won't be available until Jan. 2011...in my experience). My best guess is they will be shown in Houston for Quilt Market and they will take orders for shipping in the new year. After all, that is what Market is intended for, shop owners to purchase for the next season. I just happen to be impatient and when I see it, I want it and I want it right then and there....LOL.
I know
AccuQuilt is coming out with some great new dies soon as well.
Click here to see the latest (and there is one that is not listed here too....oh the suspense is building!!) I'm very excited and can't wait to get the
Dresden Plate and the
3.5" Drunkards Path.
3. Are the dies from both companies interchangeable?
( I could have taken more or better photos-but I just didn't and it is late and night when I do my posts typically and I'm just too ready to go to bed to be re-taking all the pix so they look "professional.")
Then I tried a
Sizzix Die with the
GO! Fabric Cutting Machine. It did go through the machine but look at the cutting mat bowing up in the air. It was a very tight fit and the cutting mat curled up because of the pressure. I was very cautious because I obviously did not want to break my
GO! Fabric Cutter!!! I have to say I would not likely do this again because there is not really enough clearance to continue doing this without serious risk of breaking my
GO! Fabric Cutter.
That was my experience. I have been told by
Sizzix that the
Big Shot,
Big Shot Pro and the
Big Shot Express will all take the
GO! Dies (keep in mind the width of some of the
GO! Dies clearly would not fit into the
Big Shot or
Big Shot Express...they are just too wide....the narrower ones work just fine. The wider GO! Dies will fit into the
Big Shot Pro because of it's wider bed). I have not tried them all myself, just the
GO! Hearts Die with the
Big Shot and then the
Sizzix Bigz Sunflower and Poinsettia Petals Die in the
GO! Fabric Cutter). I have been told by
Sizzix that their machines work with the
GO! and
Studio Dies but that their Dies do not work in the
GO! Fabric Cutter. I don't own a
Studio Fabric Cutter nor any of those Dies so I can not personally say I've done it or have seen it done.
The
Sizzix website says that the
Big Shot,
Big Shot Pro and
Big Shot Express works with every
Sizzix Die ever made. So I'm concluding that really opens up the applique shapes quite a bit and would include the
Sizzix Alphabet Dies as well.
There are also differences in how each machine is made and the materials used(metal, plastic, rubber etc.) in making each of the machines. I don't plan on going into all those details. If you are interested in that information I would suggest you contact each company and inquire.
The
GO! Dies come with a free pattern printed on the packaging and there were no patterns on the
Sizzix Dies Packaging that I purchased. Both companies Dies did have instructions for use and tips for use printed on their packaging which I found very helpful. They also print their warranty information in the product manuals.
Warranty Comparison:
According to the
AccuQuilt website the
Studio Fabric Cutting Machine comes with a
Lifetime warranty.
The
GO! Fabric Cutter Machine have a
One Year Limited Warranty . The warranty says if you experience a manufacturing defect within one year of purchase,
AccuQuilt will repair or replace the cutter at no charge. It also says to return the cutter to the place you purchased it.
As a consumer, you would have to return your
GO! Fabric Cutter or
GO! Dies to the place where you purchased they are defective. If you purchased your
GO! Fabric Cutting Machine from an on-line store like
IHAN, their warranty says you would have to return it to that store and thus you would have to pay the shipping to return it. I see this as an obvious drawback because if there is a manufactures defect and you have already paid once to have it shipped to you, I would not want to pay again to get a replacement. On my part, I don't want to have to pay shipping back to a distributor and be charged again to have a replacement sent to me and then I would have to send it to my customer.
I did have a situation where a customer paid to send their defective
GO! Die back to me for replacement. I compensated the customer for their shipping expenses. I contacted
AccuQuilt and they were very accommodating in getting my customer's defective die replaced without further expenses being incurred by myself or my customer which I greatly appreciated.
The
Sizzix Warranty indicates that you contact the
Sizzix Customer Relations and they will pay for the return and replacement of your product. That is only the case if they determine there was a manufactures defect. If
Sizzix finds that you have misused the machine or used it commercially the customer will be responsible for the return postage.
As a consumer and as a business owner, I must say I prefer the
Sizzix Warranty. I own the
Big Shot and the warranty is 3 yrs vs the 1 year I have on my
GO! Fabric Cutting Machine.
Note: The warranties take effect from the date of purchase so save your receipt!! I typically keep my boxes too just in case I need to send something back to a company so I can safely package it for shipping.
That is what I know today. When I learn more, I'll let you know.
Smiles,
Kelly
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