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Frommer128

deciding on cutter- what is the difference in Machines

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I am looking into buying a cutter for hobby use.  i would like to make stickers and paint masking for RC cars and other misc projects.  What is the difference between the craft robo, the silhouette and US Cutter MH-series 24in Vinyl Cutter.  I really need help!

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I too would like to know the differences between the Craft Robo and the Silhouette SD. I haven't been able to find any comparison reviews and I can't tell what's different between the two.

This will be my first cutter.

TIA

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The craft robo pro is a great small unit from graphtec - the craft robo is just the home version (not intended for serious use.  Silhouette - not a clue  - looks like a glorified cricut

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I too would like to know the differences between the Craft Robo and the Silhouette SD. I haven't been able to find any comparison reviews and I can't tell what's different between the two.

This will be my first cutter.

TIA

compare them,  cutting width for one thing.  and the Craft robo does contour cutting  SD NOT...

Ultimate Hobbyist Desktop Cutter

Craft ROBO Pro is a desktop sized cutting plotter ideal for serious hobbyists, as well as professionals looking for a compact and portable solution. The Craft ROBO Pro is the professional desktop model of Graphtec's CE5000 series of cutting plotters. The Craft ROBO Pro has a maximum cutting width of 14.8 inches, maximum speed up to 16 inches per second, and cutting force up to 300g

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I was wondering about the non-pro regular Craft Robo, which is about the same price as the Silhouette. ($10 different I think.)

The low end for personal use.

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well at that price  no contour cutting,  this has 1 year warranty and by made by a very good company...Graphtec.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Craft-ROBO-2-Graphtec-CraftRobo-CC200-die-cut-Wishblade-/280312023973?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Die_Cutting_Machines_Dies&hash=item4143e60ba5

not much difference,  I would go with the Graphtec.  Best company.,  my 2c

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Howday again everybody. I figured I would keep using this thread since my questions seem to be on topic for it.

I am just looking for a cheap way in to making my own vinyl stickers for plastic dying. (disc golf discs). Don't know much about all this stuff and I'm certainly not a pro or opening a business. (However, I already have a couple of idea that might sell a little bit o' stuff so who knows...)

Anyway, the Craft Robo (non-pro) is what originally caught my eye and got me researching. It's certainly not cheap but it sounds like it is well built. The drawback is the small size of the vinyl that it will take, which is still big enough for my purposes.

But in looking around, it seems that with a little patience you can get the MH-721 for about the same price including shipping, and that one is a 25" cutter.

What do you guys that know things think of these two? Would I better served with MH-721 due to its bigger size and potential, or does the Craft Robo have something like easier to use software or something else that would push it to the forefront? I know the warranty is less on the eBay sales here, but I'm willing to gamble with that.

TIA.

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I like the MH series cutters.  I used a 721 in a production sign shop for 2 years and only sold it because we moved and I thought we were out of the sign business.  Based on that experience, I just ordered a 781.  When I bought the 721 about the only issues people were having was with USB communication.  I'm not sure if they worked that out or not.  I always just used a serial cable and never had a problem.  I did try USB but couldn't get anywhere with it.  I also found that the best computer to run it seemed to be an older one running WinXP.  My primary desktop is running Vista 64 bit which introduces a whole set of issues that are non existent on WinXP.  Another reason I like the MH cutters is because they run on the Roland PLC1000 driver.  This is a generic driver of sorts and comes with most sign programs which makes the MH cutter compatible with most sign programs out there.

Software also makes a big difference.  For a production shop, I think software is more of a factor that the cutter.  I bought Flexi Pro 7.6 a few years ago.  If you can, try to find software that designs and cuts under one roof.  It makes your work flow so much more efficient.  For hobby use, that's not a real issue and the SignCut program that comes with the MH cutters is pretty good.  It also comes with SignBlazer, which people seem to like.  I didn't have much luck with it a couple years ago, but I think it's been improved.

If you buy a 12" cutter, I guarantee you will need a bigger one within an hour of setting it up.  You just can't do much on a 12" cutter other than scrapbooking.  You will be able to make some extra money with a larger cutter doing jobs that won't be possible on a smaller one.

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Here's a little late info. The Silhouette SD and the Craft Robo are basically the same machine. (As is the Xyron Wishblade) The Silhouette SD has a sd card slot so predesigned files can be cut without being hooked up o the computer.  It does do contour cuts nicely and has a true laser eye alignment. It doesn't however have the cut "pressure" of the other machines but is does handle vinyl and cardstock quite well. It also only cuts 8"W and 39"L. It uses the Craft Robo software, but will also cut from MTC (Make The Cut) and from Funtime (which I believe is similar to WinPC).

I'm just a hobbyist and I use the Silhouette SD, the Cricut Create and Expression, and the Boss Kut Gazelle.

Looking to move up to a larger cutter-this is my first forum post, hope you find it helpful.

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