As with other craft machines in the Brother roster the SDX1250 comes with a built-in scanner and LCD touchscreen for accessible and speedy projects. This comes with the excellent Auto Blade, which means most projects will be doable out of the box (unlike the cheaper CM300 model below). Sticky vinyl is easy to cut with a standard mat and auto blade.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s light to carry, and you need just one power outlet, and you’re in business. No wires are running left and right, and no computer updates are slowing you down. This is the major selling point for the Brother Cut n Scan. You don’t necessarily need a computer or any device to manage it. The brother embroidery sewing machine machine bolsters with a 300dpi built-in scanner.
A cheaper option would be to buy the base ScanNCut SDX model (ScanNCut DX in the US) and add accessories and blades as you need them. Patchwork designs, stamps, and label making accessories are all able to be purchased for your ScanNCut machine. If you want to glitz something up, there are foil starter kits, lace patterns, and even rhinestones. Or, you can keep things more traditional with embossing and the calligraphy kits. The ScanNCut SDX900 allows crafters to precisely cut out designs of any shape in just a few simple steps. This particular model comes with over 680 built-in designs and seven fonts, so when working with CanvasWorkspace, the possibilities are endless.
This will help you a lot if you want to work on a computer. For future references, when I mention Brother ScannCut, I’m referring to the second version. The first one might’ve been discontinued, but some models are still laying around on eBay and such. We research & test to recommend the best products; learn more about our review process here. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn a commission. Even while working at full swing, you can barely hear a whisper from the machine.
Although you could save a bunch of dollars during the machine purchase phase, the accessories will burn a hole in your wallet. As we’re sure we already made you aware, there’s no such thing as a perfect cutting machine. In fact, all of them have flaws, and it’s only a matter of preferences and what features you can compromise on that decides which cutting machine can meet your requirements best.
On the plus side, it can scan a mat in just about 20 seconds, so it takes a bunch of extra points thanks to this nifty little feature. Cricut Maker 3 comes with a clearance of 2.4 mm, which should be more than enough even if you’re using it for a small business. At the opposite corner stands the Brother Scan and Cut 2, which can handle only 2 mm, which could feel enough for a hobbyist, but not if you’re serious about working with thicker materials. Brother ScanNCut model names are different in the US and UK, but we’d recommend the SDX2200D (UK) and the SDX230DI (US) that have every blade, mat and accessory you need packaged with them.
For starters, these cutting machines have a lot of moving parts, and these moving parts, believe it or not, are set into motion by motors. Some machines use servo motors, while other use stepper motors, and the latter are usually much noisier than the former, but that’s not the point we’re trying to make. While most people use them for vinyl (they’re both excellent choices for cutting vinyl) and paper, you can also use them for other materials. Brother Scan and Cut 2 not so much, but Cricut Maker 3 can handle more than 300 materials, including more stubborn ones, such as leather, fabric, and even mat board. Since you’re not going to buy them all and then decide which one’s best for you, we’ve decided to simplify the process for you by comparing various cutting machines to some of their counterparts. By the end of it, you’ll hopefully be able to make an educated choice that will reflect both your needs and your budget.
My advice is to purchase the model that you can afford. Scan N Cut machines are great fun and while you think you are only going to be making “X”… you will find you end up making so much more than you planned. I haven’t noticed any crafters using the SDX85 model reporting any major issues. Often this means that there are some added accessories or bonus files depending on the letters included. Do a little research and work out whether this is good value. Also, keep in mind that the models purchased through a dealership are exclusive to dealerships and often include additional features.
However, note that the 2 is more expensive, both the machine and the accessories and supplies it comes with. Obviously, the best Cricut machine you can buy at the time being is the flagship model, Cricut Maker 3. It has everything you need to get started, features a huge cutting force of 4000g, has a 2x speed boost, is silent, and its accessories are among the cheapest ones on the market. Second of all, the cost of the machine may be comparable to that of other desktop cutting machines, but the cost of its accessories is a bit much, if not even exaggerated.
I have not really mentioned the SDX125 series which is also on the site. The SDX1200 models were plagued with problems when they were first released .. I am not confident that these are models that I would choose and so I have left them out.