- Ground circular blade enclosed in a plastic housing
- Self-sharpening blade cuts in either direction
- Automatic see-through paper clamp
- Adjustable backstop
- Sturdy metal base
I was looking for:
1. A trimmer that will cut multiple sheets of cardstock.
2. A trimmer that has easy to read measurements in 1/8" or smaller.
3. A trimmer that has a self-sharpening blade.
4. A trimmer that would cut straight and accurately.
I selected this Dahle. When it arrived I was shocked because it was much larger than I expected. I knew it wasn''t portable, but wow.. it''s huge! It takes up a good portion of my table. It seems study because it''s made with more metal than plastic. So how does it meet my expectations?
1. This trimmer can cut multiple sheets of cardstock, but not as many as I had hoped. I use Stampin'' Up cardstock. I can only cut 3 sheets at a time. When I tried to cut 4, I had to force the blade and ended up with rough edges on the cardstock.
2. This trimmer can cut in 1/16" increments. However, because of the guard and blade housing, you cannot cut a piece of paper that is smaller than 2". I found this to be very disappointing as I had even contacted Dahle and they confirmed that I could cut in 1/8". I guess they didn''t completely lie. You can cut 1/8" strips assuming you start with a sheet of paper that is larger than 2". Since I consistently cut things smaller than 2", this means I have much more waste now than before and I am having to pull out my old trimmers to finish the jobs.
3. I''ve only had the cutter for a couple of weeks, but the blade seems to be doing just fine. By now with the amount of cardstock I use, I would have already had to replace the Fiskars blade. The self-sharpening is a great feature. When it''s time to replace the blade, it''s going to be fairly expensive. Since this isn''t the "perfect" trimmer, I guess I''ll just buy a different one at that time.
4. I find that my cuts are straight and I love that. However, I am not sure about the accuracy. There is a guide that can be moved into place to ensure accuracy, but it''s not my favorite feature. When I push my paper up against it, I find that it moves causing me to end up with an uneven cut. Additionally, the guide doesn''t "lock" into any place, so it''s up to me to figure out if it looks like it''s on the right measurement. (When I put the guide up against what looks like say 1/2", it can be off by about 1/16".) I find that I''m not using the guide as much because it doesn''t help unless I''m doing the same cut repeatedly or are cutting smaller pieces (say 3") pieces of paper. My final concern with the guide is that it has magnets underneath to help keep it secure, but when you move it, it scrapes over the surface of the cutter. I fear that over time this scraping will remove the ruler markings and then the trimmer will be useless, at least for my purposes.
I really wanted to love this trimmer. I wanted it to give me years of paper cutting satisfaction. Unfortunately I think it''s just OK. It''s not the best trimmer for paper crafters. Maybe it''s more applicable for office applications? I''m going to keep it. not only because returning this big trimmer would cost a fortune, but because it does cut accurately and that makes it a huge improvement over my old paper trimmers. However, I will continue my search for the perfect crafter''s paper trimmer.
Buy Dahle 14-1/8" Cut Professional Series Now
I tried a few $30-$50 paper cutters from local office supply stores and a local photography shop, they either didnt cut straight or weren''t smooth/clean. I wasnt sure about spending over $100 just to make cuts, but it is SOOO worth it. Excellent professional cuts every time!Read Best Reviews of Dahle 14-1/8" Cut Professional Series Here
I use this to cut 180 gsm sheets. Cuts are clean. I can shave edges to correct an error with no problem. Unit appears to be well made and solid. The price was very reasonable. The box arrived with some damage (puncture) but the unit inside was undamaged.The "directions" provided with the unit are almost useless but aren''t really necessary.
Want Dahle 14-1/8" Cut Professional Series Discount?
It''s easy to forget just how bad Chinese products are until you can buy a fairly simple product manufactured in the free world.I''ve tried the cheaper paper cutters sold at the big box office supply stores and was disappointed. This is a well made product. I did a little research prior to purchasing and replacement cutting wheels are available. Although if you stick to cutting paper, you will probably get many years of life from the original cutting wheel.
What kept me from giving this product 5 stars was the manual. It''s the worst I''ve ever seen. It''s almost completely devoid of words, and the pictures provided are almost completely useless.
I would tell the manufacturer the same thing I have told 3 year olds, "use your words".
The product was promptly shipped and well packed by Adorama.
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Great product. Good quality, very happy with our purchase. It is bigger than I expected but it works great. Excellent!
