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Today I bought a Dream Kuts machine by a company called Zutter, and having had a brief play here is my review.
Ease of Use 10/10
The packaging says ‘So Easy, so fast. Slice through cardstock a dream. Cuts perfect pages in seconds. I would agree with all of that. Does what it say’s on the box!
Value for Money 9/10
If you want to cut lots of card stock easily this is the one for you. If you have trouble cutting cardstock either cutting it straight or for dexterity issues, this makes it easy.
Build Quality 8/10
Excellent blades give a clean accurate cut on cardstock, the mark would be higher but on paper of 80 gsm it is a little more difficult to get such an accurate cut.
Eye Candy 10/10
A silly thing to review on but to some this is of importance so here it is. Looks pretty in a nice blue, doesn’t take up too much of your table either.
Not wanting to repeat information that is already available for the machine on the manufactures web site http://www.binditall.com/ I have tested for the following;
Accuracy and quality of cut
This performs well on 160 gsm cardstock, and standard scrapbook card. I used Die Cuts With A View mat stack and it worked fine. The machine leaves a very clean cut. The cut was a little more difficult to control on very light weight paper of 80gsm. To get around this on such lightweight paper I did put two sheets through together and this did improve how the machine performed. Only do this for light weight paper, the machine states only to put single sheets through for cardstock.
Accessibility
This machine is very well designed; the handle is grooved making it easier to grip. The action is very smooth and this would be suitable for users with dexterity issues. I have weak hands and reduced grip and it caused me no problems. You require no more pressure to send cardstock through than you do for paper. No MAN muscles required 😉
Storage
All the paper feed trays fold back and store flush to the unit so it is easier to store. If you want to know dimensions with all the panels folded this unit measures; 17.5” long, 6.5” wide and 6” tall.
Weight
The packaging says under 6lbs. Good combination of light enough that you can move it around your craft room easily but robust enough to do the job. Rubber feet keep it still on your worktop.
Uses
This machine is being sold primarily as a sister product to a tool called a ‘Bind-It-All’ made by the same company. That tool punches holes through pages and boards, you then thread a wire binding on and use the machine to close and there you have a book. The Dream Kuts was designed to enable you to quickly and easily create pages for yourself out of coloured 12 x 12”card stocks. To promote the Dream Kuts only for this purpose seems to sell it short in my humble opinion. There are some size limitations to what the machine will cut, which I will go into later on but this machine would be very useful to anyone wanting to easily and accurately cut card for all sorts of craft projects not just for making books. Card makers can cut A4 down smaller size for their cards and mats. Scrapbooker’s could use this also for cutting coloured panels for their projects. As previously mentioned anyone with dexterity issues will find this very helpful for cutting their card to size as it requires no strong man muscles to use.
Limitations
Just for reference ONLY the single blade has an adjustable paper guide. The other blades that cut the paper into three pieces ONLY fit 12 x 12”. For trimming A4 card stock you can ONLY use the single blade that will cut your card/paper in half. Bear in mind if you want some combinations of sizes, to cut the half sizes first leaving your card stock at 12” long to be able to cut the card into thirds.
Links
You Tube Video Demo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9tXwyhnKQ1c&feature=related
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rYwDZLopVcA
If you have any questions just leave me a comment and I shall do my best to answer them.
Best wishes and thanks for reading
Billie 🙂
What a fabby and helpful review – thanks babes. It’s much smaller than I thought too which is a plus for me in my every-shrinking workspace! Lol Lynn x
Thanks Lynn, yes it is quite compact once you fold in the paper feeds, it sits in the same size of space a printer would take up.
Hugs
Billie xx
Hi Billie
What a great help this review is after searching the internet to find more info on the machine (as the sellers do not seem to go into much detail).
I make cards and use a different assortment of mats for layering – can it cut any size mat and if so how easy is it to do so?
Also do you think they will bring another one out if this is successful that would make deckle edge cuts or scalloped cuts?
Best wishes
Iris
Hi Iris,
I do my reviews based on what information I would like to know about items to help me decide if I want/need them, a cross between features and benifts and pros and cons, glad it has been of help to you.
In answer to your question can it cut any size of mat the simple answer is sort of!
The twin blade slot is not adjustable so your card/paper will need to be 12″ wide to evenly cut into thirds. I realise you CAN put smaller sheets into the gap but since the blade positions are fixed you would not get even thirds out of any other width of paper.
The single blade slot has adjustable guides, so the simple answer is that you can put any width of card/paper in that slot and with the side guides adjusted to touch the edges of your paper the machine will now cut that card in half.
The box lists 27 size combinations from a 12 x 12″ sheet of card based on putting it through either or both sets of blades in various combinations. Let me know if you would like a list of those sizes and I will email them to you.
I also make cards so if you like purchasing A4 cardstock and want a neat simple way of cutting the cardstock for you base cards this is ideal. For example run an A4 card through the single blade and it will give you two pieces of A5 which fold in half for your A6 card! Run the A5 piece through the single blade in landscape and you will get an A6 piece of card which will fold to A7 etc. If you are into square cards then you will find it easier to start with a 12 x 12″ piece of card stock.
This machine is a joy to use, no man muscles required and it make a very neat professional finish to your cards, quicker that a craft knife and ruler to cut to size.
As for furter machines, you would have to contact the manufacturers about that, I am not a retailer so do not have access to trade information. I have posted the manufacturers website if you wanted to contact them though.
Best wishes
Billie 🙂
Hello Billie
I am not sure what maen with cards sizes???
also make cards so if you like purchasing A4 cardstock and want a neat simple way of cutting the cardstock for you base cards this is ideal. For example run an A4 card through the single blade and it will give you two pieces of A5 which fold in half for your A6 card! Run the A5 piece through the single blade in landscape and you will get an A6 piece of card which will fold to A7 etc. If you are into square cards then you will find it easier to start with a 12 x 12″ piece of card stock.
and such? can you explin different way? I am wanting cut and cover these size things listed below.Will cut these different size…fallowing I use 12×12 cardstock? and you use vellum in sevals sheets? Dose it work?
9×9
8×8
6×6
5×7
4×6
5×5
4×4
3×5
Can you email me all 27 size listed?? thanks Ps please put subject line DreamKuts… or I will delete not know who you are?
Hi Linda
I will go and check the box and see what the sizes were. Then post them on here. The box does not give details of how to cut each one.
Put simply the machine has two options
The front blade cuts a 12″ long piece of card stock into THIRDS. So a 12 x 12″ card, put through the front blades would get three pieces of card measuring 4″ x 12″.
The rear blade, where you can move the side guides, cuts in HALF.
For a 6×4″ card place one of your 4 x 12″ strips into the rear slot which cuts into HALF. Half the length of 12″= 6″ so that will cut your 4 x 12″ piece into two 6 x 4″ pieces.
For a 4 x 4″ piece run the 4 x 12″ strip through the front blades which cut into THIRDS and you will get three pieces 4 x 4″.
There will be a video on here on 3rd April 2009, which explains the difference between the slots on the Dreamkuts and what they cut, it also demos an A4 to A5 cut.
The simple answer is that the machine will cut a 12″ cardstock into thirds
And the rear slot will cut almost any card stock into half. Measure your card stock and if it is smaller than 12″ you will have to repeatedly cut it in half to achieve smaller sizes. Remember that you can rotate the card to cut in half along the short or long sides of the card.
Best wishes
Billie
Hi Billie,
Will the Dreamkut do 8X8 cards? Thanks so much.
Hi Rebecca
Thanks for your visit and your question. The blade that cuts into thirds, has two blades and requires 12″ long paper as there is no adjustment for positioning paper. You can still use the single blade that cuts paper in halves with your 8″ card.
You might find my later post, helps to explain how to use a Dreamkuts 🙂 https://billiescraftroom.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/video-tutorial-getting-the-best-from-your-dreamkuts-machine/
Best wishes
Billie 🙂
Hi Billie
Have just been given a pre-loved Dreamkuts Zutter Cutter to help make more cards for my charity.
Can you please tell me if I can safely cut 300gsm on it (as I feel a heavier card makes a better card) and I am unable to find on the web anywhere that tells me how to make different size cuts.
Hopefully you will be able to help?
Many thanks, Jennifer
Hi Jennifer
If you are still wondering about this, I have safely cut regular scrapbook card with it. Die cuts with a view scrapbook card, but I think it might struggle with 300 gsm. It would certainly be at its maximum.
One way to find out, with minimul risk would be to trim a one inch x 12″ strip and feed that in longways, that way if it doesn’t like it, its not chewing for long.
I’ll be honest with you, I found my DreamKuts a bit of a bother in the end. Maybe its the perfectionitis but the issue I had with it was, that because of the positioning of the blades, it was all too easy for the card to wobble off course and end up being a bit wonky. It was a bit of a ‘diva’ to get the card in just the right spot to cut it straight. Also given that not all 12 x 12″ card, is actually acurately 12 x 12 that can also throw your measurements off.
Depends on what your using it for, I was making boxes as well as cards and for that I found it just wasn’t acurate enough.
In the end, because I was getting more into boxes and making books, I was wanting to cut matt board, so I invested in an Ideal Guilotine. Sturdy guilotine is going to make a better job with thicker cardstocks (I mho) trimmers tend to chew and blades blunt quickly, guilotines self sharpen as they go. The one I got was quite an investment but its been amazing and has cut all I ask of it.
For sticking with the Zutter one, just ‘baby it’ a bit, take your time lining things up, and accept that if you want truely square and accurate, then a different tool, will likely do a better job.
This was one of those tools, that had a lot of hype at the time, and I went for it. Maybe I just outgrew it, or it just wasn’t the right tool for what I wanted to use it for. Just depends on the level of accuracy you want from your cuts.
Hope this is of some help. In all honesty, if you are wanting to regularly cut 300gsm, then a metal guilotine style of some description, is going to handle that more accurately.
All the best, have fun experimenting. Sorry Im not sure on what a standard weight of 12 x 12″ card is. It did handle
Hi Billie
Thanks for taking the time to explain – I haven’t really used it properly as domesticity hasn’t allowed, but I will give in a go in the coming months and see if I can get on with it or revert back to a guillotine.
I don’t make boxes, just cards for my charity.
Many thanks for your help.
Happy New Year
Regards
Jennifer