HELLO MEGAN, SEAN & all the WONDERFUL staff
Megan, this is really a personal question…well kind of. I’m thinking of purchasing an e-craft machine….HELP…Can you tell me what you truly think about it…do you use it a lot, or perhaps just for fonts from the computer? I must admit I don’t know much about it, but it comes in PINK…what can I say…lol, no seriously, I’d like to know more about this machine and all that it does and how etc. Thanks for all ou do, and taking the time to get back to me. HAPPY THANKSGIVING and HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON.
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Hi Marchelle,
I have to be honest and tell you I have a love and hate relationship with that machine! 🙂 I REALLY do love it! I use it for a LOT Of projects and a LOT of bigger things that I need to make a lot of – for example I made 25 gift boxes and WAY easier than the Cricut machine – I stuck in a stack of paper in the tray and let it cut out all 25 without having to stand there and reload mats.
There IS a learning curve to taht machine. There are a few things about it that I like to call “moody” – HOWEVER – It REALLY has been a wonderful machine to use – especially with things like your own images and fonts!
I hope that helps a little! I know that Craft-e-Corner.com is having a pretty good Black Friday sale on it – and NO waiting in lines! 😉
Let me know if you have any more specific questions 🙂 I’m happy to help!
Meg
How about the Silhouette Cameo. Do you have any experience with it? I am really considering this one, but, the e-craft feature of loading several pages in an cutting, sounds pretty interesting.
i just want to tell you i have had awful experiences with the imagine since last dec!!! i wouldn’t waste the money on it. it really isn’t worth it. anita
I think the e-craft might be OK if you are not wanting very intricate cuts. As Megan states, it is good for bulk production – and I guess I would add to that it is good for bulk production of fairly simple cuts. If you are looking for something more detailed and intricate, I think you are better off with a cutter like a KNK Zing or a Silhouette. I think it depends on what you are wanting in a cutter whether it would work for you or not. Like Megan, I have a love/hate relationship with mine – and I find it fairly limited in what it will cut well.
Please go to the Craft Edge home page and read ALL about their program Sure Cuts A Lot. They are beta testing this tried and true .svg cutting program (uses true type fonts and scalable vector graphic files) on several of the updated and new cutting machines. I know you won’t be disappointed. They are very user-friendly. Best of luck!
I would look into the Black Cat Cougar products!!! I love mine. You can cut very thin to thick items in them. You can get from a true 12″ cut up to 24″ cut depending on what you want. One woman I know cut out a pair of 3-d pair of shoes that fit on a dime!! That’s intricate!!!
Z
So happy to see Megan answering questions from us. We’ve ben encouraged to post and to ask questions but this is the first one I’ve seen answered in the 5 months I’ve been regularly visiting this site. Keep up the good work Megan, I look to you and Britteny & Cindy as my “experts in a box”. THanks!
First, I have an older Cricut and love, love, love using it with the last version of SCAL (Sure Cuts A Lot) that could be used with a Cricut. I’ve found great classes and support for using SCAL via Create N Craft: http://www.createncraft.com/ I also own one of the first Silhoutte models, and while I consider myself pretty computer-literate, the learning curve was just too much for me. I’ve owned the machine since it first came out, and have only successfully made 1 cut. I’ve even taken it to crops where there are plenty of other “cutter queens” — they were unsuccessful with the Silhoutte, too, even after studying the available websites, blogs, etc… on how to use it. I can only advise on Cricut and older Silhoutte — those are the only ones I have experience with, but unless the newer Silhoutte is much easier to use than the first one, I would hands down go with a Cricut.
Megan Elizabeth,
I do own the ecraft and dont let anyone try to fool you into buying this machine.They say you dont need a sticky mat,well most of the time you do.They say to use a sheet of cardstock under your main paper (this is to help keep your top paper from slipping) uh….WRONG!,it still slips.I have even sent a video into them and all they said was that it was my faut not the machine.The other thing I DONT like is trying to cut small pieces of paper.The rollers wont feed it in right and it shifts giving you a chance to get up and throw the paper into the trash.I am not the only ecraft owner who has has a bad experience with the ecraft.Go and read their forums and then decide for your self.Mine is in the closet and I have the cricket out and its going to stay that way.I am sorry I ever bought the machine.I tried to sell it and NO ONE WANTS IT.Go figure!!!!!!.
Hi Bobby
Thank you for your post – was leaning towards the e-craft, but have now changed my mind – staying with Silhouette – now I can’t wait for my new Cameo to arrive.
I have had the Silhouette SD (original) for some years now and I just LOOOOVVVE my cutter – and will keep it as backup @ home – to hubbies dismay of course – he wanted to sell it – no ways!!
I purchased an ecraft a while back from Amazon.com & ended up sending it back after 2 weeks. I bought a Cricut Expression 2 to replace it AND I LOVE IT!!! Here’s the review I posted to a Amazon about the ecraft. I decided to copy/paste. I hope this helps:
“Let me start by saying that I have never owned a personal cutting machine – the eCraft is the first one I purchased.
I bought the eCraft after spending several hours online reading reviews & blogs about the different types of cutting machines. I finally decided that I liked the new features that the eCraft offered for the price compared to the other Personal Cutting Machines that are available. So I bought it. Remember I said I’d spent several hours online reading reviews & blogs?? This also turned into watching videos on YouTube so I would know “exactly” how to use my machine when I received it. It was easy to set up out of the box. I plugged it in, turned it on, adjusted a few settings & I was ready to go.
And then the frustration set in. I was able to get (maybe) one usable cut out of every 7 or 8 I attempted.
***The paper wouldn’t load correctly, and it moved when I was cutting causing the outlines to not meet up. Some people suggested using a make-shift “mat” as a stabilizer. This didn’t work. And why should I have to use a make-shift “mat” when one of the selling features of the machine is “matless cutting”??
***The blade wouldn’t give a smooth cut 100% of the time. There were LOTS of tears in my paper…such a waste! I tried different types of papers, different settings, switching out to new blades, stabilizers, etc…None of this gave me a clean cut.
***The pens that were meant to draw were hit or miss…it would draw a few lines then the ink would fade out. Yes, I tried another pen, too.
***The buttons to select images were annoying. You can’t turn off the beeping noise…and I found my fingers actually getting sore from scrolling through the images.
I’m an intelligent person. I have common sense. I know how to use a computer & other electronics. And I know how to use the internet to research & troubleshoot. So I remained patient & confident, and I continued to try different techniques suggested online. I also joined the eCraft “group” on Yahoo! hoping to figure out a solution. What I found to be a common theme was people saying that there were firmware issues, but you could just send your machine to Craftwell & they’d update it and send it back to you. Supposedly this will correct the cutting errors & paper loading. Why should I have to do that with a BRAND NEW item I just purchased??
So after about 2 weeks I boxed up the eCraft & shipped it back to Amazon for a refund. That was an easy process – thank you Amazon!)
So I did a little more research, and realized that I should have gone with a Cricut to begin with. I bought the Cricut Expression 2. The price is a little higher, but IT WILL BE WORTH EVERY EXTRA PENNY! Just to give you an idea of how much easier it is to use – the Cricut E2 was delivered on Friday evening. I came home from work on Saturday afternoon & made 2 *adorable* birthday cards.
To state the obvious –> I would not recommend you purchase an eCraft machine by Craftwell.
Why no voting buttons? We don’t let customers vote on their own reviews, so the voting buttons appear only when you look at reviews submitted by others.”
Sooo…just ignore the “voting button” verbiage at the end of my previous comment. That copied/pasted from my review when I pulled it from Amazon.com’s website. oops. 🙂
Mine is sitting in a drawer. I purchased it because I no longer wanted to use the mats.The cuts were not good unless I used the card that came w/ the machine.I was never able to get it to work with the software. Too much of a learning curve.I had other machines that were easier to use.so I put it down. It was a waste of money for me. K
I love my Imagine. I use it quite a lot. I did have a situation with it , but called Cricut customer service and the representative I spoke with took quite a lot of time with me and found a solution to my challenge. I got my Imagine right when it came out and so far have had a great time with it. I don’t have the expression so now if I just want to cut something big I can use my Imagine without doing the printing first. I have the best of both worlds.
i went with the silhouette cameo and couldn’t be happier. it’s easy to use and the cuts are so clean and precise. it’s amazing. much better than any cricut product. i got mine on sale at a very reasonable price.
I have the Cricut Imagine and Cricut Excpression and I don’t us either one. I really find them a hassle to use. I was thinking of buying the new Cricut Expression 2. But after being on the ecraft website and reading the reviews I decided against that. Now what I really want to purchase is the new Silhouette Cameo. I don;t want to purchase anymore cartridges. Cricut is debuting a new machine soon on HSN and it looks like a small silhouette might wait to see what it does before my final decision.
Megan, is the Epression 2 better then the regular Expression? I was told hte Expression 2 is sharper and that it really cuts better. What do you think?
Since the beginning of the lawsuit issue with Provo Craft against Scal and MTC, I start investigating for a new electric die-cutter. I decided that I wanted the flexibility of creating my own designs and be able to cut all the SVG files I had accumulated, rather than being exclusively tied to a cartridge based machine. I read and investigated the Ecraft, but it didn’t knock my socks off.
The machine I ultimately bought is the Pazzles Inspiration. The Pazzles does have a learning curve when you learn the powerful program that comes with the machine. The easy route is to use SCAL to cut SVG files, but you aren’t using the full capability of what the Pazzles is created for. The Pazzles Inspiration is more expensive to purchase, but. . . you don’t have to purchase cartridges. This electronic cutter has a powerful motor capable of cutting a multitude of materials, draws, pierces, embosses and engraves. I know, I’ve tried each of the tools and it does what it says beautifully. They now have a Pastry Tool kit that you can use on the Pazzles. It cuts fondant divinely! You can also use all the font on you computer and even create a font in your own handwriting with the Pazzles Inspiratiion Program. I think it really cool to cut a font that’s my very own handwritting! I love my Pazzles Inspiration machine!
I hope I haven’t confused anyone by throwing another machine into the mix to think about. By the way, my CE found a happy home with my daughter!
I totally agree w/you about Pazzles. I bought one and a subscription to their craft room – amazing ideas and free cut files! I still have a lot to learn with it but it’ll have to wait until retirement I guess.
Look at the new Zing over at the Make The Cut web site. It is a new machine just out that folks are praising. it can cut all kinds of thing, it is quiet, and easy to use.
So has anyone tried the KNK Zing. That’s the one I’m leaning towards. I LOVE MTC! They have weekly live webinars, answer any questions you have, FREE updates, they helped design the Zing, and the forum is great for sharing files, ideas, and anuwering questions! Plus there are several tutorials to help you learn the program. But I agree the cricut cuts waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to slow.
I just purchased one via hsn. I could not get it to work right for me although I was doing all that they told me to do. I think that is one of the problems with this machine, Ecraft, they do not have good instructions especially visual. I am se3nding mine back unless someone can convince me that I just need to hold out for a while. I love all of my Cricuts, 4….well actually 5 counting the re-hauled one….Ecraft in my opinion cannot compete with them. Maybe just my opinion….but….
I have the Silhouette SD and the Cricut Expression. I like both, but am learning to really love the Silhouette and the print and cut feature. There is a learning curve, but the new Silhouette Studio software is fairly easy to understand and with the print and cut feature you can cut complete images or fill the regular cut pieces and then assemble as a regular die cut. It also works with SCAL and there is an upgrade available for cutting svg’s. Shadowing and welding are just one click away and customizable. Hope this helps. There are tons more features with the Silhouette than the Cricut, just not as easily portable without a laptop.
I, too, am glad to see a question answered finally. I wasn’t sure why there was encouragement to ask questions when they weren’t answered. Also, I appreciate the comments about the different machines. I was leaning toward Pazzles but can’t afford it right now. I do thank you for the information about it, Linda. There are so many machines and it gets confusing so thanks, everyone for your input!
I JUST LOVE MY eCraft machine! I got it a couple months ago and just LOVE IT! 😉 Once I learned how to adjust the settings (blade pressure) for various weights of card stock and paper, and learn that some papers do need a card stock placed underneath for support and learned proper settings for kiss cutting, etc … it works perfectly well! Truly, ladies and gents…Just like training a dog… to get it to do what you want you much learn the “proper” method of operating for successful outcome. It’s the user, not the machine. I LOVE MY eCraft!!! Also, as in any satisfactory marriage relationship… you must learn what you can do and cannot do to have a harmonious relationship! LOL!!! 😉
I LOVE my eCraft! I got it a couple months ago and just LOVE IT! 😉 Once I learned how to adjust the settings (blade pressure) for various weights of card stock and paper, and learn that some papers do need a card stock placed underneath for support and learned proper settings for kiss cutting, etc … it works perfectly well! Truly, ladies and gents…Just like training a dog… to get it to do what you want you must learn the “proper” method of operating for successful outcome. It’s the user, not the machine. I LOVE MY eCraft!!! Also, as in any satisfactory marriage relationship… you must learn what you can do and cannot do to have a harmonious relationship! LOL!!! 😉
Hey Marchelle,
DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON AN ECRAFT!! I’m currently going through a battle with Craftwell trying to resolve an issue with them, and at this time they are stonewalling me and not getting back to me. From what I’m experiencing with them, they are not backing thier product, and from what I’ve seen with this machine, it’s not worth the paper you try to cut with it. (and I’ve wasted ALOT!) NOT HAPPY WITH THEM AT ALL! I too have 4 Cricuts and the Gypsy (and all other things Provo Craft) so this isn’t my first dance.
I would recommend the Sillouette Cameo, which is what I’m getting when I get this resolved, and I will get it resolved!
Pam D
I have an E-craft and used it once to make sure it worked, and that was it. It wasn’t the learning curve, since I had a wishblade and had sold my Pazzle Inspiration to purchase the e-craft ( wow was that a mistake). I mostly use my circut and love it. I would love to sell it, but as another person said, no one would buy it. This is just my opinion.
I was reading all the posts about the e-machine, and then noticed that under “related posts” there was a video on using fabric with the Cricut. Since this is one of the things I don’t know how to do yet, I went to the video, only to find that it had been removed. How come? Is there a better or newer one?
susie the stamper
I have the eCraft and I am doing a large project, 8 to be exact, and my eCraft has been great for me. I just use another piece of cardstock under the one that I am cutting for extra support. The way that the eCraft cuts without a mat is that it uses tabs in places. You have to set your machine up in the first screen depending on which kind of cut you are going to be cutting…more intricate, more tabs, and so on.
I love my eCraft. I love the fact that it also works with Make the Cut and it also works with its own software too.
Shell
Megan,
I have an eCraft and thought I would use it a lot. It turns out, I like my Cricut much better and that is the machine I choose when I want to cut something. It is nice that the eCraft can cut banners. If you are interested, I am willing to sell my machine. I bought it brand new and have only used it a few times. I also have several image cards, pens and extra blades to go with it. 🙂
I’ve got a Cricut Expression and I have to say I’m not 100% satisfied with it – it won’t cut properly unless it’s set to No. 6 (max. depth cut) and I’ve found it to be quite inaccurate too, and it won’t cut intricately enough for me. Also, useless since the Provocraft lawsuit if you buy a new one and want to design your own svgs as I do – I never use cartridges! I use MTC with the old firmware on the Cricut at present, but I’ve been recommended the Black Cat/Cougar range and am going for one of these as soon as I can afford it. They are supposed to be one of the best machines on the market, and will take any pens (unlike Cricut which has its own special ones) and will also emboss and engrave. I’ve seen absolutely superb results from these machines. I’d say get the very best machine you can afford and not settle for second best. You may only want to cut simple shapes to start with, but you need a machine to “grow into” – if I’d known what I know now, I’d never have bought the Cricut, and since the lawsuit I’ve really gone off Provocraft, who I think have shot themselves in the foot over this. I’m not particularly liking the reviews of the eCraft either – sounds a bit basic to me and not accurate enough.
I have a cricut expression and love it! For my grandson’s birthday I cut skull and crossbone image in the smallest size it would allow and made confetti for the table! They were pretty intricate and they all looked great.
I do agree about being angry with Provocraft. I plan to look elsewhere for my next machine purchase!
I don’t know if you’ll get this but there is a problem with your club ruby designers website. It won’t let anyone access it. When I tried to contact you via your contact number it won’t let me do that either. This isn’t just on my computer. I’ve tried several and it’s a problem with your website and the internet. Not your main website but the club ruby designer one. If you get this please fix the problem. I’m paying to be a member and can’t even access the site. Heather