Spellbinders PL-001 Platinum Cut & Emboss Machine

Update as of 12/18: The company kindly sent me the larger cutting plates free of charge when I called them about the plates. They told me the machines are currently being sold with the larger size cutting plates. Awesome customer service. Very nice people that I spoke to and so helpful. It was absolutely worth every dollar I paid. I do love the machine still after over a year.So I bought this machine because I have a Sizzix Bigkick and a Sizzix Big Shot Pro but that weighs 45 pounds and I do not move it from my work area(a.k.a. my enclosed porch) So when I need to cut out a lot of the same thing for my small business in the middle of winter I normally cannot be out in the porch for hours because it is essentially like being outside. I need that extra room inside the sides of a machine for the fabric to over lay. This machine DOES cut Sizzix bigz dies great, I wanted to mention that because these other reviews on here were extremely unhelpful in that respect (as to what the machine can actually do)in my personal opinion! It is so much smoother than my Bigkick and I love how it folds up into a neat little boxy thing instead of the Bigkick which is always just open, and it works but it is a small cutting mouth and an odd shape- especially compared to this. I honestly had no need for this machine but I had really wanted a Sizzix big shot Plus and it was double the price of this Spellbinders Platinum. This company makes a great product and I had actually called Spellbinders just prior to buying this machine to ask them personally if this machine will take the Bigz dies from Sizzix, the lady told me yes, although they encourage buyers to buy the Spellbinders dies. Let me just say I DO like their dies but I am a fabric crafter and I make products in volume, I need the quilters dies Spellbinders! Please! I want to buy them from you guys as well but I need those particular dies. A 6.5 inch square would be great since this machine has 8.5 inch capability. But there are NO square contoured steel rule dies of Spellbinders available as of yet.I also must include that since I do have a Big Shot Pro Sizzix machine, I have Plus dies for big shot plus... Those of you who are wondering if those Plus dies work in this machine, they do fit but it is tight. Like Spellbinders Large Contour steel rule dies must be just ever so slightly smaller, I am talking like 1/8 inch less in width. Because my plus die did fit but I do not think I will run them through again because it was so tight to fit it in through there. I Did honestly get this machine in hopes that it would work with those Sizzix Plus dies because I am in desperate need of a new 6.5 inch square die but I am just very impressed with how perfectly it rolls the bigz dies through that I have and I really like some of their styles. I am hoping they will release a nice array of quilting/fabric dies for us fabric crafters because it opens up a whole new group of customers for them and it is just very useful to be able to cut out basic shapes, that is all I use.I was a tad disappointed by the small 6 inch plates being included but not enough to be complaining about it as others did and giving bad reviews. My approach is to call the company and see if they can help me with that because I think they fix that issue with these machines now, they are to send you a new set of the larger plates that fit the machine correctly. My big shot pro came with the 14 inch x 26 inch plates or whatever so every machine should come with the right width in my opinion but hey what are you going to do... From my research Spellbinders is practically brand new to the steel rule dies-2015 was the first time they released these dies and machines so I am happy with what I got and I think the machine is great. Like I said it is easy to crank and rolls so smoothly and cuts out those like a dream. I am very happy with my purchase and definitely keeping it and waiting for more stuff to come out to go with it. It certainly is quite a lot heavier than my Bigkick Sizzix machine, not anywhere close to the huge Big shot Pro I have but it has a nice weight to it so it doesn't slip all around during working with it and you know it is all metal parts in there.Not that it matters but it is one of the prettiest machines I own... I mean I own a lot of them, 2 embroidery machines, 2 sergers, 2 sewing machines and Cricut Maker and the 2 Sizzix machines and more and this Spellbinders machine is just very pretty to look at and I am definitely just as excited and impressed by the cutting as I ever was with my Sizzix machines. They are machines, they have a job to do that is what is important and that I why I buy machines, they make my work go faster, they help me to make perfect cuts every time so I have constant consistency and they are not typically pretty, they are typically plain and I am fine with that- but this machine really is like a breath of fresh air with its look. It just looks rich, pretty, shiny and IT DOES ITS JOB! I really have enjoyed using it the little I have so far! This is a great price on a machine like this I got it for $74 for an 8.5 inch mouth die cut machine, that's a fantastic price! I normally save for quite some time for a machine I have had my eye on that will help me in my work as my little business slowly grows but this was just so cheap (less $ than the Sizzix Bigkick) I had to buy it and I am happy I did.

I love love love the Spellbinders Platinum die cutter and embossing machine! It seems to me, many of the negative reviews here were published when this machine was brand new to market, and some plates or platforms were not yet widely available. I have had no problems using all sorts of media (paper, cardstock, vinyl, leather, felt, cotton to name a few) and all sorts of dies, embossing folders, and hotfoil stamps with the Spellbinders Platinum machine. And I have a ton to say about this machine, especially how it compares to the Big Shot machine (because they are comparable in price) Read on for more details!As a large format machine, the Spellbinders Platinum’s cutting power is amazing- up to 8 layers at once (with steel rule Contour dies), takes paper, embossing folders, and dies up to 8.5” wide (letter sized and A4 sheets fit), and, when folded up, actually has a smaller footprint than the Big Shot machine by an inch (which only takes 6” wide dies and paper). Side by side pics of the Spellbinders Platinum Machine and the Big Shot Fabi edition included for comparison. The steel gear housing inside the Platinum machine is what makes it a powerhouse, and what makes it incredibly sturdy. I’ve used it to make thousands of cuts, primarily using intricate etched wafer thin dies and Sizzix Bigz Plus dies in addition to Spellbinders own Contour dies, and it hasn’t suffered any loss of cutting power whatsoever, giving clean, accurate cuts every single time. And the gear differential is designed in such a way that it’s easier to roll the dies through the Platinum machine with fewer turns than sending dies through the Big Shot. Those are the main reasons I prefer the Spellbinders Platinum to the Big Shot. To me, the Big Shot is more cumbersome to use and to carry around. And style-wise, it isn’t as elegant as the Platinum. Also, the Big Shot machine is known to loosen up over time, requiring more and more shims to deliver the same pressure as it had when it was new. This may also be true of the Platinum, but I haven’t encountered this yet. I cut hundreds of dies a month and it cuts just the same today as it did when I first purchased it a year ago.Another reason the Spellbinders Platinum Die Cutting and Embossing machine is better than the Sizzix machines is that the Spellbinders Platinum comes with the tan embossing mat and purple embossing plate for cut and emboss etched dies (albeit the small version) and embossing folders. This is an additional separate purchase with the Big Shot or BIGKick. And to get the same size Big Shot die cutter- the Big Shot Plus, you’re looking at nearly a $200 outlay. And I don’t even want to think about the footprint of that machine!I’ve been able to use all my embossing folders with the Platinum, from the ones Cricut made to Tattered Lace folders (and their incredible intricate dies) to the awesome 3D folders out there, like the ones WRMK put out for too short a time. And of course, Spellbinders own folders really do work wonderfully, especially their old M-Bossibilities line of folders and Cut n Emboss type folders from various manufacturers. The key is to get the sandwich the correct height for the folder you are using. Never try to force the sandwich through if it’s too thick. That would likely give you sore arms, and if you do manage to somehow jam the sandwich in and force it through, you’ll probably break a plate, break your die or folder, and send it flying across the room like a projectile. And you may even break your machine, definitely reduce its lifespan so please please, try different combinations until you get the correct one. I don’t own any A4 sized embossing folders, so I can’t speak to them, but I would expect that you’d have to purchase the large sized embossing plate and mat to have maximum versatility with them.I’ve also used my Platinum machine to hot foil and letterpress using the Couture Creations GoPress and Foil platform and hotfoil stamps, in addition to hotfoil stamps designed for the British Todo machine. I haven’t yet purchased any Glimmer plates to try but I’m sure they will work just fine as well. The machine works well with the letterpress kit from WRMK too, if you were lucky enough to get that accessory for die cutting and embossing machines.As many people probably know by now, as with dies, most of the accessories available from for manual die cutters from different manufacturers are pretty much interchangeable. I’ve used the Sizzix Multipurpose Platforn and magnetic platform, as well as the Sizzix cutting plates and chrome Precision base plate with the Platinum machine with no problem. I also use the Spellbinders cutting plates with the multipurpose platform. And I’ve used the Platinum machine with Movers and Shapers dies and the jewelry conversion kit with no problem. The Cut N Boss metal shim and plates, the Evolution Advance platform and cutting plates, the Todo plates, Cricut plates, and the Go Cut and Emboss plates, alone or coupled with varying degrees of paper or magnetic sheet shimming have all performed well for me in the Spellbinders Platinum machine. Basically, if I’ve come across a sale on a consumable for die cutters, I’ve gotten the plates and I’ve been able to use it with my Spellbinders Platinum. YMMV, especially if you’re not willing to experiment with various sandwich combinations.As far as detractors go, first regarding the fact that it comes with 6” cutting plates instead of the large plates: I sent a nicely worded email stating my disappointment about a large format die cutter being shipped with half sized plates. Within a couple of days, I received an extremely friendly email, after providing proof of purchase, sending their apologies and word that they will ship to me the larger cutting plates free of charge. The new plates came via UPS Surepost a few weeks later.Regarding problems some people have with die cutting, I have to say, especially concerning intricate dies, each die manufacturer makes their wafer dies to different specs, the cutting blades vary as much as 2mm sometimes, between manufacturers. This means that no matter which machine you’re using, whether it’s a Sizzix, or a Spellbinders, or a Gemini machine, when you get a chemically etched die from a new manufacturer, sometimes there is a fair amount of trial and error involved in getting a die to cut just right. Always start with new, flat cutting plates if possible. If the die doesn’t cut cleanly in 1 or 2 passes, using just the die, paper to be cut, and cutting plates, rotating the die and cutting plates 90 degrees between passes, you just add a cardstock shim (or two) to the sandwich in order to beef up your cutting sandwich. Then, keep those shims with your die so you always have what you need on hand to get a clean cut in 1 or 2 passes. It’s helpful to write the weight of the shimming paper in addition to the weight of the paper you are cutting, onto the shims so you have that as a reference for the next time you use that die, and for when that paper shim has been compressed too much through use, and must be replaced. Additionally, when my cutting plates have become worn down to where they aren't performing as well, I’ve learned to use a thin (the thinner the better), flexible, magnetic mat (the kind from the hardware store that you use to cover your heating vents work well, also sometimes I find letter sized magnetic sheets at the Dollar Tree) as a shim. This also helps keep your plates from wearing down as quickly, since they are consumables and must be replaced once in a while.I consider much of this crafting business, especially when I’m playing with a new machine (read toy), an exercise in experimentation. It’s tedious and frustrating sometimes, especially if you just want what you want and you want it now (GoPress and Foil, I’m looking at you). I get it. I’m just like that. But at the same time, I’m just happy to play. And to learn. And to try to be mindful of the process being as important as the end product, if not more so. So, my fellow crafters, remember to have fun in your journey of creating. I can’t wait to see what comes down the pipeline next.