Love the video.. very informative... Was looking at the Joy initially for price just for labels, mug size pictures, Christmas baubles... Cards etc nothing to big but the more I see the more I'll wana create... So think I want the Explore 2 now lol....
Thank you so much! Most people that start out on the Joy do end up upgrading, the Explore Air 2 is a fantastic machine that will take you very far with not much more financial input - its a great choice if you arent interested in embossing/engraving, etc!
The Maker and Air 2 can also cut Smart Materials. I think the only real difference is the Bluetooth capabilities but that’s not even different. My Maker is linked to my Bluetooth. It’s just the price.
They can cut smart materials yes, but with a mat (though I am sure they can cut without a mat too to be honest, havent tried yet). The length they can cut and fast cutting are the biggest differences
The most important question I cannot find any precise answers for anywhere is PRECISION. Which is crucial for me as I bough the JOY and it's simply not precise enough especially when working with text cutting on foil, where it's simply not precise enough to cut a lot of smaller letters with thinner lines and holes. I cannot find any good comparison between those bigger Cricut machines in terms of precision cuts.
What kind of foil are you cutting? I often find that when I am not getting fine accurate cuts its because of a few things: My mat is not sticky enough, my material is not stuck down well enough, my blade is not sharp enough. In order to get very fine very accurate cuts all of those factors should be pristine. Also need to bear in mind that perhaps the machine itself is not perfect - this kind of work requires such delicate and precise measurements that even the slightest misalignment of something could mean issues for super accurate cuts, and this will vary from machine to machine even within the same model. So one Joy could cut perfect,y and the next one may be slightly less accurate
It all depends on which machine was treated better. The cameo is a safer bet second hand, as Cricuts can be deactivated if there is something faulty with them, dishonest people then sell on the deactivated unit as if it were in working order unfortunately.
Nice video and pretty informative. The only thing I question is that you state that each device can cut a certain amount of material. You need to clarify that further. Is it lifetime numbers or in a given number of hours. People shouldn't need to assume what you are saying or meaning!!! It should be clearly stated. If you're making a review it should be inclusive of ALL pertinent information. Otherwise very good video and information.
Hey Kelly still can't decide which machine to buy, I would like to start designing custom food packaging boxes such as fries and popcorn boxes for my small business, so a little help here please Also what material will be best for that?
You will need to consider what other fun stuff you want to do. Do you want to engrave? Deboss? Cut heavy leather, chipboard? If your answer is no, go for the Explore! :)
@@KellyRossouwI just watched your advanced card making tutorial and i think I might wanna have more fun someday so I'll go for maker 3 Thank you so much for replying I appreciate it!
I am so confused or do I not buy any , I am thinking that the 12 ft is a nice length as well and the smart & faster machine would be really nice too. It’s so complicated! You see why I’m confused! So many items I want to make !
I totally get it, I have been there! I would suggest asking yourself: Do I regularly want to cut 12ft? If the answer is no - then go for the Maker. It comes with 2 mats AND a rotary blade, Fantastic machine.
Hi Kelly, do you have to have a printer in order to use any of the machines? I'm completely new but am keen on buying one so wanting to find out as much info 😊
Is there a way to make the Explore more portable? Just get a tote or carrying case of some kind?🤔I wanted the ability to take the machine to my job if necessary without worrying about damaging it.
Oh no! it may just be the device :( have you reached out to support? both the Explore and Maker ranges have both capabilities for Bluetooth and USB cable.
Thank you so much for your advice. My husband and I are thinking of starting a small business using Cricut. Would it ve possible to use materials that aren't purchased from Cricut? If so, would you recommend which suppliers we can use in South Africa. Thank you
You absolutely dont have to use Cricut only supplies! The supplier greatly depends on what you want to buy, not all suppliers have the same things :) Try Maizeys/Snippy Sisters for Vinyl/htv, Customisable.co.za for perspex, and SA Sublimation blanks for sublimation goodies to name a few!
Hi Kelly thanks so much, now its a bit clear. Can i get your advice, i want to do words , sayings on fabric, chocolate wrappers , like easy sellable things. Doing fabric things do i need a press. Then what would you recommend.? My time is so little i cant play with it yet, it has to work for me, if that make sense. Just to mention i have a brother scan ( i am ashamed to say i havent used it)and cut , but with all the videos it seems the cricut is a beter option and laser machine . Would appreciate your advice, thanks
Hello! I am so new to this that I sometimes don't even understand what you're saying - haha. So want I want to be able to make is greeting cards and I'd like to be able to print out planning and journaling stickers from etsy and cut them out. Will the Cricut Joy do this? Thanks in advance for your help!
You can unfortuntely not print then cut on the Joy, with the prices of the machines at the moment I would suggest looking at the Maker - always the best idea to stretch a budget as far as you can wheb buying the machine - otherwise the Explore Air 2 will be able to make those items - but not the "fun" stuff properly like engraving, debossing etc (without hacks and workarounds)
Will these machines allow for paneling? In other words, if I want to make something that is 20 inches high, will it allow me to cut the vinyl into 2 pieces (top and bottom) and then piece them together to complete the design?
@@KellyRossouw i’m still undecided between the Cricut and the silhouette. I’m trying to weigh the pros and cons and I guess it may just come down to expense of replacement blades and things of that nature and how long the blades will last. Do you have any input on that? I’m wanting to buy pretty soon
HELLO THERE what a great video. Where can you get the Acetate for the the cricut joy in Cape Town and would i need to buy a specific blade for that Please ? with thanks Meryl
Smart materials is vinyl/iron on that is 33cm wide and can be used on your machine(s) without a mat. They are designed for the Explore 3/Maker 3 (and the smaller rolls for the Joy)- but you can also use them on your other machines
Hi there! Are you wanting to cut out scrapbooking fussy cut paper? If so, the Cricuts arent design to cut fussy cut sheets with accuracy without a lot of fiddling, you may struggle with that. To my knowledge, the Brother may be a better option if this is what you want to do. If you are meaning boxes and other similar objects then any machine will work :)
Hey guys, I'm new to cricut and want to know how to get the black square box to print with my print and cut ? Any suggestions? I have a hp Deskjet 2635 printer .
Hi Charity! Welcome to the Cricut world! You need to make sure to flatten your image which changes it to a print then cut operation type. You can check out this video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P7MH1VgINEk.html
Depends on what you want to do with your boxes! Just plain cutting cardstock and paper : Explore air 2 works perfectly. Do you want to deboss, engrave etc? Then Maker.
None of them unless you want an expensive book end , each update breaks the design space app more and the customer service doesn't have any idea how to fix anything. If you want to spend hundreds of dollars to make stuff and then update the app and have it no longer work than buy this piece of SHIT
Thank you for sharing your experience! Everyone has different experiences, and although I havent experienced any of the problems you mention, im sorry that your journey has been frustrating for you 💚 I hope you find something that works for you soon!
