By Sage McHugh on November 25, 2009 in
A Cricut is a machine designed to cut out designs and letters in various fonts and sizes. It's ideal for scrapbooking, card making, home decor, paper crafting and more.
Wal-Mart is offering the Cricut Expression Cutter for $188 and it's available in four colors. Since the Expression normally sells for $279, that's a pretty hefty savings.
Thirty consumers review the Cricut Expression at Amazon.com, where it earns a solid four-star rating. The majority of users rave about the machine, praising its efficiency, precise cutting, and versatility with various designs and fabrics. Scrapbook.com, a website for scrapbooking enthusiasts, has 57 reviews of the Expression. There, the machine receives a perfect five-star rating, and users are absolutely thrilled with it.
Jo-Ann Fabrics is also offering a Black Friday deal on a different Cricut model, the Personal Electronic Cutter. This Cricut usually goes for $200, but it's on sale for $75. ConsumerSearch found mostly positive reviews for the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter on Viewpoints.com, InfomercialRatings.com and Amazon.com, where it earns 4.5 stars. Owners say it's easy-to-use and works just as well as the larger, more expensive Circuit Expression.
So, which machine is right for you? That depends on what you're looking for in a cutter. Let's take a look at the features of each machine:
Similarities:
- Both cutters conveniently make letter and shape cutouts.
- They're equally praised for their precision and skill.
- All Cricut machines share the same blades and cartridges.
Differences:
- The main difference between the two machines is cutting size.
- The Expression fits 12" x 12" and 12" x 24" mat sizes, allowing you to cut characters from 0.25" to 23.5"
- The Personal Electronic Cutter, with a 6" x 12" cutting pad, is limited to shapes and letters ranging from 1" to 5.5".
The Cricut Personal Cutter is smaller and lighter, making it easier to carry around and store. Since the Expression is a much larger unit, it's intended to stay on a table or in a media room. In addition, the Cricut Expression offers several new modes and functions, allowing for greater cut customization. Unlike the Cricut Personal Cutter, the Expression has an LCD display and it can change languages and units.
