How We Research
Every guide on The Dies Have It starts with one question: will this machine work for the person who is shopping for it? For cutting machines, that means what you want to cut, how wide your projects run and how much setup you'll put up with.
Here is how we answer it.
1. We start with your craft
A card maker, a quilter and a T-shirt maker each need something different. A hand-crank die cutter is a fine fit for cards and scrapbook pages, and a fabric project may need a different tool altogether.
We check the machine type first. When your craft limits the choice, we say so.
2. We compare specs and features
We look at the cutting width, the mat or plate sizes, the materials the maker lists and the blades or dies it uses. For electronic cutters we also check whether the machine needs an app or an account to work, and what comes in the box.
Sizzix, Spellbinders, Cricut, Silhouette, Brother and AccuQuilt describe their machines in their own words, so we name the brand for every claim. We also note the warranty terms the maker lists.
3. We look at buyer feedback
We read through what buyers report after using a machine. We look for patterns, like cutting that skips, mats that lose their grip, plates that bend, noise and hard-to-find parts.
One angry review doesn't sink a product. A pattern does.
4. We score each product
Our score weighs specs, features and buyer feedback against what you're shopping for. A machine that's great for one reader may score lower in a guide written for another.
Scores spread out on purpose. A 10 is rare.
5. We keep pages up to date
Makers retire models and release new ones, and some bundles disappear from stores. Machines also come in near-identical kits, so we check each model name and what comes in the box, and we only link new units.
We skip unknown brands with no track record and any machine with a known recall. When we update a guide, the "Updated on" date at the top changes with it.
What our picks are not
Our picks are research, not lab tests. We don't claim to have used every machine we cover.
Cutting blades are sharp and some machines have moving parts that can pinch fingers. Keep hands clear while a machine runs and follow the maker's manual.
We don't call any machine safe or easy, and we label maker claims as the maker's claims.