Cricut 29-0817 Expression 24-Inch Personal Electronic Cutter with 3 Cartridges
Filed in Shop on Feb.04, 2010
- Cutting machine with cartridge-based system (no computer required)
- Cuts letters, shapes, or phrases in a variety of sizes from a variety of materials
- LCD screen shows exactly what's being typed for the next cut
- Includes manual, Quick Start guide, blade assembly, cutting mat, and 3 cartridges
- Measures approximately 25-1/2 by 9-1/2 by 12 inches; 1-year limited warranty
Product Description
The personal electronic cutting system is a cutting machine that uses cartridges contents to cut shapes or letters from cartridge
Cricut 29-0817 Expression 24-Inch Personal Electronic Cutter with 3 Cartridges
February 4th, 2010 at 9:03 am
I love the Cricket Expression! There is so much it can do! The cartridges can be pricey, but there are sales, etc and I haven’t paid full price yet. I love the ability to size my designs to fit the page I am working on and the ability to create words or designs that coordinate perfectly with the layout I am working on, because I choose the papers to use. There is so much it can do, I seem to learn something new every month. There are lots of online tutorials to expand your knowledge on this product. There are lots of accessories too, which make great additions to my “I want” gift list. The cartridges included in this bundle are good beginner cartridges, so you can begin to use it right out of the box.
Rating: 5 / 5
February 4th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
We ordered this for our daughter for Christmas 2008. It arrived very promptly, but not sure we got the extras that we thought we were getting. Description says 2 cartridges, but not which ones. We received one cartridge and a toolkit. Tried Amazon first, told to contact Cricut. We never did get response from Cricut, I read on their website how bad the company customer service department really is in returning emails. GOOD NEWS is that our daughter (who is 20) loves the Cricut Machine and has been using it nonstop to scrapbook. She said “easy to use and does what it claims to”. We just hope that we don’t have any problems because it sounds like we would get NO HELP FROM CRICUT.
Rating: 4 / 5
February 4th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Here’s what my neighbor had to say about it: “I use it some, but the cartridges are expensive and you never seem to have exactly what you want. I have not purchased the Sure Cuts A Lot software that allows you to cut any image and all True Type fonts without cartridges, but I am thinking about it. The main thing I DO NOT like is that when you cut a word (you can “weld” the letters together so it all comes out in one piece) getting glue onto it is really difficult. When I use my Xyron to apply adhesive, it leaves a lot of residue between the letters. My recommendation would be to set aside the $300 and use it to buy lots of Jolie embellishments and other premade items. Check out the SCAL Yahoo forums to see that software before deciding.”
Rating: 3 / 5
February 4th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
After seeing the informercial for the Cricut Expression, I was thrilled with the possibilities. As a teacher, and crafter, I was already generating ideas for my many uses for this machine – for my classroom and my many home projects. When I received it as a Christmas gift, I could not wait to get started. Within an hour, my thoughts on the machine were completely soured. I began by following the very easy set-up instructions, loading my piece of cardstock, and typing in the message. I hit the CUT button, and watched the little mechanical blade go to work. Then, I hit the unload paper button. When i slid out the plastic mat, I carefully inspected the cutting. It looked great. I peeled the paper off of the sticky surface only to see that the blade failed to cut completely through the cardstock. I made sure the pressure was set to max, and tried again. Same result. I then took a simple piece of looseleaf paper, and tried the same function. It worked. Peeling the paper off of the mat was close to impossible. I followed the rocking motion that the company promotes, and peeled off most of the paper, but there was residue left all over the mat. Sort of like when you try your best to peel a price tag off of an item, and some of it remains, along with some sticky glue here and there. What a mess! I am thoroughly disappointed in the performance of this machine, and am going to return it ASAP! Regular weight cardstock is supposed to be a breeze for this thing….especially with a brand new blade and cutting mat. In order for me to separate my “cut” letters from the cardstock, I would have to very carefully cut around each letter with a scissor. Isn’t the point of this machine to eliminate the scissors? I am very sad to report that this machine gets a thumbs down from me. I had such high hopes for it
Rating: 1 / 5
February 4th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
CONS:
Don’t get me wrong… I really enjoy my Cricut Expression, but there are times when I think it’s overwhelming and enjoy using my Cuttlebug more (which has NEVER failed me!) With the Cricut Expression machine, I’ve done a ton of trial and error. I use all different types of paper (cardstock, construction paper, chipboard, etc.), and each of these require different blades and pressure. It is frustrating to have to do it over and over until you find the right setting. I’ve wasted quite a bit of paper due to this. I still have yet to master cutting through the thickness of chipboard that I have, even with the deep cut blade. I think I’ll give in and just buy thinner stuff.
PROS:
I love that I don’t HAVE to buy their Cricut cartridges – I can use the software I downloaded and hook it up to my computer. This gives me endless amounts of different fonts and designs. Although a computer isn’t required to use the machine (if you use their cartridges), I find it much easier and less expensive to use the software! The possibilities are truly endless with this machine. I have done some pretty intricate designs that I wouldn’t have been able to do elsewhere. I can make my pictures and fonts as big or as small as I want and I love that! I do think the machine is easy to use but it takes some time to learn.
If you would mainly use the Cricut Expressions machine for fonts, I wouldn’t recommend it. However, if you’re truly looking for unique designs and you have some patience, the Cricut Expressions might just be what you’re looking for!
Rating: 4 / 5