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Ok.... it sounds super cool... but I must admit.... I already have two of the red ones that Sizzix has had out for years. I had noticed they were clearing out the red ones and wondered why... since they work great with thinlits dies... perfect size machine if you're just going to be cutting small things like that... I have a bunch of alphabets, so when I'm using them, I just keep the Sidekick handy and use it...

but.... oh my goodness.... I bet they sell the crap out of these because they're brown and have Tim's name on them. LOL

https://www.sizzix.com/blog/coming-soon ... 6249130025

it looks like its the size of the small red one

Much as it sounds like a cool gizmo, I think I'll just stick with the Cuttlebug I've had for years. It's quick and easy to use, and unlike the Sidekick will use the steel rule dies... when it dies I'll invest in a Vagabond or something. But I can see how this would be handy if I didn't have the Cuttlebug so easy to get to.

Jill... it's exactly like the little red one....

I think there's a new shim of some kind that'll let the Sidekick work with the smaller steel dies... I'll be on the lookout for that...

Monica, don’t get a Vagabond, I had one quit on me and was stupid enough to buy another one, same thing. Sizzix doesn’t care either.

I wouldn't recommend a Vagabond either. The manual machines are much more reliable - not to mention, much more affordable.

Check your Tuesday Morning stores, too, if you're looking for a BigShot machine.... they may still have some available... I can't remember what they had named it, but they were marketing it toward quilters and had given it a fancy name... but it's just a pretty BigShot.... my TM store had it for around $50

And.... I'm definitely a manual machine when it comes to these... I can turn the crank.... and I don't have to worry about the motor freaking out

I believe they have one that Stephanie Barnard is pushing to, a sidekick in white? Are they just trying to get people jazzed up about an old machine? I had a sidekick and sold it years ago when I got my first Cuttlebug! I guess if you don't have the room it's nice but its size limits what you can do.

I understand for doing multiples of little dies it's nice, less cranking, but I don't really need more stuff to clog up the work space.

I think die cutting machines of all types are on sale right now at scrapbook.com

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not looking to buy anything new at the moment though, because my little Cuttlebug does everything I need and still has a small footprint as far as space needed. I do agree that perhaps they are trying to get people jazzed about an old product refurbished. And as has been proven before, if you put Tim's name on it people will buy.

Monica wrote:Thanks for the feedback. I'm not looking to buy anything new at the moment though, because my little Cuttlebug does everything I need and still has a small footprint as far as space needed. I do agree that perhaps they are trying to get people jazzed about an old product refurbished. And as has been proven before, if you put Tim's name on it people will buy.

Nancy is right. Stephanie has one too and it’s already available. It’s the same product just in different colors with someone’s name on it. Sheesh. Stephanie’s comes with an embossing folder and some dies. Big deal...$45. I can see it being handy if you want it on your desk all the time because you cut a lot of small dies.

Monica if you ever give up on the Cuttlebug (I had one for ages) I can highly recommend the Big Shot Plus. Though it’s a lot bigger than the regular Big Shot that is what makes it a super machine. It not only handles large dies (like Stephanie’s flip-it card dies) with ease it cuts beautifully. Much better than my Big Shot which I do keep around for traveling due to it’s size. But when I have a lot of cutting to do the Plus is awesome. It seems to have a greater pressure and because of that, embossing folders really get a deep impression.

Last night I used a thin die to cut double adhesive-backed foam. I was doubtful it would cut cleanly but it came out perfect including the stitched edges! It just reinforced my decision to get it last year. It does sit on my desk permanently and takes up a lot of room but I use it often to justify the real estate it takes up.

I will stick with my Big Shot as long as it lasts. Hubby repaired it once for me and it has worked great ever since.

paddlegal wrote:Monica if you ever give up on the Cuttlebug (I had one for ages) I can highly recommend the Big Shot Plus. Though it’s a lot bigger than the regular Big Shot that is what makes it a super machine. It not only handles large dies (like Stephanie’s flip-it card dies) with ease it cuts beautifully. Much better than my Big Shot which I do keep around for traveling due to it’s size. But when I have a lot of cutting to do the Plus is awesome. It seems to have a greater pressure and because of that, embossing folders really get a deep impression.

Last night I used a thin die to cut double adhesive-backed foam. I was doubtful it would cut cleanly but it came out perfect including the stitched edges! It just reinforced my decision to get it last year. It does sit on my desk permanently and takes up a lot of room but I use it often to justify the real estate it takes up.

Problem with the Big Shot Plus is the bigger footprint. I love that the Cuttlebug sides fold up, and it fits perfectly in the spot for it beside my die storage. I'm just hoping the thing lasts forever...

Monica wrote:

paddlegal wrote:Monica if you ever give up on the Cuttlebug (I had one for ages) I can highly recommend the Big Shot Plus. Though it’s a lot bigger than the regular Big Shot that is what makes it a super machine. It not only handles large dies (like Stephanie’s flip-it card dies) with ease it cuts beautifully. Much better than my Big Shot which I do keep around for traveling due to it’s size. But when I have a lot of cutting to do the Plus is awesome. It seems to have a greater pressure and because of that, embossing folders really get a deep impression.

Last night I used a thin die to cut double adhesive-backed foam. I was doubtful it would cut cleanly but it came out perfect including the stitched edges! It just reinforced my decision to get it last year. It does sit on my desk permanently and takes up a lot of room but I use it often to justify the real estate it takes up.

Problem with the Big Shot Plus is the bigger footprint. I love that the Cuttlebug sides fold up, and it fits perfectly in the spot for it beside my die storage. I'm just hoping the thing lasts forever...

Yes the BSP takes up a lot of room for sure. And Cuttlebugs are still in production.

The Tuesday Morning near Peggy... in Norfolk, VA... still had one of those other BigShot machines... it was one they pushed toward quilters and called it a FABI machine... but it's a BigShot... for $49.99 with the plates and a die, too... so a super deal if you're looking for a BigShot and can still find it at a local TM store.

I have the big shot and the sidekick. I've thought about doing away with the sidekick, but it does one thing that my big shot won't' do, and that's those long border dies (about 11.5" long). I have several, because way back when they came out, I thought they were the coolest thing. I have a specific set of 12" long "sandwich" plates for those, and they're longer than the big kick platform, so you can't use those with the big shot.

And I'm like Debi, if I'm going to be cutting a bunch of thinlets (and nothing original sized), I'll just use the sidekick because it's nice and small. I don't have any of the wafer-thin dies that are narrow enough to go through that machine, so I doubt I'll need any kind of adapter. However, if this thing sells well, I'll be on the lookout for some new border dies.