Cricut Explore vs. Expressions with SCAL vs. Siloutte

I am interested in buying a new machine to have more freedom with images. I would love to cut SVG files. The new explore only lets you do this with a monthly subscription fee. Any thoughts on these three options? I meant the SCAL 3 with the eclips. Sorry, i know SCAL 3 wont work with the Cricut.

silhouette cameo is what I recently bought and have not regretted it. I use it with both SCAL 3 and the free software studio it comes with.

you have the option of buying a monthly subscription to the Silhouette store or just paying for what you want.

OR just going to all the svg sites and get what you want (what I've been doing for a couple years now).

anyone know if the silhouette cuts chipboard?

Yes, the Silhouette Cameo does cut chipboard, probably thin chipboard, but I think that's true with most of the machines. Check the Silhouette America website - they have some chipboard how to's.

I have the old Silhouette SD - I love it! Originally, I wanted to use SVGs, but in the end, I've used mostly cutting files from Silhouette. They're inexpensive, and it's just easier.

Ok, the Expression no longer works with 3rd party software unless you can find it (which I do not recommend because most are no good). The Explore will allow you to cut SVGs ONLY if you pay the $9.99 monthly subscription. There may be a work around that though. The Silhouette will allow you to cut SVG files as well. BUT you will have to purchase the Designer's software. It is $50 however, there are deals out there. I paid $25 for mine. That is a one time fee. The Silhouette does cut chipboard. However, it only cuts very thin chipboard. Silhouette actually have chipboard which is formulated to work in the cameo/portrait. It does not have a lot of force. If you are wanting to cut chipboard, I would recommend the Gazelle or the Eclips. Both have more cutting force. The Gazelle is a little more than what the Explore will be when it is ready for purchase and the new Eclips will be less than the original. Both come with software. Both machines cut very well The Zing is good too. I do not own it, but have heard from my friend who owns one it is the best purchase she's ever made.

I have found with the cameo if you cut cereal box thickness chipboard it does fine if I want something thicker which isn't to often I just stack several layers together. About the only think I consistently need chipboard for is album covers and I cut it with my old cutter.

The cameo cuts bazzill and american craft paper so smooth and in such tiny cuts it is my go to machine. Still have my expression so I can use my ctmh cartridges but I love the cameo and will never go back to Provo craft

That's just my 2 cent

I cut chipboard with the Silhouette a lot. If I want it to look thicker I just use pop dots. You can get the designer software for $35.

Cricut Explore does not come out until the middle of February, but I believe it will cut chipboard. My Expression does and I think the other Cricuts do. Plus they just announced that the svg stuff (uploading and cutting) will be free. Free works for me.

That's exactly what I've been thinking.... that the images in the Silhouette store for purchase would just be easier to use than hunting down SVG's and having to do the outline process. (?? I'm not exactly sure how that is supposed to work.)

I'm a Cricut Expression 2 owner, but I've been researching and considering the Cameo for some time now. I was just about ready to take the big plunge when they announced the new Cricut Explore coming out. Now I'm in a wait-and-see mode. I want to see what the new Cricut has to offer and if it is going to live up to their promises this time. I'm just a little leery about switching to the Cameo, because I am very comfortable with the Cricut. However, I love the wide variety of images that the Silhouette online gallery offers for download. My one disappointment right now is that the Cameo doesn't seem to be compatible with the IPad. Bummer! If they would resolve that one issue, I think that would be the deciding factor for me and I would go with the Cameo. I've read so many good reviews of it online and very few negatives. I'd love to hear any feedback/suggestions from this forum. Thanks!

Cricut is letting users upload and cut svgs for free now. I'm assuming that means SCAL will work with the new machine. The subscription you've mentioned is only for Cricut's image library not to use svgs and can be cancelled at any time. Compared side-to-side The Explore is more attractive to me. I like the dual carriage idea (score/mark/draw and cut in one pass) and the option of access to 25,000 images for a whole month for less than I've paid for a cartridge. I also love free option of uploading my own images.

Courtney Lane Designs has http://courtney-lane.blogspot.com/2014/02/explore-on-hsn.html one of her recent blog entries and it's this chart that sold me on the Explore over the Cameo.

Not really sure if that chart was accurate. No replaceable blades for the Cameo? I own the Cricut Expression and the Silhouette. In my experience, the Silhouette is a superior machine (don't have the newest Cricut). It cuts 100% better and the images are constantly on sale and you can get 150 images a month for $15.00 (on sale). I have also found that you can get almost any true type font online for free (love that part). People on Pinterest are always posting free images. I took a class from my LSS and was amazed at what the Silhouette can do. On the other hand, I like the idea of a dual cartridge. I also found that PC is hot and cold with their customer service. I would love to see a demo of the new Cricut. I have 128 cartridges that I need to start using again.

So this is one of the places that the "Cameo doesn't have a replaceable blade" lie is coming from...SMH... Yes, technically you replace the entire housing system, not just the blade, but I've used both systems (old SD blades were replaced while continuing to use the same housing system) and honestly there's no big difference--other than it's MUCH easier to drop and ruin a skinny little blade than the who new system.

As for the rest of the chart...what a joke...obviously it was written up by someone with Cricut and not a unbiased "let's test and compare both products" person. The subscription plan they mention is the most useless one out there. As for all of the Cricut features...well, time and real users will tell...

I thought the same thing. I have 5 Cricuts and 1 Cameo. That being said, I think the Cameo is by far a better machine.
HSN didn't seem to do a very good demo on how the machine actually works, so like said above, it is a wait and see,
My question was (and still is!) is the machine going to actually cut better, so it can actually compare to the Cameo, or does it just have more bells and whistles?
How much more do we need it to do? when I would just be happy knowing it could actually cut a "round circle".
As far as the membership? So PC is giving unlimited access to their image library for $9.99 a month? So, if you don't continue your monthly service, you have nothing to cut unless you start buying carts? With the Cameo, when I purchase an image, it is mine to cut, with or without a continued monthly fee.
I really do hope for those who bought one that it will be an awesome machine! But I don't think it will ever end up in my arsenal!! Of all my Cricut machines, I think my favorite is the Mini-which now can be purchased for about $69. !! Had that one come out first...boy would I have saved some money!!

I have had my Silhouette for 15months and the blade is still awesome. I have gone through a fair amount of mats, but the blade works forever.

I am in the process of deciding which machine to purchase. After ready several post and companions, I have to ask why would any one need 3 or 4 and in some cases 5 machines? Maybe 2 but these machines are $200-$350 and they all basically do the same thing with a few minor differences.

I am updating my earlier post.... I caved and bought the Explore.
I like this machine!!! Not so much the software...yet.

As for why so many machines?
Even tho they are basically the same, they each have something different about them.

Secondly, (and I am not saying this in a snotty tone) I buy them because I can. I will briefly explain.
We don't do any adult gifts for birthdays, Christmas, no Valentines day, I don't even like my kids to buy me anything for Mother's Day,
I am a very simple person, don't like to clothes shop or shoe shop, no designer $350. purses, no jewelry, I don't even wear my wedding ring! I don't drink or smoke ( I see the amount of money people spend on those habits, I work in a grocery store where we sell both), we don't even go to the movies!
We were suppose to go to Florida this summer and that got cancelled, so I treated myself to the new Cricut, $300. Is nothing compared to the few thousands I would have spent on vacation!

So I treat myself to things when I feel the need! Every few years I'll spend $200.-300. on a new toy, not so bad, right!

I like to spend on my hobby and my 3 granddaughters!

I gave my original Cricut to a friend who didn't have one and I'm thinking about giving my 1st Expression to my granddaughters school (if they want it).

Trish, you don't have to explain your purchases! Sometimes a girl just needs what she needs. I have been eyeing the Explore for the new features also. I don't ask for much for gifts. I like to buy things when I see them. I didn't get a birthday gift for years and then just bought an iPad. Seemed fair.

How does it cut in comparison to the Silhouette, Trish?

Just wanted to add to this. My silhouette decided to die it had a short, I emailed silhouette sent it back to them they sent me a new machine no questions asked and it once again cuts amazingly.

• 950nancy Said:

Very fair!!
Don't you just love the Ipad!!
I can't see myself ever living without one now!

• 950nancy Said:

I cannot complain at all about its cutting ability.
I have not cut one thing so far that I've had trouble with, and that includes textured paper.
I would say it is every bit comparable to the Cameo. (minus the print and cut feature)(which is suppose to be coming).
I watched every YouTube vid out at the time before I made my decision to purchase it.
And I do love the print feature, now I can choose a tag/label, do my journaling and all in one pass, it's done! I did a LO today with a journaling spot, name tags and date- I'll post tomorrow if you wanna look. The font I used was a TTF and that feature seems to work well!
Still "iffy" on the software, but I am getting better at it !! I am very happy with my purchase and have no buyers remorse at all!
I guess this proves, never say never !!

I have had my Cricut Expression and a load of cartridges for quite some time now, but I never have used it much. I'm not impressed with the precision of the cutting, and it is time consuming to search for the cut I want. I found that the CCR image search function was a lifesaver there.

Anyway, I broke down and bought the Cameo when sb.com had them on sale last Christmas. It took almost three months of reading and researching YouTube before I had the courage to try it, but I haven't looked back since! It's totally awesome! I just use the Silhouette store for images, but if you can think it there's probably a cut there for it. It does intricate cuts perfectly . . . I know since I keep testing waiting for it to fail. Also, I love the ease with which you can size images to your exact needs, and add or subtract image elements.

Carol, I agree! The Cameo is a great machine and in my opinion still has top rank between it and the Explore. But the cutting ability of the Explore is equal to the Cameo. We've never been able to compare a Cricut to the Cameo before, with this machine, you can!

These are the things that ,to me, still make the Cameo a better overall machine/system-
1. Software- I don't like the virtual mat on the Cricut software and how you access your images.
2. Print and cut feature- Cricut doesn't have it (yet) for images.
3. Shadowing- Cameo you can make a shadow for any image, no shadow feature with the Explore.
4. Subscription- With Explore once you stop paying, you're out, with Cameo, whatever you've paid for is still yours to cut even if you don't have a subscription.

Hi,

I know that this thread hasn't had any comments since April 2014, but I thought I would share my own thoughts on the Cricut Explore.

I bought my very first and only cutting machine, the Cricut Explore in Oct. 2014, when it was a special of the day on HSN. I love its cutting ability. I have used mostly the Print then Cut function which has allowed me to cut very intricate images, that I would have never had the patience to cut with scissors.

I have only uploaded to the online program "Cricut Design Space" my own images (clip art, I have been collecting since 2001, mostly from places like pccrafter.com which is no longer in business, and other sites online) I have yet to Buy any Cricut images, and I do NOT have any subscriptions to the Cricut online library of cartridges and single images.

You can Upload SVGs and/or any Vector based images, from 3rd party sources such as SVGCuts. You WILL NOT be charged any additional fees for uploading your own clip art or designs, or svgs, etc.

You would only be charged if you are purchasing a Subscription to Cricut images/cartridges, or buying exclusive content such as Disney images, etc. or buying single images (currently 99 cents each, the monthly subscription to access all cartridges/images, except for exclusive content, from Disney etc is 9.99 a month)

If you already Own any Cricut Cartridges, and have linked them to Cricut Craft Room in the past, you would have access to them in the new Design Space used exclusively for Cricut Explore Owners.

If you own an older Cricut machine, and have cartridges that you use for them, you would still be able to use that particular machine the same way you do now.

If you have any Cricut Cartridges or buy any in the future (the actual physical cartridge), you can Link those to Cricut Design Space, and they would always be there for you, even if you do not have a subscription to Cricut. Once you own a physical cartridge it is yours to use forever. But Explore owners, must link to Design Space via their machines, the machine itself can not run the cartridge on its own, offline, you would still be required to go online to use the images from the cartridge.
If you own older cricuts you would still be able to use those physicial cartridges the same way you always had.

Its important to remember that Cricut Explore owners MUST USE THE INTERNET to use their machines, the Cricut Design Space is totally online use only.
Your computers and internet must meet minimum requirements of:
System Requirements
Operating System (Windows): Vista, 7 or 8+
Operating System (Mac): v10.6, 10.7, 10.8 or 10.9
Processor: 2.33 GHz (Windows) or 1.83 GHz (Mac)
RAM: 1GB
Display: 1024 x 768 resolution
Browser: Internet Explorer 9+, Mozilla Firefox 17, Google Chrome 20, Safari 5.1+
Port: USB
Software: Current version of Adobe Flash
Internet: High-speed broadband connection
Accepted File Formats: JPG, BMP, PNG, GIF, SVG and DXF

If you have a slow computer, or a slow or unreliable internet connection, the Cricut Explore is NOT the machine for you.

The Explore can cut from more materials than the Silhouette Cameo, and seems to have an edge amongst crafters who own both machines, in its cutting ability, especially with intricate cuts.

Both machines have very loyal users, and are capable of a variety of projects that are only limited by your own imagination.

I love my Explore, and being able to cut out my vast amount of clip art has opened my mind to more creativity.

I expect since the Explore is coming up on its 1 yr old birthday, that during the year 2015, changes in the online experience of Design Space etc will be improved and enhanced. There will be an IPAD app released for Ipad owners to use Design Space, but nothing has been planned for Android users.

All in All, the Explore is an excellent cutting machine, but Silhouette owners may choose to disagree