Friday, January 29, 2010

Fiskars 12" Personal Rotary Trimmer





Today I want to share a brand new trimmer with you that has just recently been released and is now available to purchase. This is the Fiskars 12" Personal Rotary trimmer. Here are some of the features of this trimmer-

1. Metal track that your rotary carriage runs on
2. Swing arm that comes out from the side giving you continuous measurements
3. A line on top of the blade carriage that shows you exactly where your cutting line is.
4. An easy lift guide under the blade rail to hold your paper in place as you cut.
5. A locking tab that locks your guide and rail in place for storage/travel.
6. 4 rubber corner stands and 3 black rubber stand underneath to prevent slipping
7. Measurement marking are done under the surface so they cannot rub off
8. This trimmer takes blade style "F" which means you have a variety of creative options including scoring, deckle, perforating, wave, scallop, and pinking.

So I gave this trimmer a little test run to see how it worked. I tend to line up my paper on the measurement line itself on a trimmer because normally I tend to get a straighter cut that way. For this trimmer I tried cutting two ways.

a. I cut by lining the cardstock up on the measurment line, got a straight cut.
b. I cut next by just sliding my cardstock to the measurement line but relying more on the top edge when cuttnig the paper. Again, this resulted in a straight cut.

The next thing I played around with was the locking clip. I slid it into place and then flipped my trimmer around a couple of times. It held tight. Next I tried shaking it up, down and sideways to see what would happen. Again, the clip held tight. Next I tapped it several times on the back of the trimmer board to see if the clip would move and it did not.

I have a very smooth desktop and I put the trimmer in place on the desk and then started cutting some scraps I had laying around. The 4 orange corner pegs held tight as I was cutting. This is great! I am going to guess though that you have to keep these legs dust free because over time if dust or dirt gets underneath it will lose it's rubber grip. So I plan once a month to take a damp cloth and just wipe them clean to keep dust and debris off of them.

Next I took a close look at the swing arm. Normally with these smaller personal trimmers I am challenged when I go to cut at the 5 1/2" mark. Not on this one. The markings are almost continuous. There is a gap between 5 1/8" and 5 1/2" where you cannot see any markings. But I probably don't use those markings as frequently as some of the others so it works for me!

Overall this trimmer is full of features for the price point and is an excellent personal trimmer. This is now the trimmer will take to crops or classes with me. My new crafty traveling companion!

One huge wish from Fiskars.....I am still in search of the ultimate 12" desktop trimmer that is heavy duty, stable, cuts straight, I don't need to replace strips, and a self sharpening blade, etc.

What do you look for in a trimmer? What is your favorite trimmer right now? What would your ultimate trimmer be like? Tell me all that you can about what the perfect trimmer would be like for you right down to the last little detail.......

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11 comments:

Tami Bayer said...

Thank you for this great review, Lisa. I have the older version of this trimmer and the measurements on the swing arm are my biggest beef. This seems like a big improvement, but I'd still like to see a 5 1/4" cut mark. I use that one a bunch and I'm always guessing. sigh.

Suzi said...

I would like to be able to cut more than one sheet of DP or CS at a time with accurate results. I would like to be able to cut very narrow strips accurately. I use my Boston guillotine a lot. It's just convenient, but I've noticed lately that it seems to have somehow warped and the measurements are off just a tad. I don't like that. I can't get my fingers under the safety bar, probably a good thing, but that means I can't hold a narrow strip in place. I have a cutter bee that I like for the variety of blades, and I like my little Fiskars because it seems more accurate on small things. I guess accuracy is the most important.

mustangkayla said...

Great review! Thank you! I love your siggy by the way...very cute!

I have a Making Memories Rotary Trimmer. I've had it roughly a year (give or a take a couple months). I love that I don't have to replace blades and it cuts really nice. I don't like that it screaches when I cut. I e-mailed into MM with my problem and they told me to oil it. But didn't tell me where or how and I fear if I did that I'd do it wrong and I would forever get oil on my papers. The other thing I don't really care for about it is that if you have a 2" wide strip of paper and try to cut it in half it is VERY difficult as the shield thing is in the way. I would say over all that I have gotten my moneys worth out of it. I used a 40% off coupon at Michales which dropped the price to my price range. The shield did break on me, but MM was very quick and kind to send me a replacement part at no cost to me.

I also have a Fiskars (not sure which one, its 2+ years old) that is purple and has the swing out arm. I'm quite disappointed in this one. I dont' have any measurements on it anymore but in the center, so I can't see the numbers. I feel like it cuts crooked and that I have to replace blades VERY often. But, I still tote it around when I crop at a firends cause it is small and light.

Did you happen to try any of the other blades like the scallop or scoring?

Lisa's Scrap Site said...

I THINK YOU JUST SHOWED IT,I LOVE THIS ONE,THANKS,LISA,FOR THE PREVEIW.

Anonymous said...

I would like a trimmer that you can use different blades in it.I would like one that would cut sraight,that is easy to use.

Joan Fiskateer #808

LollyChops said...

It has a metal track???? HOW COOL!

I AM SOLD!

I have 2 Fiskars rotary trimmers and I LOVE them to pieces... I am totally going to have to get this one too!

Thanks for the overview!

bessie said...

I mainly use the purple cows guillotine trimmer, that one is cool. Just align and snip. I use the fiskars with the ipod dock when things get a bit quiet around here. But it is bulky though, so it just stays inside the house.

Dawnree said...

Thank you for the review, I have been looking for a new trimmer and really like the idea of a rotary one.

sandyh50 said...

I am so happy to read your review! I love my Fiskars trimmers and do not have a rotary one yet! I like a clean crisp cut so I do change blades often. Do you have to do that with the rotary one? I like your new blog design, very easy on the eyes and bright and friendly.

BethW said...

#2 son got me one of these for my birthday last year-I so love it I have to stop myself from kissing it goodnight!

BethW said...

I did not notice was rotary-oh dear my beloved trimmer may have some competition coming.