Thursday, August 30, 2012

Tonic Studio Paper trimmer review

These tutorials/reviews are a product of extensive reading, researching and lots of time spent on making them. Please do not copy, or share on your page (for promoting your items in your shop) unless I give you permission to do so. Please ask nicely....I won't say no...but you need to ask.... You can link it on your blogs if you have used these tutorials...please share the link with me when you do use these tutorials...I would love to stop by and see what you have done! 

I had a whole rant post typed up....but after I finished ranting...I felt so good...didn't want to post it...
Simply because people are not going to change by my ranting ... so I choose to walk away from such people... I tend to carry my heart on my sleeve and am not ashamed of it. That's what makes me who I am and maybe that's why I am prone to ranting so much... :p

So without further ranting ...here's my review.. Kinda picture heavy...

Here's my Tonic Studio 12x6 paper trimmer...its huge..I can tell you that..but worth every penny...There are many reasons why I chose this...over the Fiskars Sure Cut or any other trimmer. (sorry about the dark and glary photos, it is a cloudy day)

 This is how your trimmer looks when it arrives.... the other essential stuff is stored at the back...so its pretty compact...If I didn't have a space crunch, I would have gone for a 12x12 for sure....With a 40% discount from JoAnn's, this cost me around 20$. And free shipping courtesy mom and dad

 
This is how the extras store in the back. The extendable arm has slots which click in place. It will never fall off...that I can assure you. 


This is after I've attached the handle and the extendable arm. Usually I don't bother attaching the handle...but if I'm cutting heavy papers, I do use it. Its a fabulous soft grip...so if you're cutting 10 papers or 100, I doubt you would have a problem. 

My Pros
1.See the transparent thingie? It has two metal springs at each end...It holds your paper down, so that it doesnt shift while you're trimming or cutting. 

2. Space... I have a space crunch and needed something that would fit into a drawer and out of sight...this does the job perfectly. 



3. The foldout arm has a base that is again foldable. So your extendable arm doesn't bend down or break. Its a support.
  
4 .The top grid .. has markings in cms and inches....and has upto 6 inches... What I don't like though, is that I can't cut a half inch strip from a strip less than one inch. For that, my other small Fiskars guillotine comes handy.

5.. The bottom of the grid has markings for regular card sizes...4.25 and 5.5. I tend to use the top measuring scale. There is a scale again in the middle too...which I find useful in lining up. 


 6.  This is my biggest reason for buying a guillotine trimmer. Be it printer paper, thick 300 gsm card stock or 80 gsm papers, everything cuts like butter.  And I can challenge a Fiskars Sure cut to give me these cuts...I've seen thin papers get shredded like a blunt scissor cut it,on a Sure Cut...That made me sure that I needed this.

I can cut multiples of these strips and with ease....I didn't know what to label the extreme left strip..its half of a 1/16th strip....these look big, but try cutting these yourself and you'll get an idea. I might take some comparison photos and put up at a later date.

7. The second biggest reason...I don't have to replace the blade. This is a self sharpening blade..the more I use, the sharper it stays.  Less/more usage doesn't affect  it. With a Sure Cut or any trimmer that uses a blade, you are dependent on the availability of blades. With Sure Cut, if you cut the guiding wire, your trimmer is gone...You have to replace the rubber guide on which the blade glides every 6 months, and change the blade every 3-6 months depending on your usage.
        Me, I don't have to worry for the next 5 years.

CONS

My only grudge is the small distance between 6 - 6.5 is not that easy to judge. So for this measurement again, I have to rely on my small trimmer. But other than this...I really don't have major grudges....
Sure, they could have numbered on the sides, and given measurements too. But then it is impossible to have everything  I guess....

So, if you're deciding between a guillotine and a line trimmer, my suggestion would be the Guillotine...as for the brands, there are tons...Everyone has come out with their own paper trimmer, and if you wanted my opinion, I would say the X-acto Laser Paper trimmer but it retails for around 70-80$. After that is the Tonic Studio.

I haven't tried to cut multiple sheets, but I think I can cut at least 5-6 easily at one go. And one teensy warning, don't run your finger down the edge of the newly cut paper. I've had more paper cuts than I can figure out how I've got them!

If  you have an questions, go ahead ask me.

8 comments:

  1. Reading this, I regret spending 2k on the fiskars.. Should have gone for this one but getting for me would have difficult... :D.. Superb review!

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  2. Thanks for the review.on the flip side I already have a fiskars trimmer...so may be will go for this later.Its nice to see you back.I hear ya about feeling good after ranting...as long as you feel good no need to post it if you are not upto it.
    Take care and blog more.I love to read your posts

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  3. Oh gosh wish i had got a reveiw for a good paper trimmer from you before buying my Fiskar's one!! having read your pro's for this one and seeing the price i think this could have been perfect for me but alas i have to make the best of my Fiskar's.. i guess!!
    As always you have done a fantastic Review ...covered all the major points and doubts...Thanks for that :)

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  4. Great to see you back Tejal!!!Keep up and posting:)

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  5. Thanks for your reviews tejal..your post about ms scoreboard really helped me to take a decision on my purchase..n i finally got ms scoreboard and fully satisfied n happy with it !!
    Keep posting such reviews !!

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  6. this is awesome tee ...and yess am happy u feeling better after ranting! if it helps it helps...hehehe

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  7. OMG Tejal, u absolutely read my mind! I have been thinking about buying a trimmer for some time now and was clueless about what to get, this has been so helpful.
    Thanks so much for the review!

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  8. Thanks for review....it's been a great help

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