Brother ScanNCut SDX85C Electronic DIY Cutting Machine with Scanner, Make Vinyl Wall Art, Appliques, Homemade Cards and More with 251 Included Patterns,Charcoal

I have not owned a Brother machine of any kind in decades! My last was a typewriter that I really liked. Lol. I spent a vast amount of time searching for my first cutting machine. I didn't want anything that required a paid subscription, which eliminated the more well-known brand and I was fine with that. So when I first saw a YouTuber demonstrating this Brother ScanNCut SDX85C, I felt like this was the way to go. The scanning ability was the first thing to grab me because I like having versatility. So even though most of my projects will be uploaded to my cutter by way of a USB flash drive, I know that scanning will offer a great alternative for templated projects and patterned materials to be stored onto my flash drive, then uploaded to my Mac for use.I have not used my SDX85C heavily yet, as I am still selecting proper materials for my projects, but I did create the enclosed gift/treat box and it came out perfectly. The instructions were easy to follow, placing and removing the cardstock from the included mat went well too. Each cut was clean and precise. However, I did experiment a little bit by making a tree that I found in the Brother library. I only had a lighter-weight cardstock on-hand and the mat ended up being too sticky for it. So it was a chore removing every bit of the design and excess paper from it, but that was the chance I took. Now I know for that particular cardstock, I'll need to use a light tack mat or find another solution. But I don't blame the machine or the provided mat. My inexperience caused that inconvenience. Plus, the cardstock wasn't coated or textured like the enclosed sample, so surely, that had a lot to do with it.Using the display panel has been easy to understand. There are many shapes and project guides accessible through the touch screen and the Brother CanvasWorkspace. One YouTuber who does how-to videos for Brother cutting machines demonstrated that there are more design options when working through the offline version of the CanvasWorkspace as opposed to the online version. My intention from the very start was to only use the offline version, so I was happy to hear that. I have plans to use my machine for creating projects out of many different types of materials so having the auto-blade included is such a convenience. With a cutting depth of 3 mm, that will be sufficient for every type of material that I can think of, that I would want to cut with this machine. Anything else that is thicker that I care to work with, is generally much harder, so I'd use a laser cutter for such projects.I love that there are two compartments inside of the door where I can store the tools that I will use most often. I can even fit my 8" bookbinding bone folders in the left compartment, along with my rotary cutter and other smaller tools. The cutting surface is an ample and appropriate size for everything that I currently have in mind to cut. Be aware that at times, the cutting mat will shoot part way out the back of the machine to readjust the alignment for certain sections of your material. So be sure to have space to fully extend the rear tray about 3" and another 4-6" for the protrusion of the cutting mat beyond that. Overall the unit does have a large footprint so plan for that. As far as noise, I find it to be at a level that is not bothersome at all. I actually enjoy the sounds of my various machines working hard on my behalf so I may be partial. But the sound definitely isn't overbearing or likely to drown out conversations, TVs, etc.To date, the only complaint that I have is that the mats are quite pricey, especially when compared to other brands selling as multi-packs for the same price or less. I wish that Brother would have also included a light, heavy-duty, and fabric mat. Perhaps the higher priced models do or you'd have to catch a bundling deal, which I didn't. Other than that, I'm not a fan of hard-tipped styluses. I prefer the soft, rubbery tips. So I bought a set to replace the included stylus and purchased some additional hand tools as well. I know that once I really dive in, I'm going to be using my cutter on a daily basis. I'm already planning to get the adapters for foiling and freehand drawing/writing, and who knows what else is out there to expand its already great level of functionality! I'm looking forward to all that I will learn about my machine's capabilities after all this time of dreaming up ways that I'd like to use it, and the multitude of beautiful items that will be created. So far, I am very happy with choosing the Brother SDX85C, and knowing the expansive lengths that my designing mind will go, I'm really hoping that this machine can take me there every step of the way.

I have bought so many of these DIY cutters and they have all just been a mess. This one is awesome. It actually works and it does a great job.

Kids love it!!!!!!!!

Been scrapbooking forever and buying stamps and die sets for years. The average cost of a die set is $25. If you take just ten sets of dies, you could purchase one brother machine and save a fortune. I have both a cricut and silhouette and the ease of just cutting around your stamp; there is no contest. Even if you just brought the brother for cutting out stamps..... it would be worth it.

The media could not be loaded. The first run through did mess up my vynil but after adjusting the settings it worked perfect. I love the brother machines. Had a brother designncut and bought this new one. They are a bit differentThey do not use the same mats so I had to buy more. The blade that comes with it is amazing. It does all the guessing for you.. it can even cut up to a 3mm basswood. Great buy for the money..Also you download the brother canvas workshop and it's free unlike the other cutting machines. That's the very beat part.

This was an upgrade from my CM250, I wanted a wireless feature.Difficult to set up, instructions not clear.It cut Stampin’ Up!’s Basic White cardstock perfectly; however, when I used SU colored cardstock it left a dust of cardstock on the mat OUTSIDE the cutting line. The dust left on the mat was very difficult to clean. Brother rep said I would need to use another cardstock. I never had this happen in the six years I owned and used the CM250 model.Very disappointed, Brother rep said return to Amazon and fortunately I was within the 30 day free return. I’m waiting for the credit at this time.ETA: THANK YOU AMAZON FOR RETURNING UNDER YOUR GRACE PERIOD!I didn’t want to keep a machine where dust could accumulate inside the machine and eventually destroy the machine over timeAgain, I’m so disappointed.

I want to give it 5 stars, but after using it for a while.. I can only give it 3. If you are expecting to scan and cut from the machine alone, I'm not sure you will be happy with it. The first few times I tried to use it, the machine's settings did some stupid cuts. Just trying to get it to outline properly was frustrating.BUT, after I installed the CanvasWorkspace, all that changed. Sure, it's a bit more work to scan it, transfer it to a computer, run the edge detect, manipulate it to exactly what you want, transfer it back to the machine, and then cut it out, but the cuts are PERFECT! Once you learn the software, you can make it do pretty much any cuts you want.

I’ve been eyeing this machine for a while, and finally got it when it went on sale for Prime Day. I watched as many videos on how to use it, and while it helped, I still had a hard time trying to do some simple cuts. While it’s considered a multi purpose cutter, I realized it’s a very simple basic machine. In other words, it’s not smart like a computer—there’s nothing truly advanced about it. I didn’t want to use a computer to make edits, and my goal was to do everything via mobile or tablet, but I found it difficult, so I resorted to using a desktop, which was a letdown. I guess something simple needs a smart program to run it. I was able to make kiss/half cuts, which I liked, however, I really wanted to use it to cut ill-defined images, like from magazines or pamphlets. I’ve seen a video on how to do it, but I couldn’t make it work. Hopefully I will one day. Another thing that bothers me that I didn’t realize until after I received it is that you need a fairly large workspace to run the machine. While the machine itself is actually compact, you need space in front and back to accommodate the cutting mat. I don’t have a lot of space, so I have to move the printer to an open area, and then have to move it back to store when done. Would I recommend this? Only if you intend to use this often. If not, it’s just a nice looking expensive piece of tech. Nifty, but not really worth it for me.