Customer Reviews

CARL 12210 Bidex heavy-duty rotary trimmer, 14-1/2 x 22 base, 12 cut

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was looking for a paper trimmer that could handle the demands of cutting accurately through several sheets of cardstock without frustration and I found it. I wanted to be able to cut multiple pieces of paper of large and small sizes.
The last reviewer made the comment that you have to take a couple of extra steps. No big deal, In fact this is a positive feature. You lift up a lever to elevate the cutting blade rail and push it back down to lock it into place. That brief extra step locks up to 8 pieces of thick textured cardstock in place without any shifting of the cardstock, and with little effort. This total thickness of the cardstock was 1/8th of an inch. I found that I could cut 4 pieces of thick textured cardstock in one very smooth effortless movement. If I put 8 pieces down it took one push forward and one back and to cut through all of them. Someone with fairly severe arthritis would find all of this easy to do. SO MUCH BETTER than my Fiskars rotary cutter. The magnetic paper guage did a good job of blocking the paper at the length I wanted. I found that I could use it to cut a piece of paper as short as 1 3/4 inch. The trimmer is sturdy and has well defined markings in both english and metric measurements. It also has marked areas for various photo and paper sizes. The trimmer has it's instructions in a picture form right on the platform and has a storage area for extra blades and cutting mats. It comes with an extra cutting blade, perforating blade and cutting mat. I will be giving away 3 paper trimmers and enjoying this one for a very long time. If you are more than a casual scrapbooker this trimmer is for you.

We like the new cutter purchased to replace the Carl personal use model we had for several years. The Heavy duty model takes two additional steps (locking/engaging and unlocking/disengaging the blade) but is well worth getting used to because it cuts more paper and efficiently. Thank you.

I was looking for a trimmer that would trim my booklets and decided on this one because of the features and especially because of the 5 star reviews. I am very pleased and well satisfied with the heavy construction and performance. The booklets I am trimming are 9 sheets of 24 # paper folded in half giving equivalent of 18 sheets 24 #.

The locking bar holds the paper securely in position. The inch scales along the edge seem to be very accurate. Rather than push down with a lot of pressure on the cutting head, I make 3 - 4 passes with lighter pressure. This will also lengthen the life of the cutting strip under the blade. The cutting strip can be reversed when it is worn and also turned over, giving the equivalent of 4 strips, since it is off-centered. There is also a spare strip & 2 extra blades provided, 1 regular blade and 1 perforating blade.

I highly recommend this cutter.

WE LOVE THIS TRIMMER. Period. After several near misses and a lot of wasted paper, it was time to toss the two worn out guillotine cutters our staff inherited and bite the bullet. As a small office staff for a non-profit, professional trade association -our budget is tight, our time is short and to save time and money, we do a lot of our information pieces in house.

This trimmer is solid, easy to use, does beautiful work, and it's safe (unless you give yourself a paper cut...) Considering the workload we put it through, it's been one of our best investments to date, and worth every penny we paid for it.

HIGHLY recommended.

This cutter is the best I have ever used. Cuts straight and true, as long as you take a second to make sure the stock is lined up. The clamp holds very firmly even if you have to make a few strokes (when cutting several layers of card stock. One thing I found useful was to use a square to line up the vertical guide. That way the cuts were exact. The perforating & scoring blades worked exactly as designed. I was really glad I chose this model after researching several out there.

I had been using a basic Dahle rotary cutter for several years now for my photography projects. The blade grew dull and it was $25 (plus shipping) for a replacement. For what I consider to be a reasonable additional amount I decided to buy the Carl 12210 instead of the replacement blade. SO HAPPY!!! This is a really nice step up and I am glad I made the purchase.
Some highlights that I am appreciating: This unit holds everything firmly for accurate cutting with its lock down system. I tried everything from one piece of paper, a nice stack of 20 pieces paper and finally some card stock. Everything was cut accurate and the blade cut like butter in each test. The magnetic guide is really great for what I do and holds down my photo paper so there is no slipping when making multiple cuts. I didn't see anyone mention it in the other reviews but it was a nice bonus to find there is a small cover in a section in the base of the trimmer that says "Parts Case" which has an extra cutting mat and two extra blades. One of the blades is a perforating blade and the other is an extra standard blade. What a nice surprise to not have to purchase anything for some time into the future.

Replacement blades for this appear to be about $6 each or two for $10 if you need replacements.

One final note is that Carl states on their site that this has a lifetime warranty with the exception of the blades and cutting mats. I think it is nice to know they believe in the quality of the cutter and hopefully they truly stand behind this if anyone has a problem.

Like the cutter overall. Much better than the Fiscars cutter it replaced. The paper stop could be a little more secure. It should extend across the cutting surface and be able to anchor on both ends so that it stays straight on multiple cuts. That is the only complaint, otherwise an excellent cutter.

I bought this to cut 8.5 x 14 paper in half for some teaching books I am making, so I needed a reliable clean cut every time, and this trimmer delivers! The magnetic guide holds strongly and once you take the time (and test it out) to set it up exactly as needed, you are ready to go. The clamp is so easy to use and locks the paper very securely so there is absolutely no shifting. With the raised edges on the base, you have 2 edges holding the paper (the edge plus the magnetic guide) so it is easy to make sure it is positioned properly before locking. Even people with little hand strength can use this cutter because it is so easy to lock and slice. The cut is so clean that it is difficult to tell which end has been cut and which is the uncut side! I look forward to many years of using this fantastic reliable product.

I had researched this cutter and when I received it I was even more pleased with it's preference. I cut a lot of card-stock and it is very precise and easy to use.

Wow, what a beauty! A previous reviewer stated that it cuts like a hot knife through butter, and boy was he right! I tried five pieces of cardstock and it goes through them neatly on an easy back-and-forth pass, three beautifully smooth cut pieces of cardstock on one pass. So smooth that I can't tell the cut side from the original, and that says it all. Love the clamp-down mechanism, this makes so much sense!

It doesn't matter that I just received this trimmer, in comparison to the Fiskars trimmers (I have three of them and reviewed the rotary trimmer, and none of them were cheap) this is light years above the competition. It's a fairly large piece compared to the compact units that have only an arm to measure larger pieces of paper, so for quick and small adjustments I'll be using the Fiskars as well. But I can't wait to put this Carl trimmer to use when I get back into serious trimming.

This is a quality product, no cheap flimsy thingie. Highly recommended.

Update 14 December 2011:
I am more in love with this trimmer than ever. It cuts through thick stacks (as thick as it can hold) in a few quick passes, and every sheet is cut smooth and straight. Saves me so much time and paper since I don't have to re-cut anything. Worth every cent and then some, you get what you pay for!