Can anyone recommend a good mat cutter?

[framegal5]

Hi all. A friend of mine is an artist and mats her own prints, and asked for a recommendation for a good table mat cutter. She is an older woman, if that makes a difference. What do you all like? Logan? Fletcher?

Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[DawnStendin]

Hi Welcome to the grumble. I have used both the Logan and Fletchers before getting my Wizard. The logan was a great "hobby" cutter before I entered the business...the Fletcher was definitly a step up for larger quanities. Additionally, Fletcher has always been easier to get replacement parts for IMHO. Best of luck.

 

[mayos]

Hi! Welcome to the Grumble! I'm pretty new to the framing business, but I did a lot of research and ended up with the Chronomat mat cutter. I'm extremely pleased with it and the customer service is pretty darn good. If I have a question, I call and Preston pretty much takes care of what I need. Usually you have a live person answer the phone too, which is always a big plus.
Good luck.

 

[Bogframe]

Unless you need it right now, I'd suggest hitting the Baltimore show and playing with the different models out there so you can get a feel for what you like. Otherwise, lots of people like the Fletcher, but I prefer one with a sliding block, as opposed to a ball bearing movement because I like a bit of "drag" on my block.

 

[Territ]

When I began 4 years ago I bought a new Logan 650, thought it was a great machine and then I noticed that it was always requiring fiddling around to keep everything straight, square and true. I read everything I could about straight line cutters and decided upon a Chronomat, it took a year of looking till I found a barely used one. It's a precision machine that's a joy to use. Even though I got it used, customer service from the manufacturer is wonderful!

 

[RParrish]

As stated above a Logan is good for a hobbist, it takes some time to master and there a few trick of the trade to learn, but for proffesional/quantity work go with a Fletcher or C&H, that said every cutter has it's quirks to master. Sometimes you can pick up a decent used one.

 

[Mikesshop]

I started out with a Logan 650, went to a SpeedMat and now I have a CMC. If your friend isn't doing a lot of mats the Logan 650 will do all she needs. I'm sure if she needs something special done a local frame shop would be willing to help out (for a resonable fee)

 

[JohnR]

How many mats does she cut in a week? The Fletcher F2200 series is a professional machine and is pricey with the accessories. The MatMate series is okay for limited hobbiest use. I didn't like how you have to lift the rail to set the width of the mat. If you're not careful, you can set one side wrong and cut the mat slightly crooked. I also had some mats with wobbles in the cut.

Now I bought perhaps the cheapest mat cutter with a mat guide and slide-on-rail style cutter head, the Logan 301. I wasn't sure how good it would work, but I must say I like it better than the MatMate. She probably would want a bigger model if her mats are large.

 

[Luddite]

How many mats does she cut in a week? The Fletcher F2200 series is a professional machine and is pricey with the accessories. The MatMate series is okay for limited hobbiest use. I didn't like how you have to lift the rail to set the width of the mat. If you're not careful, you can set one side wrong and cut the mat slightly crooked. I also had some mats with wobbles in the cut.

Now I bought perhaps the cheapest mat cutter with a mat guide and slide-on-rail style cutter head, the Logan 301. I wasn't sure how good it would work, but I must say I like it better than the MatMate. She probably would want a bigger model if her mats are large.

Believe or not the lil 301 works great! You can ,with some slight modification of the layout procedures(drawing longer lines,you are pushing the cutter,so cannot see where you are going) cut slant notch corners etc. It was the first cutter I bought. I then discovered that I LOVE THIS and upgraded"slightly"..Got a New 2100 (well,half price,it was the transition between the 2100-2200 at the time-That thing is my baby now).Anyhow the 301 is perfect if you do a small volume of work ,you can even cut mats that are longer than the base(clear instructions on the website/manual).Only thing I didn`t manage was a great V groove. L.R.