I recently reviewed the Cricut Joy Xtra, the perfect gateway drug for crafting. Since then, I have only wanted to make more, bigger things.
While the Joy Xtra will likely satisfy the desires of many users (and it’s nice and compact to store for the occasional crafter), the Cricut Maker 3 is the Rolls Royce of craft machines. It can do everything from basic cutting and drawing, to engraving and debossing.
I’ve been using the Maker 3 for a few months now, and here’s what I think of this incredibly capable machine.
Cricut Maker 3
First impressions
My first impression of the Maker 3 is how nicely presented it is. You open the lid and then the cutting guide surface glides down like the door of a spaceship on a high-budget sci-fi movie. It’s satisfying, it shows that the little details have been considered, which is usually a good sign of quality.
The second thing I noticed is that unlike the Joy Xtra, there is space for two tools: one cutting (or similar) implement and one pen. Already this shows that doing more complicated designs will be easier.
Cricut Maker 3 specs and price
| Compatible materials | Listed online |
| Clamps | Two tool clamps |
| Sensors | Easy Printables sensor |
| App compatibility | Works with Design Space app |
| Operating system compatibility | iOS, Mac, Windows, Android |
| Maximum cut speed | 28.7cm per second |
| Size | 56 x 18 x 15.75cm |
| Weight | 7kg |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth + USB |
| Official website | Cricut Australia |
| Price (RRP) | $699 |
The big, obvious difference between the Joy machines and the Maker 3 is just how many things it can do. Also, the larger size allows users to work with larger materials.
Crafting quality
I have made a lot with the Maker 3, though I have largely focused on cutting assorted forms of vinyl and card stock with a few bits of fabric thrown in. But it can also do leather, plywood (though, not as well as a laser cutter, but it’ll do in a pinch) and 300 other materials.
While I had a few teething problems with the Joy Xtra (likely a skill issue), the Maker 3 has been incredibly easy to use. The only thing that stops it from being fully simple is the Design Space software (more on that below). It genuinely feels like the only limitations I have with the Marker 3 are my imagination, and my willingness to experiment.
What I’ve been impressed by is the precision. Cutting shapes as prescribed by an app and drawing images perfectly is one thing. But what really impressed me was a print and cut project, which showed off the power of the machine.
Making a Christmas stocking
I had to make some iron-on patches for my daughter’s Christmas stocking after the embroidery machine at the library went down. I had resigned myself to the patches perhaps being a bit messy, a bit imperfect. But they weren’t.
To start with, I imported the images of my daughter’s favourite toys and a duck I had drawn into the Design Space software. This app then automatically removed the background and got them ready for the machine. I then pressed the button to make it, sending the design info to my printer which printed on the special iron-on paper. Afterwards, I inserted the freshly printed designs into the machine.
I expected some white outline, but (aside from one patch on the duck foot, which I think might have been an artefact from the drawing process) the Maker 3 was able to scan the sheet and cut a perfect outline around each of the patches. It didn’t miss anything, making it easy to remove the unwanted material and use the Easy Press 3 to attach it to the stocking.
It was almost suspiciously easy. Addictively easy.
Cricut Maker 3 vs other machines
I have used other cutting machines in the past, and the consumer-grade ones I’ve tried from other brands have always been a disaster that makes more work in the long run. But things like suddenly having to custom make 30 cards in a weekend, or having the regular embroidery part of my sewing machine go down so I had to make a tonne of iron-on name patches with no notice, were things that I felt confident to pull off while having a good time, rather than being something to be stressed or worried about.
There are so many accessories and materials for the machine that it can be easy to get choice paralysis. But the flip side is that as long as the object you want to cut is on the approved materials list, and fits on a cutting mat (2.4mm thick or less), you can make just about anything.
The only minor annoyance I had with the Maker 3 is that the fine blades seem to get blunted very quickly. I’ve gone through a fair few of them in the last couple of months, and there’s no easy way to sharpen them. They are a consumable, so it makes sense they get consumed, I just wish they were made of a longer-lasting metal.
Using the Design Space software
In my review of the Cricut Joy Xtra, I did not love the Design Space software because it wasn’t user-friendly. I am more forgiving of a lack of intuitive design with a more professional machine like the Maker 3, but it’s still the only thing that stops the Maker 3 from being completely perfect.
My complaints range from niggles that would be easy to fix, to weird compatibility issues.
There aren’t enough filters when searching for projects, so there’s no obvious way to just find cards made for a certain size of cardstock, for example, so you end up wasting a lot of time opening projects that aren’t already compatible with what you’ve got when you’re in a hurry. It’s also just difficult to be precise when adjusting designs, particularly in the iPad app, which makes the act of creation more of a fiddly chore than it needs to be.
It’s frustrating that the iPad/mobile app doesn’t have the full suite of features compared to the PC/Mac app. Plus then there’s the paid subscription element of it all. I don’t love that in a world where every company seems to want to lock access to aspects of (full-price) physical products behind digital paywalls. I have subscription fatigue.
The software isn’t terrible, and there is a whole beautiful community that happily helps out and gives advice on how to get around Design Space’s shortcomings and quirks. It’s a beast of an app to learn, and it should be given all there is to do in it. It just could be more user-friendly, and it’s something people should be aware of.
Who is the Cricut Maker 3 for?
The Cricut Maker 3 is for people who are dedicated to crafting. A large cohort of the people who get the Maker 3 over the Joy Xtra are folks who make things to sell at markets, or on Etsy. I have a friend who uses his in his shop to customise orders. When I was shopping at Myer I saw they were using one to customise Christmas baubles.
It’s somewhat overkill for a casual crafter, but if it fits in the budget and your craft room, casual crafters could go absolutely ham on this beast. Everything in their home (and the homes of their friends) will be customised. You’ll never have to give an impersonal card again.
The Cricut Maker 3 is for anyone who wants a cutting (and engraving, debossing, drawing, foiling, and perforating) machine that can handle just about anything.
One warning though: this crafting thing is addictive.
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