Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Buy a Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter

First, let me make a disclaimer here that I happen to own a Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter, and for the most part, after owning it for almost a year, I do like it. Would I recommend it to other people though, is another question totally. The answer to that question, if I were being honest, would have to be a no.

Reason #1 - Poorly Designed User Manual

The Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter has the disadvantage of being combined with a user manual that should be used for practicing your cutting on, as it has no use beyond being recycled. The instructions are poorly written and not the least bit helpful. User groups have sprung up online focused on the set up and use of the machine and the tutorials on many of these lists will better prepare you for using the machine than any information included in the included sparse user's manual.

Reason #2 - Misleading Advertising

While it is advertised with a slogan referring to the fact that if you wish it, it will cut it, no amount of wishing will get it to cut some common types of crafting papers without a lot of hassle, including re-cutting the pattern several times. Move the paper just a fraction before it is re-cut, and the whole thing becomes a snarled mess. Alas, there is no mention of this anywhere in the instructions.

Reason # 3 - Poor Customer Support

Customer support for the Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter is lacking in every way imaginable. I have heard that it is improving, but when I was a new owner, it was almost non-existent. I had an issue right out of the box, was promised a replacement part, and I ended up calling and emailing numerous times before the issue was resolved.

Reason # 4 - Charges for a Software Bridge that other similar Machines Include Free
Reason # 5 - It Costs More Upfront than the Competition

The Craft ROBO, an almost identical machine that can often be found for less money, comes with a software bridge that allows the machine to cut directly to a secondary graphics program. Xyron charges the consumer nearly $100 for the same software. The Craft ROBO can routinely be found for around fifty dollars less then the Wishblade to begin with.

Reason # 6 - Not User Friendly

The software might be Windows based, but it is not user friendly. The commands available are actually quite sparse, and a few more built in effects and basic commands would make a huge difference.

Reason # 7 - Not for the Macintosh

Currently, the Macintosh is known for its usefulness with graphics based programs, and yet the Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter does not come with Mac friendly drivers.

Reason # 8 - Upkeep can be Expensive

After paying over four hundred dollars for my machine, I would have hoped the blade assembly, and mat would last longer than each did. To replace the blade you need to purchase the blade pack sold by Xyron, which is one blade with a set of three caps, at a cost of forty dollars. A replacement mat is another twenty plus dollars. If the cutting strip goes, which is not as common as the blade or mat, but also a consumable part that can become damaged if the blade comes in direct contact with it, is another twenty-two dollars. Add these up over a span of time and this supposedly cost saving machine can really have you digging deep in your pockets.

Reason # 9 - Font, Shape, and Studio Sets Cost Extra

The fact that the Wishblade has these is one of the major differences between the Wishblade and the Craft ROBO. Many people I have talked to do like them, but most of those same people have been new owners. Once someone has owned their machine a while, if you go back and ask them how often they use this add on, most will tell you little if ever. The Font, Shape, and Studio sets seem to be just one more way Xyron earns money upfront on these machines, charging approximately seventy dollars for each set. Lowering the price on these down to about ten or twenty dollars, when you consider what it is you are buying, would be much more realistic.

Reason # 10 - Cutting Issues

It is a known fact that there are cutting issues that need resolving, with the poorly designed manual even ending with reference to one such issue. However, Xyron does not seem to be in a hurry to fix such issues, or even address them indirectly.

After going through all of these reasons on why someone should not buy a Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter, I am a bit saddened. I paid what I considered a large sum of money for my machine, mainly to make my scrapbooking time more enjoyable. Instead, I have a machine that occasionally gets used, but for the most part collects dust. If you are considering such a purchase, at least take the time to check out a machine in person., Check with your local scrapbook stores to see if they have one on hand that you can view a demonstration of. Be sure to also check out its counterpart, the Craft ROBO. Some of the same issues exist, but not all of them and it can be purchased and maintained much cheaper than the Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter can.