AccuQuilt GO! Big Review: Is This $700 Electric Fabric Cutter Worth It?

AccuQuilt GO! Big specs

Specs above come from AccuQuilt's GO! Big Electric Fabric Cutter Starter Set page, the manufacturer feature bullets on the Amazon listing and AccuQuilt's warranty terms.

What does the AccuQuilt GO! Big do best?

A die cutter works like a cookie cutter for fabric. You layer fabric on a steel-bladed die, cover it with a mat and send it through rollers that press the fabric onto the blades. The GO! Big does the pressing with an electric motor and one button, so there is no crank to turn and no blade to push.

That makes it best at accurate repeat cuts in volume. Up to 6 layers of cotton come out identical, with no drifting ruler or wandering blade, and two 6 inch dies can run side by side to double throughput. For a scrappy quilt that needs 200 half-square triangles, that is a very different afternoon than cutting them one by one. Work out your piece counts first with the half-square triangle calculator and blocks needed calculator.

It is also a comfort tool. Owner and reviewer feedback repeatedly calls electric die cutting a relief for arthritis, hand pain and back strain, since you are not leaning over a cutting mat pressing down on a blade. Our crafting with arthritis guide covers other ways to reduce strain.

What is the honest weakness of the AccuQuilt GO! Big?

The cutter is the cheap part; the dies are where the money goes. The starter set includes one flying geese die, and every other shape or size needs its own die. Die sets such as the GO! Qube 8 inch set cost about $300, and a dedicated strip die like the AccuQuilt GO! Strip Cutter 2-1/2 in is about $137. If you like changing block sizes every project, the die library grows fast.

It is also bulky. Reviewers describe it as a countertop machine with roughly the footprint of a sewing machine, and it is not something you carry to a retreat the way you might the crank GO!. Dies need storage too, and cutting mats wear with use and must be replaced. AccuQuilt's warranty covers the cutting unit only, not mats or dies.

Finally, it only cuts what you own a die for. Custom shapes, fussy-cut motifs and odd sizes still need a rotary cutter or a digital cutter.

What do AccuQuilt GO! Big owners consistently report?

• Praise: precise, identical pieces that make blocks go together more accurately.
• Praise: big time savings on repeated shapes, especially cutting 6 layers at once.
• Praise: a real help for arthritis, hand pain and back strain.
• Praise: no exposed blade during cutting.
• Complaint: the ongoing cost of dies, and only one die in the box.
• Complaint: bulky, and it needs dedicated counter space.
• Mixed: some owners report inconsistent results on thicker fabrics and frustration with warranty service.

The consensus is that quilters who commit to the die system love it, and quilters who expected a do-everything cutter feel limited.

What warranty and support come with the AccuQuilt GO! Big?

AccuQuilt gives the cutter a limited one-year warranty against defects in materials or workmanship when used as directed. It covers only the cutting unit, not mats or dies, and improper use, excessive wear from commercial use or damage caused by the user voids it. AccuQuilt's help center says registering the cutter in your AccuQuilt account adds six months, and AccuQuilt sells a 2 year extended warranty for about $60.

AccuQuilt's help center also says it pays shipping on cutters under warranty. Buying direct includes a 30 day return window. We found no AccuQuilt recall in a search of CPSC recall listings.

How does the GO! Big compare with the GO!, GO! Bolt and Cricut Maker 4?

Our AccuQuilt GO! vs GO! Big comparison covers the crank model, and AccuQuilt vs Cricut Maker covers the digital alternative.

The Cricut Maker 4 review covers the digital route in detail, and our best fabric cutting machines for quilting roundup ranks all the options.

What dies, space and accessories should you budget for with the GO! Big?

Give the cutter a permanent spot on a sturdy surface at a comfortable standing or sitting height, with room on both sides for the die and mat to feed through and exit. A folding cutting table like the Sew Ready Standing Cutting Table (about $135, 36.5 inches high) puts it at standing height, and a nearby shelf keeps dies flat.

A realistic first-year budget beyond the cutter is $300 to $600 in dies, depending on how many block styles you make:

• A block set such as the AccuQuilt GO! Qube 8 in (about $300), which AccuQuilt lists as 8 dies making 72 block designs, compatible with the GO!, GO! Baby and GO! Big.
• The AccuQuilt GO! Strip Cutter 2-1/2 in (about $137) for binding and jelly-roll-style strips.
• A rotary cutter and mat for trimming and odd pieces, such as the Olfa RTY-2/DX 45mm (about $20) and Olfa RM-SG 18 x 24 (about $40).
• Replacement cutting mats as they wear, sized to the dies you use most.

If your hands are the main reason for buying, see our guide to choosing a fabric cutting machine before deciding between die and digital cutting.