Gear guide
Best cutting machines for wood, leather and chipboard
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
Top picks at a glance
Compare all picks
Closest match for the job
Cricut Maker 5: cuts and engraves up to 3 mm
Listing states 3 mm cutting for thicker materials like leather and foam core board, plus engraving on metal and acrylic.
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Most for the money on paper
Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: materials up to 3 mm
Materials up to 3 mm thick, including fabric and heat transfer, according to the listing.
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Most complete listing
Brother SDX325: 3 mm with blade sensor
The listing names 1,303 built-in designs, including 140 quilt patterns and 17 lettering fonts.
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Most craft cutters are built for vinyl and cardstock. Cutting basswood, tooling leather or chipboard needs more downforce, the right blade and a machine that states an honest thickness limit. Across the listings in this guide, 3 mm is the common ceiling for cutting, and some machines do not state a limit at all, so treat any thicker job as a test project first. Tools matter as much as force: a machine that takes a knife blade, engraving tool or leather punch can do more with thick stock than one with a single fine-point blade, but those tools are often sold separately. This guide compares six machines on stated maximum thickness, cut width, blades and tools, software and connectivity, using only what each Amazon listing states. Where the listing does not give a number, the table says Not stated.
Compare the picks
- Cricut Maker 5: cuts and engraves up to 3 mm
- Max material thickness
- 3 mm cut and engrave
- Max cut width
- 12 in
- Blades/tools
- 13 tools; bundle has Fine Point, Scoring and Engraving tools
- Software
- Cricut Design Space (free app)
- Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: materials up to 3 mm
- Max material thickness
- 3 mm
- Max cut width
- Not stated
- Blades/tools
- AutoBlade; cuts, sketches and embosses
- Software
- Silhouette Studio
- Brother SDX325: 3 mm with blade sensor
- Max material thickness
- 3 mm
- Max cut width
- Not stated
- Blades/tools
- Blade Sensor auto blade; Thin Fabric Auto Blade named
- Software
- On-screen editing, 5 in touch screen
Cricut Maker 4: leather and wood, engraves and debosses- Max material thickness
- Not stated
- Max cut width
- Not stated
- Blades/tools
- Fine-Point Blade; draws, foils, scores, engraves, debosses
- Software
- Cricut Design Space
Cricut Maker 3: 10X cutting force per title- Max material thickness
- Not stated
- Max cut width
- Not stated
- Blades/tools
- Compatible with 13+ tools
- Software
- Cricut Design Space
Silhouette Curio 2: 20 mm clearance flatbed- Max material thickness
- Not stated (20 mm vertical clearance)
- Max cut width
- Not stated (12 x 12 flatbed)
- Blades/tools
- Heat Pen, Engraving Tool, Leather Punch sold separately
- Software
- Not stated
| Pick | Max material thickness | Max cut width | Blades/tools | Software | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cricut Maker 5: cuts and engraves up to 3 mm | 3 mm cut and engrave | 12 in | 13 tools; bundle has Fine Point, Scoring and Engraving tools | Cricut Design Space (free app) | - | Amazon |
| Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: materials up to 3 mm | 3 mm | Not stated | AutoBlade; cuts, sketches and embosses | Silhouette Studio | - | Amazon |
| Brother SDX325: 3 mm with blade sensor | 3 mm | Not stated | Blade Sensor auto blade; Thin Fabric Auto Blade named | On-screen editing, 5 in touch screen | - | Amazon |
| Cricut Maker 4: leather and wood, engraves and debosses | Not stated | Not stated | Fine-Point Blade; draws, foils, scores, engraves, debosses | Cricut Design Space | - | Amazon |
| Cricut Maker 3: 10X cutting force per title | Not stated | Not stated | Compatible with 13+ tools | Cricut Design Space | - | Amazon |
| Silhouette Curio 2: 20 mm clearance flatbed | Not stated (20 mm vertical clearance) | Not stated (12 x 12 flatbed) | Heat Pen, Engraving Tool, Leather Punch sold separately | Not stated | - | Amazon |
Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · Cricut
Cricut Maker 5: cuts and engraves up to 3 mm
See price on AmazonThe newest Maker. The listing states it cuts 300+ materials, including leather and foam core up to 3 mm, engraves metal and acrylic, and works with 13 tools. The pick for crafters who want one machine for everything.
What the listing offers
- Listing states 3 mm cutting for thicker materials like leather and foam core board, plus engraving on metal and acrylic.
- Works with 13 tools to cut, engrave, write, foil, score and deboss, and has a new snap-in pen holder.
- Essential Bundle includes the Scoring Tool, Engraving Tool and materials the listing says cover up to 65 projects.
Limits to know
- Specialty tools beyond those in the bundle are sold separately, so the full 13-tool range costs extra.
- The listing does not state how it connects to your phone or computer; check the product page before buying.
Pick 2 · Silhouette America
Silhouette Cameo 5 Alpha: materials up to 3 mm
See price on AmazonSilhouette's main 12 inch class machine handles vinyl to fabric up to 3 mm thick, with 4-point print and cut registration and speeds up to 400 mm/s. The cheapest way here to leave Design Space behind.
What the listing offers
- Materials up to 3 mm thick, including fabric and heat transfer, according to the listing.
- 4-point registration with vertical and horizontal correction for accurate print and cut stickers.
- Runs on Silhouette Studio software instead of Cricut Design Space.
Limits to know
- The listing does not state cut width or connection type.
- No engraving or debossing tool is mentioned, which the Maker line offers.
Pick 3 · Brother
Brother SDX325: 3 mm with blade sensor
See price on AmazonThe top ScanNCut DX listing with the most quilt patterns and fonts and a focus on fabric cutting. Suits quilters who want the biggest built-in library.
What the listing offers
- The listing names 1,303 built-in designs, including 140 quilt patterns and 17 lettering fonts.
- Thin Fabric Auto Blade support is listed for quilting and raw edge applique pieces.
- Blade Sensor Technology detects material thickness and cuts up to 3 mm.
Limits to know
- Costs about twice the SDX125E while listing the same 3 mm limit and 5 in screen.
- The listing does not clearly state what blades and mats ship in the box, so confirm before buying.
Pick 4 · Cricut
Cricut Maker 4: leather and wood, engraves and debosses
See price on AmazonThe previous Maker, which the listing says works with 300+ materials including leather and wood, and cuts, draws, foils, scores, engraves, debosses and perforates. A good buy if it sells below the Maker 5.
What the listing offers
- Listing names leather, wood, vinyl, iron-on and cardstock among 300+ supported materials.
- Bundle includes a materials sampler with matless vinyl and matless heat transfer vinyl to try right away.
- Print Then Cut works with most inkjet printers for full-color stickers, per the listing.
Limits to know
- Only the Fine-Point Blade comes in the box, so engraving and debossing tools must be bought separately.
- Cut width, thickness limit and connection type are not stated in this listing.
Pick 5 · Cricut
Cricut Maker 3: 10X cutting force per title
See price on AmazonThe older Maker, listed with 10X cutting force, 300+ materials and 13+ tools. Smart Materials let it cut a single image up to 12 ft or repeated cuts up to 75 ft without a mat. Worth it only at a clear discount.
What the listing offers
- Title lists 10X cutting force and leather among the 300+ materials it cuts.
- Matless Smart Materials allow one image up to 12 ft long, or repeated cuts up to 75 ft, per the listing.
- Compatible with 13+ tools to cut, score, write, deboss and engrave.
Limits to know
- An older generation priced near the Maker 5 bundle here, so value depends on finding a lower price.
- The listing does not state cut width, thickness limit or how it connects.
Pick 6 · Silhouette America
Silhouette Curio 2: 20 mm clearance flatbed
See price on AmazonA flatbed with 20 mm vertical clearance aimed at acrylic, leather and metal engraving, with an electrostatic bed instead of sticky mats. The Silhouette answer to the Maker's thick-material tools.
What the listing offers
- 20 mm vertical clearance fits thick acrylic and leather that roll-fed cutters cannot take.
- Optional Engraving Tool and Heat Pen cover metal and acrylic engraving and foil.
- Automatic tool and material thickness detection, with Bluetooth for wireless cutting.
Limits to know
- Every specialty tool is listed as sold separately, which adds to the cost.
- A 12x12 flatbed, so it does not cut long vinyl or fabric runs.
Read before you buy
- Silhouette Cameo cut settings by materialHow to set blade depth, force, speed and passes on a Silhouette Cameo for vinyl, HTV, cardstock and sticker paper, and how to use the test cut to dial them in.
- How to cut basswood and chipboard with a CricutHow to cut basswood, balsa and chipboard with a Cricut Maker and the Knife Blade: mat taping, star wheels, passes, checking the cut and design limits.
- How to cut felt with a Cricut ExploreCut stiffened and backed felt on a Cricut Explore with the deep point or bonded fabric blade: prep, mat, Design Space preset, test cut and fixes for fuzzy edges.
- Cricut vs laser cutterCricut vs laser cutter: what a blade cutter and a diode laser each cut, how the edges look, and what fumes, safety and space mean before you buy one.
- Cricut Maker vs Explore: which should you buyCricut Maker vs Explore compared: materials, tools, matless cutting and price, plus which projects really need the Maker's rotary and knife blades.
More gear: Cut settings and materials
Blade & Mat chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.