Bira Craft Die Cutting & Embossing Machine Combo, Mini Die Cut Machine, 3 1/8" feeding slot for 3" paper and other materials

I just ordered this so there's always the chance that something could go wrong; but right now I love it, it's just as described and works wonderfully. I have a Diamond Press that works great for small dies. I keep it at my desk and use it a lot for sentiment dies but the plastic folders warp quickly and the opening is right under 2" . I then tried the Sizzix Sidekick, with a 2-1/2" wide opening. I liked that it used plates instead of folders but the plastic gears broke after about 8 months and the plates aren't very long. A few months ago I bought a new potable paper trimmer. Although it's a little big, I love it because it cuts pretty clean even though I've used the same blade it came with after daily use over three months ago, it scores okay ( could be better) and is great for a paper crafter. it is very well made. So when I looked up small die cutting machines I saw that Bira has one. It has a 3" opening instead of 2 -1/2" like the Sidekick. That extra area makes a big difference . There were so many dies that almost fit, it's terrific to grab and go. It cuts great, even detailed dies, dry embosses better that my Cuttlebug & my Platinum 6 - although they're great too. It comes with a base plate, cutting plate, embossing plate and unlike the other two small machines, it has an embossing pad for embossing with dies. It has long plates/pad and has a small platform, instead of just a hole to put your plates in, the handle turns very easy and smoothly too. The machine itself is solid and has a very nice weight to it. The level auctions it to your workspace. It works great on wood and glass. Don't hesitate to get this little machine, I highly recommend. The price was fantastic, at less than thirty. Thanks Bira, you have a customer for life as long as things keep going the way they are, and I don't think that will be a problem.Buy it, you won't regret it.

What a GREAT little machine! This little machine is fantastic: it has a perfectly sized opening for cutting small dies, which is a surprising number of dies. As a professional artist, I learned many years ago that a small machine cut words, letters, numbers, and embellishments more accurately than machines with larger plates, and I have used a small machine for that purpose, ever since.(I am a sucker for embellishments: hearts, stars, single letters, words such as "love", "believe", "dream", as well as swirls, flourishes, flowers, steam-punk gears, Project Life cards, and tags for scrapbooks, greeting cards, and multi-medium pieces.) This little bundle-of-power is excellent for that type of cutting - I received it this afternoon and immediately began testing it. I am VERY happy with the results from this easy-to-use, efficient, small, desktop unit. I know I will really put it to good use!

For a basic embosser/cutter this has worked fine. The narrow feed does limit using embossing folders but the basic cutting function has worked out OK.The C plate does get cut up pretty badly with fibers cutting caught - I’m looking for my cutting mat “rejuvenator” that is great at erasing cuts and “crumbs” and hope its use will extend the life of Plate C.Despite using thin faux leather, cork sheets and paper, I cracked the B plate and had to buy a whole new set of plates. I believe the crack might have been because of warping of the plate through repeated use - I find I need to flip and rotate frequently.My one big complaint is the failure of the suction cup to hold the machine; I’ve tried both glass and stainless steel mat as a base to no avail. I end up having to hold the machine down with one hand while cranking with the other.Overall this is a handy little introductory machine; it’s allowed me to create over 100 sets of earrings in the last three weeks. Soon it will be time to purchase a larger, more versatile machine.UPDATE: the little machine that could. I’ve cut over 1000 pieces since my purchase late December 2020. It keeps chugging away.I did run into a problem with the upper cover plate; since a replacement isn’t sold separately and I’d already bought a package with all the plates, I contacted the manufacturer in Southern California, they immediately provided a new plate.Great customer service.Wish me luck in my new jewelry design company!

This little die cut machine performs great! I was leery of suction based die cut machines as I did have some initial issues getting it to stick but once I wiped the bottom with a baby wipe and stuck to my glass mat it has not moved! I put this little machine through the paces- I used Crafters Companion 3D embossing folders, Crafters Companion cut/emboss (meant for the Gemini Go as they are 3"). For the 3D embossing folders I had to add paper shims and create a different configuration by using the silicone mat but once I had the right amount of add'l paper shims the results were great. The machine cut intricate dies from Crafters Companion without a problem! I intentionally used Crafters Companion products to test this little guy as the CC products comprise a significant amount of my craft stash but I also own the Gemini's and wanted a manual die cut machine that could handle the most intricate of dies and still be portable. I love all my other Gemini machines (I own all 3) but definitely wanted something I could just quickly pull out and a few cranks have a sentiment or a simple border die. I would also like to add that the machine did stick to my glass mat w/o moving even when I used thick Crafters Companion cardstock!

I just received this machine a couple of days ago. When I used it the first time it was not very easy to use because of the lack of suction to hold it down and I will try the suggestion of the other reviewers.I received a bent plate C which doesn't allow the paper and die to lay flat as it's going through the opening. This is why I gave it a 3 star rating but it does cut well on most of the papers I’ll be using and I like the larger opening compared to other similar machines.