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Add to SafariWhen comparing USCutter MH 34” vs Roland Stika SV-12, the Slant community recommends Roland Stika SV-12 for most people. In the question“What are the best vinyl cutters?” Roland Stika SV-12 is ranked 2nd while USCutter MH 34” is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose Roland Stika SV-12 is:
This simple-to-use vinyl cutter can work with various materials, such as standard vinyl, twill, paint mask, heat transfer, reflective vinyl, and etching materials, which makes it perfectly suitable for domestic DIY applications.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Exceptional value for the money
This is the only decent vinyl cutter capable under $300 capable of cutting 34” wide media. And it comes with a stand included. A single stand of a high-end GCC machine will probably cost more than $400. It is highly unlikely to find a quality cutter less expensive than this one.
Pro A lot of sample material is included
Additionally to the cutter itself, you will also get multiple rolls of 24” vinyl, two massive rolls of application transfer tape, and a roll of paper application tape. This will be enough for you to ‘play around’ with the cutter and find the appropriate cutting parameters.
Pro Easy to setup due to video tutorial
There is an official USCutter MH series setup video tutorial available on Youtube. The tutorial covers all the essential parts of the setup procedure, from unboxing to the actual cut. And it is only 14 minutes long.
Pro Good for domestic use
This simple-to-use vinyl cutter can work with various materials, such as standard vinyl, twill, paint mask, heat transfer, reflective vinyl, and etching materials, which makes it perfectly suitable for domestic DIY applications.
Pro Rigid and durable
The body of this vinyl cutter is made from very durable high-quality, injection-molded plastics. Overall, it feels very rigid, with no loose parts.
Pro Portable
Due to its small dimensions (17-⅜” x 8-⅛” x 4-½” ) and lightweight design (only 6 pounds), you can take this machine anywhere you want.
Pro Simple, straightforward software
This machine comes with a simple, clean, and reliable software: Roland CutStudio. With it, you can either create new vector designs or import existing ones from the BMP, JPG, STX, AI, or EPS files. After the design was created, just adjust the outline options and press the start button. The machine will do the cutting automatically.
Pro Capable of cutting custom designs
This machine can cut custom printed designs. The process is implemented by the aid of registration marks and a camera. This is a must-have feature for those who want to cut custom stickers or do multi-color heat transfers.
Pro Can export a design directly
With this cutter, using the provided Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw plug-in, users can export and cut specific design files straight from those editors. Step files are not required.
Cons
Con Software is only compatible with Windows
You can not run the VinylMaster Cut software on a non-Windows machine. This imposes severe limitations on users who run other OSes.
Con Cutting precision is limited
A stepper motor controls the Z axis of this machine, and its cutting precision is much lower than the cutting precision of a digital servo motor (used in higher end machines). Only machines with a digital servo motor controlled Z Axis can cut ultra thin vinyl films.
Con Unsuitable for commercial use
Even though Roland Stika SV-12 is a decent machine, it is not the right option to use in commercial applications. First of all, the cutting speed is slow when compared with more professional competitors. Secondly, its cutting quality is suitable only for cutting standard thickness vinyl: since the blade is actuated by a stepper motor, the machine struggles to adjust the cutting depth with enough precision to cut thin vinyl. Furthermore, thick vinyl cannot be cut, as the downforce of the blade is too weak.
Con Can't cut fast
Regarding cutting speed, this machine is on the lower end of the market. The speed of almost 2 inches per second seems like a joke when compared to the speeds of larger Graphtec, Roland, and USCutter machines (more than 30 inches/s).
Con Imprecise height control
The manufacturer did not use a digital servo driver to control the Z axis of the machine. Instead, a cheaper and less reliable solution was implemented: a stepper motor.
Con Small cutting area
The cutting area of this vinyl cutter is minimal, only 9-13/16” x 39.47”.
Con Hard to find spares
The manufacturer does not sell spare parts for this machine (apart from blades). If a mechanical part (a motor, a pulley, a belt or a gear) fails, you will have to find an alternative part yourself.
