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Review on πŸ“ Dahle 552 Professional Rotary Trimmer: 20" Cut Length, Self-Sharpening Blade, 20 Sheet Capacity - German Engineered Paper Cutter by Jessica Lewis

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Well built, accurate trimmer

I use my Dahle 556 to trim large format inkjet prints and it makes the process much more efficient than my old "blades against the rule" method. I suspect my fingers could last longer too! I've used this trimmer with inkjet papers of various weights up to 400gsm and it cuts them like butter. The cuts are very precise and it's easy to remove a small amount of paper if necessary. My large printer is 24 inches wide and I often print up to 24 x 36 inches. This trimmer is just right for prints of this size. I hold the trimmer against the wall and place it on my desk next to my printers. for use. I originally intended to put it on a stand, But the trimmer is light enough to be easily moved when needed and put away when not in use. Omitting the stand saves space in my studio and is not impractical. I have a good carpet cutter, so this trimmer is designed for precise paper cuts, sheet by sheet, while the carpet cutter handles thick materials like matte cardboard and styrofoam. Basic. I considered a Rotatrim cutter but decided my use didn't justify the extra cost and having used the Dahle I'm happy with my choice. For sustained use in a production environment the Rotatrim might be worth the extra investment but the Dahle 556 is very well made, accurate and more than enough for a few hundred prints a year. I don't particularly care about the trimmer, and there's no removable magnetic paper guide. It takes some practice to position the cuts accurately by eye (the cutting blade is not visible), but after highlighting the blade orientation indicator notch in dark ink I have no problem making accurate cuts. This is a quick and easy tweak worth making. Based on other reviews, I was concerned about marks on my printouts from the automatic paper clamp, but I haven't had this issue. In fact, the clamp works much better than I expected. I can't comment on the performance when cutting multiple sheets, but for me this trimmer has been a great addition to my studio. This is a quick and easy tweak worth making. Based on other reviews, I was concerned about marks on my printouts from the automatic paper clamp, but I haven't had this issue. In fact, the clamp works much better than I expected. I can't comment on the performance when cutting multiple sheets, but for me this trimmer has been a great addition to my studio. This is a quick and easy tweak worth making. Based on other reviews, I was concerned about marks on my printouts from the automatic paper clamp, but I haven't had this issue. In fact, the clamp works much better than I expected. I can't comment on the performance when cutting multiple sheets, but for me this trimmer has been a great addition to my studio. In fact, the clamp works much better than I expected. I can't comment on the performance when cutting multiple sheets, but for me this trimmer has been a great addition to my studio. In fact, the clamp works much better than I expected. I can't comment on the performance when cutting multiple sheets, but for me this trimmer has been a great addition to my studio. In fact, the clamp works much better than I expected. I can't comment on the performance when cutting multiple sheets, but for me this trimmer has been a great addition to my studio. In fact, the clamp works much better than I expected. I can't comment on the performance when cutting multiple sheets, but for me this trimmer has been a great addition to my studio.

Pros
  • Few competitors
Cons
  • Unreliable

Comments (3)

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May 01, 2023
Not for cutting multiple sheet at once
April 16, 2023
great for single cuts
March 01, 2023
Amazing precision. Super fine cut. Some critical issues.