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Can anyone advise what is the best mount cutter to buy? I have looked at all the usual brands - Fletcher 1200, Keencut Ultimat or Gold and Logan 850 but am none the wiser.
I want a professional cutter but for fairly run of the mill work and not big volume, can anyone please help me
Thanks
I've just got an Ultimat Futura. After lots of research on the subject, it seems that the Ultimat has been pretty much the industry benchmark for a long time, so I was happy to get the latest model.
I looked for a while for a second hand Ultimat Gold but they don't come up very often, and being difficult to transport, it helps if they're local! Even when they do come up for sale, they tend to hold their value quite well. So I thought it worthwhile to get a new Futura knowing that it's got full warranty and will not need upgrading until I can justify going CMC.
I had been using a Logan Simplex Classic - a budget cutter, but I was getting consistently perfect results off it and it's very simple to use. The only drawback is that it relies on a bit more elbow power and a steady hand. The only problems I ever encountered with the Logan is that the board isn't clamped in place like it is on a Keencut. This caused problems particularly on smaller mounts where the board could move slightly during the cut, so cuts had a tendency to curve *very* slightly at the end.
I've used a C&H 48" machine since the mid-80's and it still cuts perfect mounts. Not much exp of Keencut models. I'm sure they are good as most (non-CMC) framers seem to use them. The only thing I have against them is the all-metal construction. The C&H has a nice wood base which comes across as a bit more friendly. But that's just me.
That machine isn't the same as mine so can't vouch for it. Methinks it's probably better.
I've a Logan 750 Simplex Plus 40". It's not good enough - for large mounts you get some bending - it's probably cut 200 large mounts, and is worn out. I need a new one.
I started off with a C and H ,and still have it, it's quite indestructible, I also have a valiani mountcutter which is excellent for larger jobs, football shirts etc;
I bought a keencut futura last month and it really is what the framers want, perfection.
I started with a Logan 650 which is a fine machine for cutting smaller mounts. I found it frustrating cutting larger mounts (which has become more than half of our work load) as it has a shorter squaring arm than the Futura so I was having to measure and mark the board before butting it in the machine, the arm is also not as rigid as the Futura so you have to be far more careful. As soon as funds allowed I upgraded to a Futura and had no regrets. It runs more smoothly on it bearings so it is easier to cut with, it is far more robust with a metal base, the fine tuning to avoid over cuts is excellent. The only bug bears are that although I had the 48" you had to cut 10mm off a 1200mm board to be able to actually start the straight cut on the long side so you can not actually cut a mount 1200mm long, and I also found it more difficult to cut multi aperture mounts than with the Logan. Lastly the rubber feet fall off all the time!
I have no experience of the Fletcher but my advice, if this is a long term project, go for the best you can afford as not only will you cut mounts more accurately you will enjoy it more as well! I now have a CMC but if I was starting out again I would go straight for the Futura.
What sort of mountcutter manufacturer would make a machine just too short for a widely used mountcard size? That is like a builder fitting the kitchen sink 5 foot up above the floor! (or perhaps 18ins above).
I also need a new mountcutter I unfortunately have a Keencut Laser (it is from a previous century) which has a squaring arm over 900mm long yet the fixing/adjustment screws are only 100mm apart. Of course they are not really adjustment screws since turning them does no adjustment. The adjustment is down to luck. Lucky if you can get them tightened whilst the squaring arm stays in the position that you hope is square. Contact breaker points on engine ignition systems come to mind.
I have not yet had a close enough look at the latest manual cutters but am wondering how squaring arms are adjusted on the various machines (of this century).
