I bought an Easy Cutter Ultimate from Hobby Lobby back in 2009/2010. I raved about its usefulness and found changing the blade to be straightforward. It was a quality product that I recommended to other crafters.
I made a mistake and tried to cut something too hard, marring the plate. I knew I could change the blades but not the plate. It still worked well, but I had intended to replace it once it was time to change the blade again.
A few months ago, I bought a new one from Hobby Lobby then immediately returned it after opening the package. My previous one had a rivet on the bottom; the new one had a screw that kept loosening. The angle selector swung freely and had a lot of give in the newer version. I had to tighten the screw constantly but then it loosened when I changed the angle. This slows down the work and means I always have to have a screwdriver nearby.
Thinking it might be a fluke, I recently tried again from Amazon. This one had the same issue with the screw, so I returned it as well. I now understand why people I’ve recommended the tool to are not impressed with it.
I just bought a new old stock Easy Cutter Ultimate with the rivet on the bottom from eBay. It has the same great quality of the original one I had.
You can see the difference without opening the package since the rivet/screw sticks out from the packaging.
I’ve sent my concern to Midwest Products hoping they return the product to its former design. I’ll update this post if I receive a reply.
