Hi folks, I've been cutting mats on a Logan Simplex 750 that we bought a few years back. It "works" but is VERY labor intensive. Recently the alignment bar got out of alignment - just as I needed to mat/frame 8 prints for my first gallery show!!! Try as I might it just wouldn't line back up again. The alignment bar isn't "adjustable"............
After a frustrating day of the above misery at 11PM Nancy & I decided to go give a look on Craigslist.com to see if maybe just maybe there was a Fletcher for sale locally. We found one and picked it up yesterday. It was a used mat cutter the original owner bought 8 years ago but never really used (she cut a total of 2 mats before giving up... She said it hurt her back to use it).
Well there's a trick to cutting mats and not tweaking out one's back. If the table the mat cutter sits on is too low it really will hurt after only 30 minutes or so of mat cutting. Raise the table it sits on so that the top of the mat cutter sits at approximately the same height as your belly button. This will save your back for sure. I raised our mat table 6 inches.
WOW what a difference this Fletcher is!!!! This tool - once squared/tuned - will cut PERFECT mats repeatedly without fuss or muss. Unlike our old Logan.....
The tuning took one fun filled evening to get everything squared up and the fine adjustments set. Our Fletcher came with the optional Measuring Stops & Right Alignment Bar (which UNLIKE the Logan is FULLY adjustable). These allow MUCH FASTER mat layout and cutting. With the Measuring stops pencil lines on the back of the mat are a thing of the past. Once tuned all one has to do is set the Measuring Stops and cut away. Now when I cut the opening for a mat said fall out actually falls out with NO over or under cuts at all!!!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!
So was it worth the $1025.00??? Oh yeah baby!!!! I used to dread mat cutting - now I'm lovin it!!! Mat cutting is no longer the chore it used to be!!! YaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHoooooooooooooooo!!!
If you find yourself in the market for a reliable/easy to use mat cutter I HIGHLY recommend finding a Fletcher!!!!
One thing I would like to add to this is "the misery of matting" was truly holding me back from taking any real further steps into making a profitable business of my photography. The Fletcher has overcome this hurdle!!
Posted by Frank Winters on January 3, 2007 at 2:19 PM
Hi Rick,
Seems like a lot of $$ for a cutter. I've read that the 2100/2200 cutters are for large volumes of work. Did you consider any other cutter? Is there a cheaper Fletcher you'd recommend?
I'm watching a 2100 on eBay right now -- if it stays cheap I might bid. I'll let you know how it goes.
I have to say that I'm surprised (a little) about the Logan Simplex 750. I've had mine for about sixteen months now, and it works just great. The squaring arm on mine is adjustable (and, I have needed to adjust it), and the unit also has the measuring stops. I think that I paid about $400 for it brand new via ebay... And, I see that they're now selling for about $230...
Tim!
Posted by Rick Lamb on January 4, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Well I think of it this way - A Logan 750 is to a Fletcher 2100/2200 what a Canon 10D is to a Canon 1D MkII. In both cases the lesser item is certainly capable but the more capable item is well - even MORE capable and more production oriented. Trust me once you've cut mats on a Fletcher you won't want to go back to the Logan.
Discussion
3 repliesAfter a frustrating day of the above misery at 11PM Nancy & I decided to go give a look on Craigslist.com to see if maybe just maybe there was a Fletcher for sale locally. We found one and picked it up yesterday. It was a used mat cutter the original owner bought 8 years ago but never really used (she cut a total of 2 mats before giving up... She said it hurt her back to use it).
Well there's a trick to cutting mats and not tweaking out one's back. If the table the mat cutter sits on is too low it really will hurt after only 30 minutes or so of mat cutting. Raise the table it sits on so that the top of the mat cutter sits at approximately the same height as your belly button. This will save your back for sure. I raised our mat table 6 inches.
WOW what a difference this Fletcher is!!!! This tool - once squared/tuned - will cut PERFECT mats repeatedly without fuss or muss. Unlike our old Logan.....
The tuning took one fun filled evening to get everything squared up and the fine adjustments set. Our Fletcher came with the optional Measuring Stops & Right Alignment Bar (which UNLIKE the Logan is FULLY adjustable). These allow MUCH FASTER mat layout and cutting. With the Measuring stops pencil lines on the back of the mat are a thing of the past. Once tuned all one has to do is set the Measuring Stops and cut away. Now when I cut the opening for a mat said fall out actually falls out with NO over or under cuts at all!!!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!
So was it worth the $1025.00??? Oh yeah baby!!!! I used to dread mat cutting - now I'm lovin it!!! Mat cutting is no longer the chore it used to be!!! YaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHoooooooooooooooo!!!
If you find yourself in the market for a reliable/easy to use mat cutter I HIGHLY recommend finding a Fletcher!!!!
One thing I would like to add to this is "the misery of matting" was truly holding me back from taking any real further steps into making a profitable business of my photography. The Fletcher has overcome this hurdle!!
Seems like a lot of $$ for a cutter. I've read that the 2100/2200 cutters are for large volumes of work. Did you consider any other cutter? Is there a cheaper Fletcher you'd recommend?
I'm watching a 2100 on eBay right now -- if it stays cheap I might bid. I'll let you know how it goes.
Frank
I have to say that I'm surprised (a little) about the Logan Simplex 750. I've had mine for about sixteen months now, and it works just great. The squaring arm on mine is adjustable (and, I have needed to adjust it), and the unit also has the measuring stops. I think that I paid about $400 for it brand new via ebay... And, I see that they're now selling for about $230...
Tim!