This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosures here.
I have seen numerous listings on Marketplace, Amazon, and eBay for the old Cricut Mini cutting machine. Not to be confused with the Cricut EasyPress Mini, this machine was released in September 2011 and is no longer usable.
What was it?
When the Cricut Mini was introduced, it offered the functionality of the Cricut Expression and Cricut Expression 2 at a lower price and with a smaller footprint. The smaller size made it perfect to take to crops and scrapbook retreats. It used materials up to 8.5″ x 11″. The web-based Cricut Craft Room software was used to operate the machine. Cartridges could be linked to Cricut Craft Room, or users could use images available in the software.
The Cricut Craft Room software was built on Adobe Flash technology, which Adobe stopped supporting. So, in 2018, the Cricut Craft Room software was shut down. The oldes Expression machines can still be used as standalone machines since they have keypads, but the Cricut Mini can no longer be used at all.
As people clean out basements and closets, Cricut Mini cutting machines are showing up on resale sites and shops. Many owners probably don’t know that the machine is unusable, and potential buyers wouldn’t know without doing considerable research.
If you filter the reviews on Amazon down to one-star reviews, you will find:
What to buy instead
The good news is that the Cricut product lineup has greatly improved in recent years, and there are many excellent cutting machines available now. For a small footprint and portability, the Cricut Joy Xtra is a great choice. It can cut materials up to 8.25″ wide and 11.75″ long on a mat, and even larger projects with Smart Materials. Plus, there is an available card mat, and the Joy Xtra is capable of using the Print then Cut feature.
The above post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosures here.
