Dahle 507 Personal Rotary Trimmer, 12" Cut Length, 7 Sheet Capacity, Self-Sharpening, Automatic Clamp, German Engineered Paper Cutter

My old guillotine paper cutter of 30+ years was finally showing its age and the cuts were getting less precise. At my work office, they had a large (48” cutting length) rotary cutter/trimmer and I liked the performance of the rotary style cutter, so I decided to look for a personal sized rotary cutter/trimmer for my home use.After checking out several, I decided on the Dahle 507, mainly for the rail that the cutting unit slides along. The rail maintains both the lateral and vertical positioning of the blade so that I only have to apply a forward/reverse motion, and not having to apply any vertical pressure to make the cut. The Dahle with the rotary blade makes excellent straight clean cuts (versus the guillotine cutter that would tend to pull the paper sideways during the cuts, resulting in cut lines that were not straight).Some down sides --- with the auto-clamp strip sitting on top of the counter-blade (the metal cutting edge), the small gray tray next to it, and the rail above the blade, it’s difficult to visually and precisely locate crop marks/trim lines to line up with the cutting edge. I ended up taping a small strip of contrasting color paper in the tray to better highlight the cutting edge so I could line up the cutting marks with the cutting edge (see photo).As delivered, the scale bars at the two ends were not square to the cutting edge. Since the scale bars are just held on with three screws each on the bottom, it’s pretty easy to adjust them and get them square with the cutting edge. In order to precisely square it up, you will also need to remove the rail (pop out the red clip at the end of the rail) and the plastic auto-clamp strip to allow you to place a square edge against the cutting edge and then adjust the scale bar(s).The width of the metal base only about 6.5” wide which is probably okay for most small projects. However, I deal with larger papers (typically 11” x 17”), so the 6.5” width is limiting. To deal with that, I made an extension with a piece of ½” thick board with a ¼” thick strip for backing to hold it place against the edge of the base. I then added my own paper guide markings (as measured from the cutting edge) for the specific cuts I need.Overall, I’ve been pretty happy with the Dahle 507. The affordable price and the clean straight cuts did it for me. The size and light weight makes it easy to store away.

This is a must if you print out your own photos, and with the quality of most of todays printers along with the proliferation of digital cameras, this should apply to just about everyone. Now, there is certainly better professional quality equipment out there, but after a great deal of searching around and many purchases that have since been returned, this is by far the best for its price. The construction is plastic and aluminum, but it appears to be quite sturdy (I've only owned it a couple days at this point).Operation is simple. You slide the photo to be trimmed underneath the clear guard, line it up (the edge of the guard is exactly where the cut will be made), and slide the blade across. You don't have to press down on the blade. It rides on a rail, so you don't have to worry about it moving any direction other than perfectly straight. Lastly, even though I don't think the photo slipping would be a problem without this, as the blade slides along the rail, it presses down on the clear guard, which in turn holds your photo in place. The cuts are always clean, and there's no guessing exactly where the cut will be made. There are even three other blades to cut different shaped edges.If I were to complain about anything, it would be the very sparse instruction, but the device is so easy to use, it's really all that is necessary.

I researched a while to get a better paper cutter than I had without spending a whole lot of money or one that would take up precious space. This one seemed to fit the bill. I also like that the blade is self sharpening! It has a solid feel to it when cutting paper. However, I find that the paper bed is a little slick and the paper often moves, you really have to hold it in place well to get a straight cut. The markings aren't what I was expecting. I often cut paper pieces that are not a pre-marked card size. In that regard I have to measure elsewhere and then put it in the cutter. Was hoping for markings that would enable me to do it all in one step.

I had struggled with my guillotine-style paper cutters for the task of trimming down photographic sheet film. (8x10 down to 4X10 and 5X7; 5x7 down to 2.25 x 3.25.) The film would bow upward in the dark and I'd ruin some film. This does a great job, as the plastic guide moves down during the cut and holds it flat. The cut is very neat and precise. The scale on the bed is a little off, but I put a fence in the right place on the left hand side and get precise cuts. For a fence I use two thicknesses of file folder material, one on top of the other, held down by magnets. It seems very well made.

Needed a rotary cutter that rolls the cutting wheel next to a metal bar to cut the paper. This was perfect. The other cutters we looked at you had to push down the cutting wheel onto a mat below. The cutting wheel rolled due to friction with the mat below. After several passes the mat would have to be replaced. Not this cutter. Other cutters pushed a sharp blade across the paper with no rotation of the blade. Not this cutter. It makes a clean, precise cut without having to press down on the moving cutter. We got this to replace a cutter of the same design that lasted over 15 years. I hope to get the same longevity from this cutter and I think I will. The construction of this cutter is MUCH better than our old one. The measurement ruler on the side is very accurate and easy to use. The paper hold down works well and secures the paper in place while cutting. Well worth the money.