Update as of 12/18: The company kindly sent me the larger cutting plates free of charge when I called them about the plates. They told me the machines are currently being sold with the larger size cutting plates. Awesome customer service. Very nice people that I spoke to and so helpful. It was absolutely worth every dollar I paid. I do love the machine still after over a year.So I bought this machine because I have a Sizzix Bigkick and a Sizzix Big Shot Pro but that weighs 45 pounds and I do not move it from my work area(a.k.a. my enclosed porch) So when I need to cut out a lot of the same thing for my small business in the middle of winter I normally cannot be out in the porch for hours because it is essentially like being outside. I need that extra room inside the sides of a machine for the fabric to over lay. This machine DOES cut Sizzix bigz dies great, I wanted to mention that because these other reviews on here were extremely unhelpful in that respect (as to what the machine can actually do)in my personal opinion! It is so much smoother than my Bigkick and I love how it folds up into a neat little boxy thing instead of the Bigkick which is always just open, and it works but it is a small cutting mouth and an odd shape- especially compared to this. I honestly had no need for this machine but I had really wanted a Sizzix big shot Plus and it was double the price of this Spellbinders Platinum. This company makes a great product and I had actually called Spellbinders just prior to buying this machine to ask them personally if this machine will take the Bigz dies from Sizzix, the lady told me yes, although they encourage buyers to buy the Spellbinders dies. Let me just say I DO like their dies but I am a fabric crafter and I make products in volume, I need the quilters dies Spellbinders! Please! I want to buy them from you guys as well but I need those particular dies. A 6.5 inch square would be great since this machine has 8.5 inch capability. But there are NO square contoured steel rule dies of Spellbinders available as of yet.I also must include that since I do have a Big Shot Pro Sizzix machine, I have Plus dies for big shot plus... Those of you who are wondering if those Plus dies work in this machine, they do fit but it is tight. Like Spellbinders Large Contour steel rule dies must be just ever so slightly smaller, I am talking like 1/8 inch less in width. Because my plus die did fit but I do not think I will run them through again because it was so tight to fit it in through there. I Did honestly get this machine in hopes that it would work with those Sizzix Plus dies because I am in desperate need of a new 6.5 inch square die but I am just very impressed with how perfectly it rolls the bigz dies through that I have and I really like some of their styles. I am hoping they will release a nice array of quilting/fabric dies for us fabric crafters because it opens up a whole new group of customers for them and it is just very useful to be able to cut out basic shapes, that is all I use.I was a tad disappointed by the small 6 inch plates being included but not enough to be complaining about it as others did and giving bad reviews. My approach is to call the company and see if they can help me with that because I think they fix that issue with these machines now, they are to send you a new set of the larger plates that fit the machine correctly. My big shot pro came with the 14 inch x 26 inch plates or whatever so every machine should come with the right width in my opinion but hey what are you going to do... From my research Spellbinders is practically brand new to the steel rule dies-2015 was the first time they released these dies and machines so I am happy with what I got and I think the machine is great. Like I said it is easy to crank and rolls so smoothly and cuts out those like a dream. I am very happy with my purchase and definitely keeping it and waiting for more stuff to come out to go with it. It certainly is quite a lot heavier than my Bigkick Sizzix machine, not anywhere close to the huge Big shot Pro I have but it has a nice weight to it so it doesn't slip all around during working with it and you know it is all metal parts in there.Not that it matters but it is one of the prettiest machines I own... I mean I own a lot of them, 2 embroidery machines, 2 sergers, 2 sewing machines and Cricut Maker and the 2 Sizzix machines and more and this Spellbinders machine is just very pretty to look at and I am definitely just as excited and impressed by the cutting as I ever was with my Sizzix machines. They are machines, they have a job to do that is what is important and that I why I buy machines, they make my work go faster, they help me to make perfect cuts every time so I have constant consistency and they are not typically pretty, they are typically plain and I am fine with that- but this machine really is like a breath of fresh air with its look. It just looks rich, pretty, shiny and IT DOES ITS JOB! I really have enjoyed using it the little I have so far! This is a great price on a machine like this I got it for $74 for an 8.5 inch mouth die cut machine, that's a fantastic price! I normally save for quite some time for a machine I have had my eye on that will help me in my work as my little business slowly grows but this was just so cheap (less $ than the Sizzix Bigkick) I had to buy it and I am happy I did.