Logan Graphic Products 750-1 Simplex Elite Mat Cutter System, 40 inch Capacity (750-1DS)

easy and great size

Great mat cutter with all the accoutrements and instructions. Fairly easy to use, but try it out on some inexpensive mats first for practice, as they suggest, until you get the hang of it (I did not watch the DVD; I use the instruction booklet). Great for the serious hobbyist and for the amateur to professional who wants to save on matting costs. To get professional results: Change the blades often -- more often than you might think! Note that there are two different kinds of blades with this: #270 to cut the thinner mats and (I think #271?) to cut the 8-ply mats. (Don't rely on that second number for the blades -- I'm going by my memory and it's not great).

The Logan 750-1 Simplex Elite mat cutter is advertised as a medium-duty unit for home or occasional business use. In practice it fits this category. It is substantial enough and accurate enough to meet those needs, but it would not last long in a busy frame shop.Aluminum extrusions are very well made. The squaring arm is indeed perfectly square. The sliding stop plate used to set mat border width has well-designed expanding anchors which lock it in position, but the plate can sometimes fail to square itself to a small degree.The baseboard is MDF and is quite flexible along its length. You must support it entirely or the rigid aluminum guides will not consistently meet the surface. Also, if it is not supported to the very end, long bevel cuts will come out curved. The baseboard is the one aspect I would improve. Logan states that it must be stored flat, not standing, else it may warp. I agree.The straight mat cutter and glass cutter are molded plastic. They're adequate, but not the quality of the bevel cutters, which are beautifully made of aluminum. That said, the bevel cutters must be more rigid and precise if they are to work at all, so the quality is there when it is essential. A small thing to nitpick is that the bevel cutters are somewhat awkward to grasp if you have large hands.Logan's guidebook, which accompanied this particular unit, includes enough tips and techniques for anyone with reasonable skill to succeed at complex mat-cutting tasks. Logan also has a number of detailed, professional video tutorials on their website.We cut a couple of test mats as soon as the unit was set up. Both turned out perfectly. The machine is capable of fine results. I think the 750-1 is particularly worth the extra cost over neighboring models because you need only set up once to cut the mat, backing material, and glass, ensuring that all are consistent in size and perfectly square.The unit was purchased from Hyatt Graphic Supply via Amazon. Shipping was quick and mostly uneventful. It was shipped in its retail box, which had popped open along one seam. Fortunately, all the little pieces inside were exceptionally well packed, boxed, and labelled, so nothing was missing.Logan claims that you can save 50-75% over commercial matting and framing. We have two large pieces to frame that prompted our purchase. Indeed, the unit will have paid for itself with just the first project.

I've wanted to get one of these since I tried one out two years ago. This is a great midrange mat cutter for those who a moderate amount of mats of the same size. The production stops help speed cutting time to half the time and allows a production line workflow to help you cut mats fast and accurately allot he time. Logan also supplies a great DVD to teach you how to use their mat cutter.This model of mat cutter has been upgraded from what is was in the past. With this model you get a paper cutter, plexiglass, glass and thick mat cutter besides the bevel cutter and straight cutter. The previous model has been renamed. But this is worth the few extra dollars.

Just a word of caution: If you have a Logan mat cutter with a squaring arm be very careful moving the mat cutter anywhere with the squaring arm attached. There's probably a warning about this in the instructions which I've long forgotten. The aluminum squaring arm is EXTREMELY fragile where it attaches to the board. If it bends even slightly it's a goner. If you try to bend it back (we're talking less than 5 degrees) the aluminum will snap. The replacement arm, with shipping, is almost $100. Almost a third of the price of the whole system. I think the arm should be redesigned.

I purchased this mat cutter to upgrade from a Logan 450 that I have used for the past several years. The 450 did not have a squaring arm so squaring mat and foam board was a chore as was cutting the mats. The 750 is well made, the squaring arm is solid and stays square to the guide. I am very pleased with this tool and have been happy with the mats that I have cut to date. The only negative comment that I have is that I cannot find spare circular blades for the paper cutter anywhere online. Living deep in the mountains, I maintain a stock of parts for my tools since the nearest large stores are 70 miles away or days for replacements to arrive when ordered online.

I am a novice mat cutter and the Logan cutter is proving to be an excellent tool for the beginner. Using the guides on the tool, the corners have been excellent from the first mat. I have successfully cut single mats, double mats, and mats with multiple openings. I am a photographer and the cost of framing was a major expense to enter a show or exhibition. By cutting my own mats and completing my own frames, I have greatly reduced my recurring costs. The Logan mat cutter pays for itself within the first three or four framings.