Dahle 558 Professional DIN A0 Self-Sharpening Paper Trimmer, Dual Guide Bar, Automatic Clamp, Safety Protection Cutter

This rotary trimmer by Dahle, one of the leading manufacturers of this type of product, arrived safely and well packaged. This heavy duty trimmer is solidly made and reassuringly heavy, over 5kg (I bought the 552 model in A3 size). It does have a large footprint so be aware of this when buying. The cutter rail is much more robust than others on the market, allowing for a good accurate clean cut from the self sharpening blade. The nonslip feet hold the trimmer steady in use. The metal base has markings in A sizes, metric and imperial. I found these markings to be spot on and square to the blade. It does come with a magnetic alignment guide which, although I haven't used it, seems to be accurate too. In use, the automatic clamp holds the paper tight freeing up one hand. The booklet states that paper up to 2mm can be cut. Not really a useful figure as paper and card comes in weight rather than thickness! I've used the cutter for watercolour paper up to 350gsm with no issues. Yes, it's expensive compared to many Chinese trimmers which are flimsy and inaccurate. The expression 'buy once, cry once' springs to mind!

Having recently purchased an A3 printer, I thought it was time to upgrade from using a stanley/craft knife and ruler and I am pleased with my choice. The cutting mechanism is precise and capable of taking the smallest strip from the edge of the page. It is very sharp and I have used it to cut multiple sheets at the same time - from standard printer paper to 350gsm card and specialist photo papers. The trimmer is well made and robust. I have find the measuring guides/rulers to be precise and easy to use/read. Worth reading the instructions (my initial approach was "how hard can it be") as it does provide useful information on how to use the trimmer to best effect/get the best results. Whilst space is not a problem (for me) It is worth noting that it does have a significantly larger footprint than an A3 piece of paper and it is heavier than I was expecting but is reflective in the quality and ability to deal with oversize A3 formats. I strongly recommend.

Very good well-made product

Went for the A3 version - it's a large, well constructed piece of kit which makes very clean cuts on ~6-8 sheets or fewer, but will still cut up to the advertised number of sheets with some slight fraying. Definitely best to use this on a large cutting mat / other grippy surface - the bottom is doesn't have rubberised grips to allow use on a table without it sliding around. Once stabilised it's a very smooth experience - the sliding stop can be precisely locked on the ruler allowing very consistent cuts and is sprung to keep it straight. Very easily able to put together notebooks with this as a result.

This is a disaster, I will never buy any Dahle equipment. Maybe in the past they produced good stuff, but not anymore. Unfortunately, I was sure it is OK, and I used smaller photo paper than planned initially, so there was no need to use the trimmer after it arrived. So, I tried the rotary trimmer one day after return window, after just over 1 month after purchase. I found that: 1. The cutting wheel was jammed, it arrived in such condition, but I even didn't check it carefully (I had no paper yet, when I bought it, and I was sure - stupid me - that the Dahle company is a reliable company). I contacted Dahle support about the jammed wheel, they send PDF with some details, and I fixed the jammed cutting wheel. 2. Even worse - I found that no matter how I try (and other people too), there is always at least one harsh small bump/imperfection on paper edge after cut, easily to feel when you touch it, but a bit difficult to show it on photo - unless macro probably - I have attached photo made by mobile phone. Small papers/ short edges can be cut sometimes cleanly, but bigger will not have clean cut. I wasted over £100 for Dahle 554 Rotary Trimmer 2020 Model, wich is RUBBISH.

Sturdy and well made with a metal frame and cutting surface it makes cutting large and small sheets of paper and thin card a doddle. It remains to be seen how long the moving parts inside the cutting mechanism last. I suspect there are some plastic cogs and wheels in there that will wear out far quicker than metal ones.

I'm very happy with the this item. The cutting bar is sturdy and inflexible, which is needed to ensure good cuts along the length. It's performance had been excellent to date, and I see no sign of wear or deterioration. The size is large enough for all paper or card I regularly use and fit for purpose. I would not call this light weight, although compared to the wooden based ones used in schools in the 1990s, I suppose it is. The base is hollow which is lighter than a solid base would be. The guide marks are useful, although I tend to use it left handed and cut right to left, so the marks are on the opposite side, but that's true of all cutters. I have found the paper clamp helpful in positioning the paper, however I always keep one hand on the paper as I cut to ensure it doesn't move, especially when cutting multiple sheets. I've found this to be necessary on every paper cutter I have used, so do not consider it a criticism of this model. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs a reliable cutter that will stand up to years of use. Comes with a tiny Allan key screwdriver for removing the guide bars (which I only noticed when taking the photo of the hollow base.)

As a front running brand, you expect good quality and this delivers - excellent value for money. We use this in a studio for cutting film, excellent quality and cutting accuracy. Very quiet glide and easy to use. The quality is the same as the one we have just replace (same brand) that lasted over 10yrs.