So you need a rotary paper cutter or trimmer and don’t know where to begin? One brand that is a big hit with our customers is Dahle. They make a wide variety of rotary paper trimmers and cutters. I will go over a few of their most popular models.

Dahle is probably best known for their paper cutters, but they also make a wide variety of paper folders and paper shredders. While Dahle make a great selection of stack cutters and guillotine paper trimmers, they are especially popular for their rotary paper trimmers (sometimes called rolling trimmers).

Here are few of their most popular models. I will include a link to each one for easy navigation.

Top 3 Best Dahle Rotary Paper Trimmers and Cutters

1. Dahle 507, 507K & 508 Rotary Trimmers (Personal Series) – This line of trimmers is especially popular for scrapbooking and for cutting photographs. It is affordable, lightweight and very easy to carry around. These trimmers are capable of cutting up to 7 sheets of paper at a time.
2. Dahle 550, 552 & 554 Rotary Trimmers (Professional Series) – The Dahle 550 series is probably one of the most popular Dahle rotary trimmers offered. These cutters offer great low to medium-volume cutting capabilities. The blades are self-sharpening and the screen-printed grid makes it easy to align pictures and paper. Most of these cutters have a 20 sheet cutting capacity. The professional line also includes the Dahle 556 & 558 found here. The Dahle 550 series is popular with professional photographers, print shops and graphic design agencies.
3. Dahle 440, 442, 444, 446, 448 Rotary Trimmers (Premium Series) – The Dahle 440 series of cutters is considered the Dahle’s heavy-duty line of trimmers. Many of these trimmers can handle up to 30 sheets of paper at time. Optional floor stands are available for the two largest models. These trimmers can be table or wall mounted. These rotary trimmer are a popular choice among professional photographers, picture framers, and print & copy shops.

So there you have it, the most popular Dahle rotary paper cutters. Do you have some questions about Dahle rotary paper trimmers? Call one of our specialists at 1-800-658-8788. Have a great day!

Are you a copy center, a print shop or a picture framer that is in need of a quality guillotine paper trimmer? One model you may want to consider is the Dahle 561 premium guillotine paper trimmer. We have one of these trimmers on our showroom floor and I have had the chance to use it on several occasions. This is my review.

Dahle has re-designed and improved a wide variety of their guillotine paper trimmers. The result includes their new line of premium guillotine paper trimmers. This includes the model 561, 564, 565, 567 and 569. These cutters are designed for high-end cutting and are designed to be used all day long. These cutters are German engineered and German made.

The first thing that really impressed me when I used the Dahle 561 was the cutting guard. It stands out. It is a corkscrew looking plastic shield that covers the blade as it cuts. The design works great and is very creative. A lot of effort has been made by the people at Dahle to make this cutter safe.

Another thing that I noticed right off the bat was the build quality. It is made out of metal. The base is metal, the cutting arm is metal and the blade is made from high-quality Solingen Steel metal. The blade is razor sharp, which became abundantly clear as I used it to cut paper. It required little effort on my part to cut paper.

The cutter itself is designed to cut paper up to 14 ½-inch long and can cut up to 35 sheets of standard 20# paper at a time. It can also be used to cut card stock, photographs, laminated documents and more. A convenient clamp keeps paper in place and keeps cuts straight.

I noticed upon handling the Dahle 561 that the cutter is remarkably easy to move around. It only weighs about 20 pounds shipped. This means you can use it on most desks, tables and other surfaces.

You may be wondering, “How do these cutters hold up compared to a Kutrimmer?” Kutrimmer paper trimmers have an excellent track record and are favorites among our customers. While I can’t make a comparison based on long-term use, I have to say that the Dahle Premium cutters are right up there with the Kutrimmer line of guillotine paper trimmers.

I thoroughly enjoyed using the Dahle 561 and have to say that I am remarkably impressed. I’m not aware of any customer issues to date and believe this line of trimmers will be considered a favorite later down the road.

You can find the Dahle 561 premium guillotine paper trimmer here. You can find our entire line of guillotine paper trimmers here.

Finding a good rotary paper trimmer can be tough and finding one that is affordable can be even more difficult. One model you may want to consider is Dahle’s 550 series of professional rotary paper trimmers. This includes the Dahle 550, 552 and 554 trimmers. We have some of these cutters on our showroom floor and I have had a chance to use them. This is my review.

The Dahle 550 series of rotary trimmers, sometimes called rolling paper trimmers, are often brought up as alternatives to Rotatrim paper trimmers. This is because the Dahle 550 series trimmers bring a similar level of quality and productivity at a lower price.

The Dahle 550, 552 and 554 are pretty much the same cutters, but are in different lengths. Each trimmer uses a round rolling blade to cut material. The blade looks a lot like a pizza cutter wheel and even rotates as it is being used.

These trimmers can be used to cut paper, photographs, card stock, laminated documents and more. They are rated to be able to cut up to 20 sheets of standard 20# paper at a time. This number will decrease if you are cutting thicker material or card stock.

Capacity isn’t the selling point for a rotary trimmer though. What most people consider to be most important is precision and the ability to cut a straight line. The Dahle 550 series trimmers can do this well. The cutting head is easy to use and slides easily along the bar. The clamping mechanism seems to hold the paper well, preventing crooked cuts.

One feature I would like to see in the Dahle 550 line of trimmers is two sliding rails instead of just one for the cutting head. Multiple rails, as found in the Rotatrim Professional Series, make the trimmer more stable when cutting multiple sheets of paper. The single rail used does still seem to be stable and should still provide accuracy when cutting photographs and other material.

The Dahle 550, 552 and 554 have a printed grid patterns on the base of the trimmer. This grid can be used to align pictures, paper and helps to ensure a straight cut. Be aware, however, that the grid is in metric measurements. Even the common paper sizes printed on the base are metric paper sizes (A4, A5, etc.). I would like to see grid patterns in inches for those of us in the United States.  It does, however, include a side ruler in inches.

Overall I consider the Dahle 550 series of trimmers to be good machines, especially for the price. Are they as good as Rotatrim? No, but that is like comparing a Ford to a Porsche. The Porsche is great, but the Ford is probably just fine for most people.

You can find the Dahle 550, 552 and 554 professional rotary trimmers here. You can find our entire selection of rotary paper cutters here.

I get this question all the time. Which is better, Dahle or Rotatrim? I get this question from scrapbookers, photographers and many others. It’s understandable. If you look online for professional photograph and paper cutters, both Rotatrim and Dahle are at the top of the list. Here are the pros and cons.

To begin with, Dahle and Rotatrim are both at the top of the hill when it comes to rotary trimmers. Leave Fiskars and the others behind. They are just toys. We are talking about cutters designed to give you precision and last you for years.

Rotatrim, in my opinion, is still king of the hill. Nothing touches Rotatrim, and I mean nothing. The professional series of Rotatrim trimmers have two solid bars that keep the cutting head solidly in place. You probably can’t even measure with a microscope any variance in the straightness of the cut. Am I biased? Perhaps. I have used Rotatrim and absolutely love them!

Dahle is the formidable contender. They are great cutters and in most cases are far more affordable. Ten years ago I would have told you they were junk, but they have risen in quality by leaps and bounds over the past few years. If the budget is there, I’d still go with a Rotatrim, but I think you’ll still be very happy and satisfied with your Dahle cutter.

If this sways your buying decision, Rotatrim is made in England and Dahle is made in Germany.

So which Dahle and Rotatrim cutters are people buying? Here’s the list. I’ll also include a new customer favorite (Hint: It’s not Dahle or Rotatrim). Click on the link to see the product:

Quality Rotatrim Rotary Cutters

• Rotatrim Professional “M” Series - This is the king of the rotary cutters. This cutter is probably the best rotary cutter you can get for photograph cutting. Models include the M-12, M-15, M-18, M-24, M-30, M-36, M-42 and M-54. The number indicates the length of the cutter in inches. This cutter used to be known as the Mastercut.
• Rotatrim Monorail Cutter (These imported from England and distributed by Carl) – This includes models MR12, MR18, MR26, MR36 and MR48. The square bar provides decent stability to the cutting head.

Quality Dahle Rotary Cutters

• Dahle 550 Series Rotary Cutter – This cutter is great for cutting down paper and photographs. Models include the 550, 552 and 554.
• Dahle 440 Series Rotary Trimmers – These trimmers are very affordable and the cutting head sits on a rectangular-shaped bar providing added stability. Models include the 440, 442, 444, 446 and 448.

Honorable Mention / Up-And-Comer

• Foster Keencut Trimmer – This is a contender that I consider to be just as good if not better than the Dahle trimmers. This trimmer uses a double-bar system like the Rotatrim Professional cutter and is almost equally as stable and reliable.

I hope this helps you with your paper trimmer decision. Do you still have some questions about some of the models that we offer? Give us a call and speak to one of our paper cutter specialists at 1-800-658-8788. You can also post your question in a comment. You can find our entire selection of rotary paper cutters here.