Big Shot Plus is worth considering when a specific project needs its wider opening or an accessory explicitly supports that model. A wider machine does not automatically approve every thicker stack or cross-brand system. Keep Big Shot, Big Shot Plus, and Switch Plus separate when checking instructions.
Check this setup in the finderA documentation-based guide, not a hands-on test. Manufacturer instructions support technical claims; community reports illustrate questions, not compatibility guarantees. How we check our sources.
On this page
Width is the main specification—not universal compatibility
| Reference machine | Big Shot 667085 | Big Shot Plus 667140 |
|---|---|---|
| Advertised opening | 6 inches | 9 inches |
| Sizzix Plus dies | Not the required machine | Included in the documented supported range |
| Instruction set | Big Shot and the identified platform | Big Shot Plus and its required accessories |
| Glimmer II | Explicitly excluded | Listed compatible |
The opening figures above describe current listed models. Do not relabel the 9-inch Plus opening as an 8.5-inch working plate. For a particular project, the outside tool dimensions, the required plate surfaces, and the correct stack still matter. [1] [2] [3]
When extra width is actually useful
Start with the item that will not fit your current machine. Write down its product name and outside dimensions, then confirm the named machine in its instructions. This avoids buying a larger machine to solve a problem caused by the wrong plate system rather than width.
| Situation | Decision to investigate |
|---|---|
| A specific Plus-size die is central to your project | Price the Plus setup required for that die |
| Your existing folders and dies already fit and work | Keep the working machine unless another measured need justifies replacing it |
| One 3D folder is difficult to feed | Identify the folder and stack; do not treat width as a pressure fix |
| You want to arrange several small dies in one pass | Measure a planned layout within the required cutting area before deciding the extra space is useful |
A large opening can offer layout flexibility, but it does not guarantee that your preferred arrangement will fit the usable pads. Include space between pieces and keep every component within the boundaries specified by its instructions.
Keep the correct platform and pads together
Sizzix separates its Big Shot and Big Shot Plus sandwich instructions, including different operation categories. Treat that distinction as part of the machine choice. A die that is usable in both models can still require the correct platform and accessories for each. [4]
Before replacing a machine, sort your existing equipment into three groups: documented for the new machine, documented only for the old setup, and not yet checked. Put the last two groups outside your savings calculation. That keeps an assumed accessory saving from turning into an unexpected shopping list.
Take a photograph of the labels before storing old equipment. Do not build a stack from memory after combining plates from two machines in the same drawer. The finder can help record a supported setup, but an unverified result is not an invitation to try a thicker sandwich.
Price the wider setup, including future replacements
Compare these cost lines, using the exact packages offered by your retailer:
- The machine itself and the platform, adapters, and pads specifically listed as included.
- Any missing item needed for your first named project.
- A replacement pair of the correct cutting pads, so you understand the ongoing consumable cost.
- The die, folder, or separate system that makes the upgrade useful.
- Shipping, tax, and any return-shipping cost stated by the seller.
Machine-only and starter-kit names are not a complete box inventory. Ask for the written contents when a listing is unclear, particularly for clearance stock or a secondhand machine. Also check how you will store the required wider plates; the machine's closed footprint alone does not describe the entire setup.
Our recommendation is to compare a complete first-project cart for each option. A cheaper machine with missing required accessories may not be the cheaper usable purchase.
The Glimmer exception is easy to miss
The Glimmer II FAQ makes an exact-model distinction between Big Shot and Big Shot Plus. That decision should be made before buying the foiling system; changing a shim is not a documented workaround for an excluded machine. [3]
In a September 2026 Reddit discussion, a shopper described conflicting information from a local shop and planned to check Spellbinders directly. Other Big Shot owners questioned whether the new system justified another machine purchase. Those comments illustrate a purchasing problem; the official model list supplies the compatibility evidence. [5]
Before you choose
Does Plus mean electric?
Keep the exact product name in your comparison. This page compares Big Shot with Big Shot Plus; Switch Plus is a separate model and needs its own instructions.
Is the bigger machine automatically better for 3D embossing?
No such conclusion follows from opening width. Check the actual folder and documented plate arrangement.
When would you keep a standard Big Shot?
When it already covers your projects and the proposed upgrade has no clearly identified job. Save a working recipe before deciding that new equipment is necessary.
Match the guide to your actual equipment.
Choose your exact machine, plate system, and accessory generation. Read the evidence label before using a recipe or buying a part.
Open the compatibility finder →Sources & review notes
Checked against the references below on November 7, 2026. Product packages and documentation can change. A brand name, nominal width, or similar appearance does not establish compatibility.