If you just want to set eyelets on your pages, then there are cheaper alternatives, but if you want to punch holes in thick media, such as chipboard, (apparently even leather, plastic, metal, acrylic, fabric, wood and poly - although I haven’t tried any of those myself!) the a Crop-A-Dile is probably a good buy for you.

I already have a Silent Setter, for setting my eyelets, and in fact if you want to set eyelets in the middle of scrapbooking pages, then you can’t do it with a Crop-A-Dile as it only has an inch reach!  Which is ok for tags and edges of papers (they make a “Big Bite” for the long reach… but it’s huge!!)

BUT… I bought one of these because I was taking some workshops where I needed to punch holes in envelope albums - 10 albums a class!  This is something the Crop-A-Dile did with ease!  Mine came with a case and eyelets, but watch the video (below) to find out what my reservation is on buying the case by itself.

It’s also great for punching cleanly through chipboard and quickly through multiple layers of paper and cardstock, for instance for compiling mini albums including the hardboard covers. 

I hesitated in buying it also because it looks like such a great big contraption, but actually (as you will see in the video) in comparison to my hands, it’s not that big really… and no… my hands are delicate, normal sized, lady’s hands… don’t you know!

It’s also available in Lime Green (not my favourite colour!) and in a matching lime coloured case with 400 eyelets (sadly not lime green)!

Having said that I actually use Lime green as an accent colour on my scrapbooking pages quite a bit and always have some of that coloured ribbon on hand… in one of my Easy Ribbon Holders, of course!

I hope you find this Video Product Review interesting, if not useful!