Here's my cutting machine experience. Sorry in advance for the book.
Cricut: I had an expression. It did great with basic shapes, and letters. It struggled with intricate designs. I hated having to always use cartridges, so I bought a program that let me use svg files. Then an update by Cricut broke the program. I tried out their Design Studio (not Space, studio) and it was okay. But it didn't allow for as much manipulation as I wanted. Then Cricut Craft Space was just coming out, but I hated that any cartridges had to be linked to your account, because I would borrow a cartridge and it caused problems. At that point, I walked away from Cricut. I haven't used the updated Design Space, and have not looked into those features. I don't know if the cartridge linking is still a thing. I sold all my Cricut stuff.
Sizzix eClips: I went to the eClips because it had the cartridge option, and the computer svg option. Plus, I loved the red sizzix dies, and could purchase them digitally to use with my eclips. The customer service has always been so superb with Sizzix! They replaced my machine with a new one, not refurbished, after 5 months when I had a problem, and sent everyone new USB cords when they discovered a better configuration for it - without having to opt in! Their computer software allowed me to create shapes, or things pretty easily, and has a score, cut or draw line. The pen adapter takes almost every marker and pen I've put it in, including sharpies. The laser preview is awesome, and the software let me manipulate objects easily. It's cut everything I've given it, which has only been up to light cardboard. It's also fast, and handles most intricate cuts well. The new model, the eClips 2 does not have the cartridge option, which I haven't really used anyway. But it does have Bluetooth capability.
Silhouette Cameo: I added this to my stash because I liked seeing all the print and cut that people were doing, and while my eClips can print and cut, and does. It seemed easier to use the Silhouette to do so. And it is. Print and Cut is much easier on my Silhouette, especially because a lot of digital stuff is designed to be P&C on the Silhouette. I like the Silhouette because it is super quiet compared to the eClips (I've heard the new eClips 2 is quieter). I haven't bought the Designer Edition software to cut my svg files, because I do still have and use the eClips for that. The pen adapter is for short fat pens. I've heard there's a third party one that lets you use regular pens, but I haven't explored that at this time.
So, for me, I use the Silhouette for any Print and Cut work, or anything I want on sticker paper. I use the eClips for heavier materials, and prefer it for pen work. Vinyl I use either machine. And depending on what the project is, I prefer the eClips if it's a hybrid with folds because of the scoring feature.
