Faulty Cricut Maker 3 - Trying To Repair...

I bought a faulty Cricut Maker 3 for spares or repair. I mainly needed a power supply for one they my wife bought second hand, but I thought we'd have a go at trying to repair it.
I found out a few things about these machines which I don't agree with!
If a unit breaks down, and is under warranty, Cricut ships out a replacement unit and then tells the customer to dispose of the original.
BUT.. They then blacklist the faulty units serial number, so it can't be used ever again. Even if you get it repaired, or buy one with a small crack in the casing for instance that has been replaced under warranty, you still can't use it!
This seems very wasteful to me, and definitely not good for the environment as the amount of energy and resources needed to create the unit in the first place.
Personally I don't agree with this. I think the company should either repair, or possibly sell the broken machines as refurbished or something, but to block them and tell the customer to junk them I think it's plain wrong. As someone who likes to repair things, and reuse items, it doesn't sit right with me.
Another thing I don't like, is to even use the machine you have to "Login" to the Cricut servers. If the servers aren't available for any reason (for example if your internet connection is down or the company is no longer trading) then you have a large paperweight which won't function. They say this isn't the case BUT I tested it myself!
Please let me know your thoughts on this in the comments!
Let's have a go at trying to repair it anyway and see what happens....
EDIT:Someone asked for pictures of the PCB. I took some and they can be found here:
imgur.com/a/qGObuyy
EDIT2:
Interesting hackaday article:
hackaday.com/2021/03/15/cricu...
#cricut #electronics #electronicsrepair
Cricut maker 3 disassembly
Cricut maker 3 repair
Cricut mater 3 teardown

[@triple5even]

Every Product should have a "Right to Repair Compliance" Rating next to the Energy Consumption Label and the Price.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree. We are being slowly locked out of repairing our own devices and being moved towards a 'just bin it' mentality!

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

I wholeheartedly agree. Wouldn't it also be excellent if customers had full right to repair along with easy to repair goods and also be able to purchase spare parts cheaply? Most governments wouldn't fully allow it though due to corporate lobbying and general greed and corruption. One of my pet peeves is Smartphones, Tablets, etc, particularly from Apple and Samsung. There's a KZbin channel called Hugh Jeffreys who highlights just how anti-repair Apple in particular is, they even go so far as to prevent swapping components from one phone to another of the exact same models.

[@Myst9066]

@@BuyitFixit The movie Wall-e is very quickly becoming a reality

[@BuyitFixit]

@@Myst9066 Totally agree. Was a good movie 👍

[@SilliestSmurfEver]

Plus free Schematics for Download and without any quota BS like Car manufacturers have for any info for their s**t.

[@DoktorRockszo]

I will never be upset at a failed repair video as long as you explain why. As someone trying to learn electronics repair, it is vital to know what's worth pursuing and what isn't.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks! I did try, and it still may have been possible. It's just how much time and effort do you spend on something to try and repair it? I spent about 5 hours probably on that unit and it was becoming clear to me that it would take hours more to try and trace all those corroded tracks and then hopefully repair them, and then there was no guarantee it would work after.

[@fouroakfarm]

100% agree about the deactivation thing, absolutely criminal. While this wasnt a successful fix, at least its a good PSA to never buy products from this company

[@BuyitFixit]

Yep, pity about all of the corrosion. If it was a chip or such I'd have probably repaired it.

[@SomeMorganSomewhere]

Yeah, that's extremely shitty behaviour, there's enough bloody e-waste without people just chucking these things out because they developed some minor fault.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree 👍

[@asakayosapro]

I would think that someone out there has hacked and cracked into one of these things and bypassed the deactivation nonsense either by flashing the firmware, spoofing the serial into a different one, or just running the important parts off of an arduino or a raspberry pi … it would be a bird’s nest of soldered jumper wires, but it is at the very least, usable.

[@BuyitFixit]

Someone did with the older models but changed all of the motors for steppers. I think this one has USB communications encrypted to stop people using other software. I should be possible to reprogram the pic32 chip but you'd need to reverse engineer the pcb layout so you know what i/o pins do what and then port GBRL or something to work with that. GBRL would probably need extensive modifications as it may not support brushed DC motors with optical encoders.

[@jacqueschaillet7913]

With that selling politic I'd refuse to buy one of their products. Thanks for that informative video. 🤔

[@BuyitFixit]

You and me both!

[@mancavemusician]

Agree 100% its criminal that manufacturers can still get away with this, no wonder there is so much plastic in our water.

[@BuyitFixit]

Unfortunately it's worse than this, as I've seen units advertised on eBay for things such as a small crack in the case, and the unit was replaced and deactivated, or because the lid was loose!

[@AlecKristi]

Thanks for the PSA!! I was actually eyeing this thing... Now I know never to purchase anything from this company.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Alec👍

[@peucenon]

Bought a Cricut August 2022; used it about 10 times to figure it out and then put it aside. Decided to try it again last week and it wouldn't work. Called Cricut; 2 lovely techies tried to help but determined it was the motor. 7 days out of warranty and they will not replace. Crap company!

[@BuyitFixit]

Wow that totally sucks. I recently had similar with a Ninja food processor/blender where the jug after putting hot soup in it had cracked around where the motor shaft goes through the centre. After visiting their site it seems a very common issue as there was loads of comments saying pretty much the same and some people were onto the 3rd jug! They said it was out of warranty and I'd have to buy a new one, even though I had used it only twice!

[@bobbobby1624]

luckily there is lots of bricked devices you can buy cheat to salvage parts from, as long as your motherboard is good and not remote-bricked you might be able to find someone who could rip the motor out of a bricked unit to send you, save these scum bags from getting another sale, although after finding out about this remote bricking policy I would hope most people would avoid Cricut machines

[@gordonemery6949]

Best to watch programs like these before you think about buying anything ,this product will self-destructive a week after leaving the shop 😊 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree 👍

[@sp523]

I enjoyed watching your video. Excellent repair attempt! You can’t win them all.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks SP. Yes unfortunately we can't fix everything 🙁

[@Hagis2k]

Great video I was thinking of buying one before happy that I did not, companies like this needs to go out of business this should be criminal as you say!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Hagis2k, there was a bit of a scandal with this company a few years back where they wanted to start charging people who bought the product a subscription to continue using the software 🤔

[@tonythornton1383]

Great video once again. You can’t win them all.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you kindly Tony 👍

[@ianhuxstep211]

Once again a great video. This is the sign of times with Chinese made items cheaper for them to scrap rather than repair and with shipping costs it's not worth returning, even though these things are over £200 to buy. I used to work on a lot of liquid damaged items it's not some much the coffee or tea that does most of the damage its the sugar content. Once via's are gone and it is a multi-layer board it's a no brainer.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍yes, I think it was probably coke.

[@MakeupMobster]

I’m having the same issue. My cricut just took a crap on me. Totally just failed. All they can do is offer me a new blade housing. When that didn’t fix the problem, the only solution they had for me was a 20% off coupon. So they want us to fill the landfills with these things. Very wasteful.

[@BuyitFixit]

Sorry to hear about your machine, this company obviously doesn't care about the environment, and obviously cares more about profit and getting it's customers to purchase new product 🙁

[@MikeyMack303]

Too bad! What a waste! But now you have gained knowledge of that for future use, if any! And you have spares! Thank you for bringing us along!

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, shame but I guess you can't win them all 👍

[@asakayosapro]

The whole anti consumer no repairability obsession of greeedcorps like the ones that make cricut into ewaste is why I buy alternatives like Silhouette machines. They do the same cutting as cricut but steer away from proprietary nonsense and restrictive fine print.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes totally 👍

[@xzytqweo3538]

Cricut and companies like them are always making sure their profits are secure. And disposable products are the way to go. It is far cheaper to send another machine than have you send it back for repair and then they send it back to you, as long as it is still under warranty that is. We live in a profit driven world that lives by "throw away" standards.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree, I just don't really agree with that practice as it seems awfully wasteful and not great for the environment either.

[@arcadeuk]

My wife keeps saying she wants one of these, I've tried to educate her on why we don't buy internet locked disposable junk like this, I only needed to learn that lesson once when Hive discontinued support for their thermostats

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I bought a "Glance Clock" to do a repair video on, but unfortunately the company has now gone bust and servers offline.

[@sublimationman]

Those things you mentioned at the beginning is exactly why I bought a Silhouette Cameo instead.

[@BuyitFixit]

My wife ended up getting a brother scan and cut. The cricut she got is still sat in the box to be sold.

[@quantumleap359]

Everyone who uses electronic gadgets should see this video. Should send a cautionary message to them, drink your fizzy beverages elsewhere! I've tried repairing electronics that have suffered this same fate. Usually catastrophic damage, not repairable. Cheers, great video. Subscribed.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Quantum Leap, you will probably like the FLIR camera repair video and the solar inverter repair I did too (I had a bit of an issue with both companies being most unhelpful) and with the solar inverter they wouldn't give me a password and pretty much said bin it and buy a new one... good job I'm not so easily deterred 😂😂😂

[@asakayosapro]

You should see the likes of Louis Rossmann repair crApple Mac boards which have had liquid damage… though he does have the aid of circuit diagrams and boardview software for all the specific models of boards for those overpriced pieces of ewaste, he manages to get them back in running order, bar another one of those unobtainable chips like ISL9240 or the godforsaken T2 chip (unavailability enforced by crApple, of course.)

[@thijsvdakker1615]

That’s the first ‘no fix’ I’ve seen from you! And I’ve been bin watching quite some repairs..:) very wasteful indeed to not provide any service, but just simply replace and bin it..

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍 Yes, I could have spent more time on this and possibly repaired it, but after all the effort it would still not have worked due to it being deactivated. Unfortunately sometimes you have to call it a day. Another no fix was the Dyson hot and cold fan due to the microcontroller being fried, however a kind chap from Australia sent me his faulty board and I managed to repair that one and used it to repair the fan in a later video 🙂

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

Another excellent video, nice attempted repair but apparently liquid and PCBs don't mix, who'd have guessed? :-) You deserve a lot more subs! The general 'replace it, bin the original' approach is absolutely appalling, coupled with the online requirement. I hate it when manufacturers do this. Environmentally damaging manufacturer-induced waste is getting far worse these days, especially now that they have cheap circuits and the internet to ensure that people can't easily fix their own devices. It's just terrible levels of greed and control. Seemingly many governments won't do anything to combat it either, I can't think why ........ I repaired my toaster today (electromagnet issue with carbon on the contacts - just clean the contacts to fix) - many people would have thrown it away and it would have ended up as landfill. What's next, online only toasters or software locked down toasters which prevent repair? Wouldn't in fact surprise me if they already exist. If so many governments weren't so corrupt they would force manufacturers to make items cheap and easy to repair.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks M Jons totally agree. Don't forget the DRM bread :)

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

@@BuyitFixit Hah, yup!

[@positivefix]

I’ll stick with my Graphtec vinyl cutter for doing all my Heat Transfer Vinyl work. Never been a fan of the Cricut range, I like them even less now!!!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Positive Fix, yeah as you might have guessed I'm not a fan either 😂😂

[@stuartandrews4344]

Horrible company & machines Circut.

[@mercuraz]

Once I see liquid damage in a vias, the board is a write off. Good job for trying though!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Mercuraz 👍

[@roneckler9937]

I see this a lot with items that take batteries. People don't take the batteries out of the items they don't use anymore, then the batteries start to leak, especially in remote controls. The thing with the remotes is that they have a silver paste that is conductive for the button press. once that starts to corrode away the remote is pretty much useless. I've tried to re-apply the paste but it's not easy. Although this was a no fix item. you still have some useful parts for repairs on other items, so it's not a total waist. This video is 8 months old, and I know it late, but I'm catching up on all the video, and just making comments as I can. Love the videos!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, no problem and I appreciate the feedback 👍

I've especially selected a Silhouette one because at least some open source projects support it. Haven't tried yet, but if they try to pull BS like that there is at least a backup plan. IMO Cricut makes toy-grade stuff, the software is also very limited. Does it support SVG yet?

[@BuyitFixit]

@JonasKoritz I've no idea, my wife ended up getting a Brother machine and the Cricut has sat in the box since.

[@dogastus]

That's a rare occurance on your chanel - a failed repair. Agree totally about the extemely bad form of locking a customer out. It needs a hacker to get into the code and bypass the deactivaton bit!

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I do have some now and again.. The problem is most of the devices functionality is "in the cloud" which is one of the reasons I don't like it.

[@peterroy3052]

Very good attempted fix

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Peter 👍

[@mariusmac2005]

Yeah, i agree with you, that company have very bad politics 😒. By the way, very good video 👍👌 thank you for sharing with us

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you too 👍

[@dodgydruid]

Every so often Lidl's has in the middle aisle their version of the Tite Reach which is damned top banana for really awkward fasteners and can be used with power tools on one end. Very versatile tool and solid German engineering, I have used mine quite harshly a lot and its still tight on the chain, no backlash or slacking.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I'll have to keep an eye out for one.

[@robosilo]

My mother-in-law had a few of the original models and they used to work with a (purchased) cartridge that held all the shapes. Some company came up with a device called a "gypsy" (i think) that could copy the cartridges so you didn't need to actually own all of them. I'm sure that was the beginning for cricut to go full nuclear locking down the machines and software.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting, I didn't know about that. Thanks for commenting 👍

[@stuartandrews4344]

100% correct, & Circut also brought out their Jukebox which you could load 6 cartridges, & you could daisy chain 3 Jukeboxes give you access to 16 cartridge, it got superseded by the Gypsy.

[@larrybud]

I've considered getting a vinyl cutter, but I didn't realize that hardware can be deactivated for this machine. This would be a big NO-GO on the list of models to choose from for me in the future.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, there was an article a few years back where the same company tried to turn purchasers into subscribers as they said they had to pay a monthly fee to use the software. They however reversed this as there was a ton of backlash obviously.

[@SaffronWood-sz8dv]

Thanks for this, good to see the internal! I purchased one of these with a faulty power port (the pin is missing) do you think this would be an easy enough thing to change if I could locate a replacement port? 😊

[@BuyitFixit]

Hey Saff, no problem. Yeah I don't think it would be too difficult to change👍 there's some higher resolution pictures of the pcb in the video description which may be of help.

[@darrenwardell3079]

Couldn’t agree more. Its criminal to do that to a repairable product

[@LimbaZero]

Basically door stop or parts for own project. nice motor control chips + motors. "good" linear rods etc. Remember the time when I recycled old inkjet printers as parts for own test projects.

[@BuyitFixit]

Someone did convert one of the older models with stepper motors and an arduino board running GBRL so that might also be a possibility...

[@TerryLawrence001]

I am curious if it would be worthwhile to gut the unit and add an Arduino controller with open-source plotter software.

[@BuyitFixit]

Someone did this with an older model, but had to change the motors to stepper motors as these units use a brushed DC with an H bridge and optical encoder. It would probably be possible to reprogram a working board, but you would need to port something like GBRL or something to work with the hardware.

[@luminousfractal420]

thats got tovbe a major threat to these companies now. if they got their way theyd have the whole unit potted in diamond strength chemical resistant epoxy. the companies should pay for cleanup and recycling. my call is for them to biotag the plastics so theyre traceable back to the factory. might mean less choice for us but at least we wouldn't be ripped off 24/7, we'd have quality gear

[@garymucher4082]

That was a lot of damage. When I initially saw the damage, I was wondering how you were going to repair it all. Now I know. It was beyond common sense repair. If you had a schematic diagram to see what everything was and where the runs go, it could be repaired. But without such knowledge, pretty much useless... Thumbs Up!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍yes can't win em all as they say 🙂

[@thetraindriver01]

Great effort, it was just too far gone 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@michelesol5425]

My Cricut maker only worked for 3 years. I baby it, barley used it and I only cut vinyl with it. When it stopped working Cricut insisted something was stuck in it. Nothing was stuck, it was the motor that went bad in the main cutting piece. All they would do is offer me $50 off of a new one. I am so disappointed in their customer care service.

[@BuyitFixit]

Sorry to hear 🙁 My wife hasn't actually used the cricut since she got it, we ended up picking up a used brother scan and cut and she's used it a couple of times so far cutting out cardboard. Hopefully you got yourself an alternative machine too!

[@michelesol5425]

@@BuyitFixit I actually do have a scan n cut as well. I got that prior to the Cricut. I liked that the circut had a self adjusting blade. Oh well...I hope she is enjoying her Scan n cut!

[@BuyitFixit]

@@michelesol5425 Thanks 👍🙂

[@dodgydruid]

Apparently there is a software called Sure Cuts A Lot that can be used with Cricuts, worth checking out but it ain't cheap for the basic version and ramping up to heinous for the pro. I would look into that as it could be a backdoor to a bricked machine. It was Cricut's handcuff mentality that put me right off their products.

[@BuyitFixit]

I did look into that at the time and it only worked with older models. Cricut encrypted the USB communications on later models such as this one.

[@brianwood5220]

What a shame, but I suppose you can't win every time. Thanks for sharing.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, guess something's are just too badly damaged or not economical to repair 🙁

[@JohanlastZa]

It should be very concerning for governments when companies manufacture stuff that has to be thrown away like this. It is repairable, why bin it? All this waste is a huge problem in the world and for the environment. Companies like this should actually be punished for creating this issue.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree Johan👍. Such a waste of resources and energy. I've seen new units advertised on Ebay that were deactivated because of something such as a loose lid🙁

[@Infrared73]

I guess there are some projects to replace the circuit board in Cricut's with different microcontrollers. Found one to use a ESP32 and let you use GRBL to control it. Was the first thought that popped in my mind when you said they locked out the machine. It seems the project ditches that control board completely.

[@BuyitFixit]

I did see a project for the earlier cricut machine with GRBL, but that also involved replacing the motors with stepper motors. This uses brushed motors with optical encoders and an H bridge driver. It also has additional motors to control the cutting angle of the head and an electromagnetic coil to control the "pressure" of the blade on the cutting surface, so it would be a fair bit more complicated to code for all that I would think.

[@baldrickscunningplan6154]

I bought one of these 2nd hand. It had some paper jammed in it, which was easily removed. When I installed the software. Cricut bricked it so it could not be used. I would not recommend anyone buying these units that are pre owned. You can own the machine, but the the software is owned by Cricut. You will get no help from them if you do not buy directly from Cricut.

[@BuyitFixit]

Bricked because of jammed paper says it all! Really sucks 🙁

[@baldrickscunningplan6154]

It does my friend. You are doing a great service for the right to repair movement. Keep it up. You should do a YT course on electronics repair. Create a whole volume of episodes. I would love to learn what you do.@@BuyitFixit

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you. I did do a little four part series on testing various items and components.

[@peterfindlay5820]

What magnifying system do you use. It seems very good

[@BuyitFixit]

I've got an amscope trinocular (clone I think it is) on a boom arm with a 48MP FHD V8 camera on it (it's blue with 5 red buttons in a + shape). Hope that helps!

[@peterensinger1770]

I nearly bought one of these after seeing this i would never buy anything from them even if it was heavily discounted!! I am looking at an alternative or even possibly building my own one based on grbl firmware or similar.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes good idea, my wife ended up getting a used Brother, the Cricut is still sat in it's box.

[@pattyshade2974]

I just found out from talking to a supervisor from Cricut the other day that if your machine is under warranty and you need a replacement, they send you an open box model and you do not get a new warranty. Your original warranty is the date they use. I think this is totally wrong and I urge everyone who has a problem with them to do what I am doing and go to the Better Business Bureau.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. Thanks for commenting 👍

[@ClaireWill71uk]

Very insightful... Looks like a soda or Coke has been spilt on that machine. Word to wise the company Circut name is pronounced “Cree-Cut”.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I too think Coke or similar. Thanks as I'm never good on pronunciation😂

[@artursmihelsons415]

This one is great base for Raspberry Pi or Arduino project, because, mechanically it should work and all sensors should work.. 👍 Otherwise, this practice by disabling devices is against Right to repair..

[@BuyitFixit]

I'm pretty sure a few people have done similar with the older models. I think the issue is that most projects use stepper motors where this uses brushed with H bridges and optical encoders. And similar for the cutter angle, and the Z axis is like a speaker voice coil for the pressure. You could repurpose a working board as there's tools including arduino libs for the pic32 but it would probably required heavy modification to something like GBRL to get it to work.

[@oscar_charlie]

I wonder if that was a cola drink that was spilled in there. That seems like too much residue for coffee. The cola would also have phosphoric acid in it, which would explain the corrosion.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I came to the same conclusion. I thought it was coffee at first, but the corrosion seemed too bad for that, so I'm pretty sure it was cola as you say 👍

[@jansmit4628]

Good video as so often. But couldn't you find out what type of adapter would be suitable without buying a whole defective machine? And is it maybe possible to have the serial number reactivated if you report to the company that the machine is up and running again or is this only possible when the company repaired it themselves or by an assigned repair centre? This PCB was gone to far, but at least you could selfish several parts from it if you wanted to.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, yes I could figure out the adapter but I think it was 24V and a smallish plug on it. The only adapters I had lying around were some 12V and some laptop adapters which if I remember were around 19V but they didn't make it work properly either. My bench PSU did make it work though, so I thought it was easier to get the correct adapter but the price of them was the same as what I paid for this and the adapter. Cricut don't reactivate machines because I guess you could just say oh it's faulty and end up with two. There was a couple of people whose machines were deactivated because of a small crack in the lid or because the front cover wouldn't close probably even though the rest of the machine still worked perfectly well.

[@hellyeah2299]

You should try to find a faulty cordless screwdriver and fix it. Then use it. Would save you so much time working on this stuff.

[@BuyitFixit]

I've never been a fan of them. They are ok for removing screws perhaps but I like to feel how tight the screws are so I don't strip the plastic. It might also be harder to avoid making the screw cut a new path (I usually give it a turn in the opposite direction until it clicks, before tightening).

[@Hellhound604]

Yeah, a Coke spill on a PCB is bad news. Once tried fixing a laptop on which coke was spilled. Same story. Tracks completely eaten away… Everybody should just refuse to buy that crap that demands to be connected to the internet. There is a popular audio system too that works that wasy, and when the manufacturer deemed the older systems to be too old, they became paperweights. Much like some printer manufacturers with their printers. One of my pet-hates.

[@BuyitFixit]

Agree on all your points👍. I think it was Sonos? Possibly. There have been a few other instances of companies going bust too and items no longer working or working as intended. The latest I can think of was a Van Moof electric bike.

[@DaveCurran]

I don't know if it has been mentioned in the comments or on other videos, but I think the corrosion you are seeing looks like electrolysis. Metals in a liquid with power applied. The tracks with a potential difference between them will undergo electrolysis, and copper is removed from the more positive ends and so you get the blackening, and sometimes the blue copper sulphate type stuff around the more negative sides. It's been a long time since I did chemistry at school, so that is probably a rubbish explanation. If power had not been applied, it just would have remained wet.

[@BuyitFixit]

Could well be. I was thinking the coke contains acetic acid etc (like when you copper coin in coke) but electrolysis might also have played a part in this.

[@snafu2350]

@@BuyitFixit Cola is prolly the most corrosive soft fizzy drink you can get :( Not only does it contain acids from the flavouring, but the CO2 also dissolves in the (mostly) water, creating yet another acid. Hence why (stale) fizzy drinks are so good as limescale remover in eg toilet bowls :)

[@simonnicholls5619]

I understand why they would "brick" them, if they have such a generous replacement policy, ;however the "green" thing to do would be to have them returned yo an "authorised refurbisher" who could get re-activation codes for a charge.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, good idea. I've seen some deactivated unit on ebay for things such as loose lid, or a small crack in the front casing which seems so wasteful.

[@TerryDeSimone]

*** - You can use a program like "Sir, Cuts alot" it's a vector cutting program (and works offline).. then u don't have to use *ANY* cricut modules, cartridges, software, etc... then you can make whatever you want... and *deactivation would not matter either* ...

[@BuyitFixit]

Does that work specifically with the cricut? I thought each machine has an encryption key and the USB communications are encrypted per unit. They did this so the machine is locked to their platform. You could possibly port something like GBRL and flash the MCU but it would require a fair bit of modification to the code due to the cutting head configuration and all of the motors being brushed with encoders as opposed to stepper motors.

[@TerryDeSimone]

@@BuyitFixit correction, it's "Sure Cuts A Lot".. I didn't know the USB comm was encrypted (encoded, which sounds simpler to reverse).. it says on their site.. *"1. Will this software work with my Cricut machine? ... Version 1 and 2 of Sure Cuts A Lot are compatible with the Cricut Personal, Cricut Expression, Cricut Create and Cricut Cake machines provided you have a compatible firmware version on the Cricut machine."* ... (check out the FAQ on their site).. my baby-momma had either the personal or expression.. and it worked just fine.. it was a waste spending $50 to $60 on 1 cartridge for a few vector images.. i got her "Vector Magic" to turn images into vector.. and "Sure Cuts A Lot" to use the plotter on the cricut.. honestly I would like to use a USB sniffer and wireshark to decode the machine, to see initial back and forth packets.. (USB & TCP).. basic use functions.. like left to right & vice-versa.. feed paper in & out.. and the cutting process... then create a loader to use with "Sure Cuts A Lot"... to be able to use deactivated machines.. then create a general one anyone can use..

[@stoojinator]

Any company that practices in throw away rather than repair will never get support from me. I've bought things in the past that have failed, and the company has sent me a new one along with a shipping label to return the faulty unit. I would hope they'd salvage the good bits to use to repair other devices. That's what I hope, but in reality they are probably doing it so they can write it off and throw it out. We live in a wasteful world.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree with all of that 👍

[@SirasPK]

that every single company though. it's done on purpose to keep customers buying

[@Zodliness]

Is is just me that thinks it's amazing how vague some sellers can be, when they're too lazy to recycle, but they can manage a trip to the post office? 🤔😂

[@krahwinkel9503]

Such a swindle with the warranty and an anti-repair policy on top - there are other plotter/cutters on the market. Hope, they are more repair friendly.

[@BuyitFixit]

Supposed it's good from a customer point of view as they just get a new one sent out, obviously not good for the waste implications and disabling the old unit totally 🙁 Thanks for your thoughts and commenting 👍

[@inothome]

At least you have some spare parts for the wife's machine now. Hopefully when, not if, when they go out of business they will unlock all the machines or offer some patch to defeat the mandatory online authorization.

[@BuyitFixit]

There was also a lot of controversy with this company a couple of years back. They wanted to switch everyone who bought it to a subscription model to use the software... they got a lot of backlash and decided not to in the end 😂😂😂

[@inothome]

@@BuyitFixit Good! Definitely not a fan of subscription based things. I buy it, I want it to be mine. I can deal with some of the BS right to repair not repair stuff. But subscriptions, nope. Thanks Apple! Also why I will never own an Apple product.

[@BuyitFixit]

@inothome Totally agree 'you'll own nothing and be happy...'

[@numberg8238]

My partner has one of these, we're thinking of just replacing the board with a cheap 3d printer board to control the steppers and use Marlin firmware or something like that. Could you take some detailed photos of the board? I've not taken ours apart yet

[@BuyitFixit]

Hi number g. I've taken some pictures for you as it's still on my bench. I've put the link to them in the video description just in case anyone else wants them too! I had thought of possibly doing similar, but I'm not too sure on interfacing to the head part of the unit. It probably requires a little bit more investigation.

[@numberg8238]

@@BuyitFixit Nice one, thanks

[@flumpah]

@@numberg8238 the motors are DC servo I think, 4 of them at least they are on the previous model maker, because I bought a deactivated one myself to try to get working.

[@MrFujack103]

Could you not find a generic board to replace that one with with difference software?

[@BuyitFixit]

Problem is most boards use steppers, this uses brushed geared motors with optical encoders. I think someone did convert an older model with less features to stepper motors. Controlling the cutting head might also be an issue.

[@allenrussell6135]

No reverse thread bolts or security screws? Unbelievable the amount of fasteners used to close it up. Don't even get me started on the software. The next one i see at goodwill I'll buy. I enjoy reverse engineering software and some hardware. Id like to be able to edit the serial number or bypass the serial check all together.

[@BuyitFixit]

It would probably be possible to port something like GRBL to it, although it would probably require a fair bit of modification. The chip seemed to be supported by the aurdino sofware from what I remember. I think there's more to it than the serial as keys were mentioned that are used to encrypt the USB communication. I did have a quick poke at the PC software at the time.

[@faulstone]

If you convert it to a pure cnc machine you can recover at least basic function. It still wouldn't work with the Cri Cut service. You could also scrap it for parts. And make another machine from it. You could also try to find a board on E-Bay. Like a lot of ink jet printers. They make there money on the subscription. Not on the device. That's how you can rationalize. Just sending a new device with little or no question.

[@BuyitFixit]

I had thought of converting it but it's a fair chunk of work as the motors aren't steppers and are brushed DC with encoders. There is also the control of the cutting head pressure and direction which is like an electromagnet from what I read and another motor to set the angle. It might be possible if you had a working board to port a custom build of GBRL or something to it but again it would require substantial effort to work out what I/O pins do what on the microcontroller.

[@KevinLee-ww3ny]

This has put me off ever getting one of these! 😢

[@BuyitFixit]

There are other machines out there. If you think that was bad a couple year ago they tried to tell everyone who had already bought machines that you now had to pay a subscription to use them! They changed their minds after the obvious backlash from existing customers...

[@LeeLayland]

Must be a flash memory device with serial number - wonder if you can change the serial numberrr to your other one?

[@BuyitFixit]

I would think that's possible but you would need to dump the original contents first which would almost certainly be protected, it may be possible to glitch past the protection using something like a chip whisperer perhaps.

[@welshdave5263]

If this were only a two layer board there may have been hope, the vias to nowhere are a giveaway it's a multilayer board. How feasible would it be to cut the traces between the the chip and the motor drivers and graft a ATMEGA328 and run GRBL? It's good hardware so I'm tempted to pick up a dead one and convert it, maybe even design a drop in replacement board.

[@BuyitFixit]

I had thought it would be possible to reprogram the pic32 if the board was a worker. Although it would probably be a chunk of work to port GBRL as most of the hardware GBRL runs uses stepper motors. It would be a neet project though.

[@welshdave5263]

​@@BuyitFixitI've won this model and another cricut on auction today, this model has a flashing power light issue, Both are deactivated, the homofaciens youtube channel has an open source DIY CNC project that used rushed DC motors and optical encoders, illbeusingthatasajumling off point. That project does not use GRBL but it's olwn custom software that handles SVG, I'll try work to make his motor control code GRBL compatible. I'm still a little green at coding but happy to share everything I find out.

[@miftosaurus]

... no idea what stuff is that Cricut, but... you have now a nice mechanical assembly, a nice PIC32, that corroded part is not very essential, just push button interface, maybe, but just maybe, a secondary power supply for BT module, it can be redone, eventually, and looks like the corrosion doesn't affected BT module itself... it's a nice one, Microchip, not some generic China Bluetooth! :D i'd like to try to assemble a diy 3D printer using that stuff. :D you have lot of interesting parts here... but looks like you are not so happy to play with mcu's! :D (as a side note, i have a faulty "fitness bracelet", nothing special, just lipo element gone, and i discovered his mcu is a nice one. so nice, i really want to get acces to his programming pins, and start to play with it. i have already a lot of things to play: a screen, an accelerometer, a vibrator motor, a camera, i think... is advertised as "being able to take photos"... a pressure sensor, wifi and BT stuff, again... it's a minuscule development board, really! :)))))))))))))

[@BuyitFixit]

I'm not sure if you saw the weather balloon video I did? Free development board 😂😂😂😂

[@miftosaurus]

@@BuyitFixit weather ballon? sound interesting, i will check your movies again... i checked only what was relatively new and interesting... and this is really interesting, because i never fixed/used a weather ballon. weather stations, yes, but weather ballons, never. :)

[@johnyoung6479]

Hi I am in the possession of a Milwaukee M 18 CPD rill coul you tell me the ref for the ower transistor that are fitted please

[@BuyitFixit]

Hi John, the M18 tools I've looked at usually use a IRLS3034TRL7P for the power mosfets. Might be worth checking your tool first before ordering anything just in case they used a different one.

[@eaniarania6593]

Can you tell me the exact reference of the ribbon cable ( i think its called like that ) and the number of pins, and whether it's 0.5 or 1 mm? I already know that the length is 550. This is the issue with my Cricut Maker 3; I need to replace it , thank you in advance

[@BuyitFixit]

I'm sorry but I don't have any measurements of the cables. There is a way to calculate it as I looked into something similar before. Cable Width / (# of conductors + 1) = Pitch

[@eaniarania6593]

okay , thank you @@BuyitFixit

[@ewanbaxter9199]

I think you have the know how to get around the deactivation if you did manage to repair it, perhaps have it running from your laptop instead of on-line.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I could possibly have done that but it was pretty badly damaged so it would have required too much time and effort to attempt to try and repair it any further.

[@graeme8755]

As you think it was coke a cola, I google that name it has a pH of 2.6 to 2.7 very acidly indeed. No wonder the tracks had melted, evaporated and what else with that type of liquid dribbled into that area. Good attempt to try to get it going again. Great video. Can you tell me the hole diameter of the veers.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, I'm not sure on the size. I also think it's a 4 layer board so it would be a nightmare to trace. The kick in the teeth would also be even if you repaired it, it's still a paperweight due to being disabled by cricut.

[@BlondieSL]

I sincerely hope that anyone thinking of buying one of these machines, watches this video and then stays far FAR away from them. The irony is astounding here. Ok, so the company, to save shipping and repair costs, makes the decision to have the customer trash the old one, then send them a new one. And at server level, they block the serial number, possibly because they suspect that people will lie about their machine going boom and then gaining a 2nd one. Actually, that does make sense. HOWEVER, like said in the vid, that's destructive for the environment AND if the company goes bust, NO ONE can ever use their machines again! This is actually why I NEVER EVER buy something that REQUIRES some web account in order to function. But here's the real irony. The PCB has a lot of test points! Test points are not only for adjusting at time of manufacture, but also for doing repairs. But since they do the "trash it" thing, one must question WHY THEN have so many test points!? It's not like there are a bunch of potentiometers or adjustable caps in order to "calibrate:" the thing. Very odd! Personally, I'd never buy one of these things. Also, the amount of liquid damage is astounding! There was even some "wet" there, which might mean that this was a recent thing. Considering the placement of the PCB when assembled, I can only imagine just how much liquid was POURED into it. I do wonder if maybe, just maybe, this was one of those things where an angry spouse may have done this damage on purpose to hurt their spouse.... hmmmmmm..... not impossible. There's a lot of nasty going around right now.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for the feedback. I did contact the seller that I bought it from and told her about the video and my findings. She said that it had been stored in a cupboard when not in use and just stopped working and had no idea how it could have gotten liquid inside of it.

[@BlondieSL]

@@BuyitFixit ROFL Ahhhh!!! the old "stored in a cupboard" excuse. ummmmhmmmmm! ROFL 😅😂🤣 I joke about this subject, but I have a lot of experience in the corporate world with computer users calling support because their laptops "stopped working." So many times we found "liquid damage" and some excuse as to what/why or moreso, an outright denial! Even if we knew what liquid it was, we were never allowed to name the liquid (coffee, soda, water, etc). The reason for that rule was because it removed the ability to the client to specifically deny which liquid. So yes, I'm giggling at "in the cupboard and I don't know what happened." LOL

[@xvickibabyx]

I was so annoyed when I rang Cricut because my print and cut feature wasn’t working properly, so they had to send me out a new one (which was great obviously ) but then told me to throw my other one away ! So basically a new maker just sitting in my loft collecting dust , I would have just used it to cut vinyl or given to a friend but nope deactivated 🙄🙄

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, good service in one way, but unfortunately very wasteful in another..

[@Enjoymentboy]

I outright refuse to pay for products like this that mandate Internet access even for something as minimal as initial setup. If I MUST connect it to use it I'm not using it. Frankly I do NOT trust these companies to be connected to my network and if they believe that locking down their products that I pay to own is acceptable then they can't have my money. I have a number of 3d printers and ONLY open source. I will NEVER give my money to any company that believes that I should be beholden to them to be able to contribute using something I own. If they want to maintain control over my ownership then don't sell them. Lease them. Then if anything goes wrong or any part fails they can take it back and send me a replacement, both at their full expense.

[@BuyitFixit]

Well said 👍yes we are increasingly having ownership removed. There are a number of instances where companies have went bust leaving customers with useless bricks or devices that no longer function as indented due to servers being no longer available.

[@user-xl5np5dp8n]

Also, it makes a potential customer think twice about buying this product.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree 👍

[@anzicek]

I own one of these machines for cutting gaskets and leather, it drives me crazy that you need to be on their web based SW to use the thing. I keep hoping that an open source SW will be developed to use with these machines, but I am not holding my breath.

[@BuyitFixit]

And.. if the company goes bust..you have an expensive paperweight 🙁

[@wherami]

Cricut is really pulling all the stops for scams these days lol

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, it's kinda sad. I mean I suppose they have their own procedures and ways of doing things but I think this is just wrong :(

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

And yet the Cricut Maker 3 gets a lot of great reviews, presumably from people who don't care about waste or aren't aware of Cricut's apparently wasteful policies? The only solution to the waste is to stop buying products from such companies, however most people are idiots or simply don't care so they'll buy the products anyway.

[@DoktorRockszo]

I see Cricut machines in second-hand shops all the time and now I understand why.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yep, I'd personally avoid, it was the wife that wanted one of the bloody things... can't argue with a woman... 😂😂😂

[@Myst9066]

@@DoktorRockszo not that I'm happy with Cricut practices (just to preface this) but for every one Cricut machine having issues there's 100 that aren't. Personally I have 7 machines. 2 of which are going on 6 and 7 years old. All are working like champs haven't had an issue with one of them. The machines really aren't the issue. It's the fact they have idiot software developers.

[@ddjazz]

Never a cricut for me requiring an internet Connection and remote deactivation possibility

[@BuyitFixit]

Yeah, it kinda sucks.

[@roelrobbers7004]

I agree with the company. If the unit would have been sent in and then replaced, they would bin the unit. Same as now. That also does not make any difference environmentally apart from the fact that now you know, after sending it in, it becomes invisible. The "coffee" was probably Coca Cola or the like. That is actually pretty acidic and is devastating for thin copper layers. Ups, should wait with my comment till the end of the video. Sorry.

[@BuyitFixit]

No worries 🙂. I've seen units being deactivated for minor issues such as a loose lid or a small crack in the plastic on arrival one seller said, which seems very wasteful, although I guess my bias is that I don't like seeing waste and like fixing things.

[@andy70d35]

These companies, should be put out of business if they don't change their practices, the amount of these faulty units going to e-waste must be unbelievable, that is even to say they don't even go to landfill. Maybe we should start a petition against companies like this, personally HATE today's throw away society, years ago I did video and TV repairs as well as other items, never made very much money from it, but it was more about getting the item repaired and back to the customer. Now it's all chuck it in the bin

[@BuyitFixit]

100% agree! I volunteer at the local repair cafe to help the local community, also used to fix TV's etc for friends and family. I ended up getting quite a few decent ones from the local dump. I remember my 1st plasma I paid £30 and had to change a board that cost me £20, and £5 for a remote. They were still a few hundred at the time to buy second hand.

[@peterensinger1770]

​@BuyitFixit That's how i got my 1st plasma tv it was advertised for free collection as it had suffered a liquid spill into it the owner had got a replacement from their insurance and just wanted someone to take the faulty one away i collected it and when i inspected it i found the liquid had completely missed any of the electronics inside apart from the mains in connector so after replacing the damaged connector I had a nice 42" plasma tv this was when they were still over £1k to buy so obviously I was well pleased. When i was a teenager my neighbour used to work at the council waste site and he would bring home all manor of electronic items mostly radiograms and record players as well as radios and the occasional television set. My 1st colour tv was one i had got from the tip and repaired i was the envy of my school mates as i was the only one to have a tv in my bedroom let alone a colour one.

[@eekeek433]

Yes indeed, you cry when you get a cri-cut machine. imo, in most cases when it goes wrong it stays unusable.

[@JanineMKartist]

Can keep it for mechanical parts if something I’m working machine needs fixing

[@BuyitFixit]

Yeah I've still got it for that reason 👍although the wife bought a second hand brother scan and cut which she's used more than the cricut.

[@alfredocuomo1546]

You are correct it was most definitely Coke so people use it to remove rust from steel. Also there are several other free software that will work with the Circuit like Inkscape, CorelDRAW and GIMP but there are many others too. Actually any software that can send out an SVG file will work since it uses Vector Graphics, but I will say I am surprised that it got the better of you but time is money. Good video.!!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍unfortunately only the very old cricut machines work with other software. They decided to encrypt the USB communications to stop people from using alternative software...

[@M0UAW_IO83]

Coffee can cause that kind of corrosion, it's pretty nasty stuff but for real destruction full fat coke is hard to beat, as well as being corrocive it goes horrible and sticky to keep the acid on the board

[@BuyitFixit]

I never thought coffee would do that. I was tempted to do a taste test but thought better of it 😂😂

[@MostlyPosative-nj5ex]

After seeing that pcb damage I would have stopped right there. I would have removed that board completely and replaced it with an Arduino with the appropriate cnc shields. It would work on different software and accomplish the same things.

[@BuyitFixit]

Unfortunately the cnc shields use stepper motors and this is dc motors with optical encoders, so the stepper drivers and software wont work. If the board was working it may have been possible to use the existing hardware and port some software (which would need modifying) to make it work but I think it would be a fair chunk of work.

[@angelavanderlip2638]

Interesting video. Though it's pronounced "cricket". The mascot is a green circket. 😉

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that 👍I didn't know at the time 🙂

[@angelavanderlip2638]

@@BuyitFixit I used to call it CryCut too when I started crafting with one of the original models.

[@scarlettdinsley247]

Hi, how can i get intouch with you, in need of a maker 3 charging port looking at?

[@BuyitFixit]

There's an email address on the channel about page under the button 'for business enquiries ' KZbin only shows this on a computer or laptop. It doesn't seem to show on a tablet or phone.

[@daShare]

Sonos wireless speakers are a bit like this in regards to not repairing them. If it fails under warranty, they send you a new one and the old one is binned. Out of warranty they give you 30% off a new one, but you need to send the old one back to them. Then they toss it in the bin anyway.

[@BuyitFixit]

Hmm interesting. I've seen a few broken ones on Ebay.

[@daShare]

@@BuyitFixit By pure coincidence today I got a Sonos Play 5 from a relative to look at. It failed to power up after being moved to a different room, so I'm hoping it's just the bootstrap capacitor in the SMPS.

[@BuyitFixit]

Fingers crossed. From my experience you normally get like a pulsing or such on the power light when the boot strap fails but I guess it depends on the device. Could be output capacitors? Best of luck, and let me know how you get on 🙂👍

[@daShare]

@@BuyitFixit I'll let you know once I check it out. I also repaired a B&W A7 wireless speaker last week. Most of the SMPS caps were way out of spec, so all replaced and I'm listening to it now. :)

[@daShare]

@@BuyitFixit I've opened it up now and it has quite a few domed caps on the secondary side.

[@MrProtector65]

If we cannot fix it, you cannot sell it, should be law, 😎

[@BuyitFixit]

It was worse than even that! A couple years ago they tried to convert everyone to a subscription to use the machine even if they had already bought it and thought they could just use it...

[@Denise_in_progress]

I use Vinegar to remove any liquid damage places on a board when it solves the corosion then i use the alcohol

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks The riddler, yes I use the same when it's corrosion from batteries, they are alkaline and the vinegar neutralizes the acid. I think it was coke or something that was spilled into this which is acidic so vinegar wouldn't have helped in this particular case.

[@Denise_in_progress]

@@BuyitFixit Ah oke then 😊 the just use water that solves the sugar and then use isopropanol 👍

[@andymouse]

Yeah I deplore this behaviour to in fact a few years back FTDI shot themselves in the foot with a similar piece of nonsense, no doubt you remember. Yeah the cola did a number on this unit....cheers.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes I remember the FTDI usb chip thing. Cheers Andymouse 👍

[@4hubby971]

Is there an English language version of this video? (Sorry, couldn't resist -- LOVE you)

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂yes, switch on the subtitles 🤣🤣🤣

[@thiesenf]

"I ain't 'aving it... where's my 'ammer" as Photonic Induction would have said it... :-)

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂😂👍

[@geodun]

It seems wasteful but in reality, those things are so cheap to make it makes no financial sense to run a repair network or return them to the factory. The reason for disabling online software for warranty replaced units is to stop people taking unfair advantage of their no questions asked warranty program. It would be "buy one and get one free" otherwise. They could run it differently but the price to the consumer might be higher and making warranty claims might be made harder.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, agree with what you are saying, and I know it's to stop abuse of warranty replacement, but on the other hand they could ask the customer to return the unit first, then send a replacement. I've seen disabled units for sale online for things like the lid being loose, which just required a screw tightened. To me this doesn't seem right to dispose of a perfectly serviceable unit for the sake of tightening a screw, or for a small crack in the lid.

[@geodun]

@@BuyitFixit To accept returns/repairs you need something setup to accept returns/repairs and that costs money. If you can just disable use of the unit then you can avoid that cost and so they do. It is just a reality of very cheap high volume manufacturing that the cost of making one unit is less than the cost of returning a unit to have a screw tightened. Whilst it seems wasteful, doing things less profitably is more wasteful. Disposal taxes can change the economics so that it becomes more profitable to accept returns, but expect that to be reflected in a higher cost you pay. Consider if at point of sale they offered the same unit with an optional advance repair/return/disposal fee so that warranty returns would be done "less wastefully", how many would pay it?

[@danielsaturnino5715]

Good to know, I'll never buy that brand's products.

[@599miata]

Personnaly, I find that its quite bad company policy if you want to cancel the customers membership. I would not buy anything from them. That is sure, also I would advise the general public of the way the company is bribing it's customers.Like you said, the company goes tits up, every customer is dumped.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally agree, and it's not the first time it's happened. There has been internet connected lights, cameras and radios where the manufacturer has either gone bust or decided to no longer support the devices. The most recent I can think of was an E-Bike from a company called VanMoof.

[@599miata]

Thanks, good to know.@@BuyitFixit

[@bborkzilla]

Anything that requires a connection to the Internet for no practical reason other than license control and tracking is an instant non-purchase from me

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, me too. You'll own nothing and be happy... not 😂😂

[@TyPoProteus]

Cricket.... I know, who cares...gif or jif, sodder or solder, etc..Its the same word, just let people pronounce it their own way and all that. But seriously, cricket. Here is a quote from their own website: crick-et We get asked this so much and we appreciate all variations of the name. The correct pronunciation is “crick-et”. Fun fact… The Cricut cutie is meant to resemble a cricket as the brand mascot.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that, yes it's sometimes hard to know how things are pronounced. I also repaired an Aixun soldering station. Apparently that is pronounced I 'eye shun' 😂😂

[@chrisbartlett6022]

Think it must have been some Secret Agent type Coffee for disabling dangerous devices. Hopefully the PSU worked for the other unit? As you say a VERY wasteful way of dealing with things.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Chris 👍Yes the PSU works fine for the other unit and I guess I've got the whole mechanism and spare chips....

[@Hossimo]

I got my wife a cricket and they are possibly the worst company known to man. My wife likes it because it's easy to use but it's so consumer unfriendly.

[@ericlee3421]

Previous owner using warranty replacement scored a winner, and selling the faulty one. 😳

[@BuyitFixit]

Yep, absolutely 👍