Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Purchased the Sizzix Bigshot on Amazon website in June 2016. Product info states that item is sold by Amazon.com. Purchased as a birthday present for avid crafter. Machine used about ten times so far. I noticed that the screw for crank handle periodically comes loose. Today the screw broke while being tightened with the tool that Sizzix provides. It turns out that the screw is much too small for the torque needed to keep it tight during normal use. I did not see this design mistake mentioned in other reviews. The Bigshot looks fairly decent overall but might have a short lifespan. If it came with a good quality screw instead of a Chinese one, that might help, or maybe the manufacturer should include five or ten spare screws with the unit. I did contact Sizzix to see about getting replacement screws and the emailed reply said contact their customer service during business hours. I will report on that after I have a chance to call them. If Sizzix is willing to mail me some screws, or if I can find a better screw locally, the the Bigshot could see lots of use and provide many hours of enjoyment. Update: found a suitable screw, although phillips head, in my computer screw collection. It's good to save stuff! Sizzix Bigshot function is restored but this repair should not be needed. I doubt my experience is unique. 19SEPT2016 Update: contacted customer service and they will mail a hardware bag including screw, rubber plug, and tool. Great! Call took a few minutes with no problems. Also this item DOES have the three year warranty when purchased through Amazon. Hopefully we won't need to take advantage of that. So far, so good! 11JUN2017 Update: machine still is performing well, used at least three times weekly for card making. I periodically tighten the substitute, higher quality screw that I installed, am thinking about add a drop of blue thread locking compound. Blue is the medium strength stuff that doesn't permanently bond screw in place. Don't use red thread locker because you need to heat it if you want to remove the screw! So far the flimsy screw seems to have been the machine's only noticeable weakness. I am also going to take a closer look at the gears, visible when you remove the crank handle, and consider lubricating them, perhaps with a small dab of high pressure grease such as a moly grease. Craft on! UPDATE 09AUG2019: no further handle screw problems after installing a better quality screw and adding some medium strength thread locker. I never did lube the gears like I had contemplated since that doesn't seem needed. As a backup plan, I still have the replacement screw pack sent by Sizzix. For crafting that involves dies and embossing folders, a machine like this is almost indispensable. I still like the fact that you don't need to plug it in, too. Since long term longevity seems good, I have added one star to my rating.