Makin's USA 35055 Makin's Professional Ultimate Clay Extruder

This clay extruder should not be considered just a toy. It is a wonderful accessory for clay artists, beginners as well as seasoned. It would be great if on the packaging there was mention of other accessories available and a picture or two of completed projects. That, to my way of thinking would promote sales. The Makin Extruder is the best in this price range, my opinion. Do buy one and search out projects on the net. Kids, with some supervision, with patience and a love of working with polymer clay would be amazed what they could accomplish using their imagination and this tool.

I love to decorate cakes, but fibromyalgia and pain in my hands often keeps me from doing the very thing I love to do. Extruding can be very hard on your hands so finding the right extruder is key. This one is so easy to extrude because of the way it's designed, I can literally do it with one finger. It has 20 dies (I think that's how it's spelled) that allow you to create ropes, hair, strings, you name it. It does everything any other extruder does but just easier. And I love how much product it holds. Some other extruders can sometimes only hold half the product, so you have to keep refilling. I'm not sure, but I'm assuming that the above would all be true for clay as well - just be sure not to use the same extruder for clay AND cake.

I bought this for use with gumpaste. I received it today and I've been "playing" like a little kid on christmas morning! I've tried out all the discs and I'm super excited to use this tool in my every day life. There was a small squeak issue which I solved by "lubricating" the screw thingie (technical term, I know) with a little shortening. I didn't want to use anything else since I'm working with edible materials. The screw thingie doesn't come into contact with the gumpaste from what I see but why risk it? Very happy with my purchase. Easy to use and opens up a whole new world design-wise for me.

This is a good extruder: it holds a good amount of clay for small projects, comes with a decent selection of shapes, and is basically easy to turn without too much effort. However, this is the second one of these (same exact model) I've bought in the past year. After 4-5 months of light-to-moderate use, the first one broke in a way that wasn't repairable (the screw broke off of the long threaded bolt, and it's this screw that holds a solid disc-shaped piece that pushes the clay through the barrel). For this price I was ok with just buying another one to replace the one that broke. I'll try to be more careful about regularly cleaning the extruder to see if that helps avoid premature breaking. That said, I am eyeing the newer and more expensive Makin's Ultimate Extruder Set (Stainless Steel Version) to see if people feel it's more durable and worth the extra money (http://www.amazon.com/Makins-Ultimate-Extruder-Stainless-Version/dp/B00ESL7ULY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396450239&sr=8-2&keywords=makins+stainless+steel+extruder). As of now, there are no reviews here or elsewhere. If anyone from Makin's reads this...I like your products, but please consider a clearer naming scheme for your extruders. It's very hard to distinguish one model from another since they seem to include the words "ultimate" and "professional".

I bought this specifically to work with fondant to make a cake. While my cake turned out amazing, the grips on this tool shredded the skin on my hands. 3 weeks later they are finally getting back to normal. Before I use it again I will be putting something over the grips, I just haven't decided what yet. Also you have to crank the top all the way down, and then back up again, every time you need to use it, making it a much more time consuming process than I originally thought.

There seem to be a fair number of poor reviews. This has NOT been my experience at all. I've had mine for a while now and I love it. I love all the options for the different shapes to extrude. I sterilized it when I first received it and use it exclusively for cake decorating. It is easy to use and easy to change the different discs to get varied shapes. Washing it is a little less easy because I make sure I get it all the cracks and rings. Some of the sugar paste I use is very dense, yet I have had no issues extruding it. IT has been a very hardy tool for me.

Just used it for only the second time since purchasing and it's already broken. The threaded shaft tilted ever so slightly it seems and totally jammed. We tried to correct it, but it's useless. It no longer turns. So disappointed. I wasn't forcing it...it had been turning nicely and the clay was coming out like butter. I was very happy with it up until it suddenly stopped turning. And no, it's not clogged, it was kept clean and is still basically brand new. Bummed :-(

I bought this because I make polymer clay jewelry and miniatures and had no luck with any other extruder. I'm so glad i finally found something on my price range that works great and does not kill my hands as you "screw" the handle in instead of trying to push it. With well conditioned clay this item works perfectly and fast. I love that it comes with many different disks and in comparison with the other extruders I've used - this one is really easy to clean.