Help! Thinking of buying a commercial embroidery machine

By Anonymous (not verified) on Jan 27, 2006

We have a Brother Innovis NV4000D sewing / embroidery machine which we use on the side for our small gift shop. Embroidered gifts are only a small part of our offerings right now which is why we never really considered upgrading to commercial.

However, this year for some reason we seem to be getting more and more personalized gifts requests so naturally we want to expand to meet with the growing demand. And so we think it's time we get a commercial a machine.

Does anybody have any advice on which commercial machine I should be focusing on? Any features we should pay special attention to? Single or two head? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanx.

minimalist's picture
By minimalist on Sep 13, 2016 - 3:46 PM EDT

It's going to cost you some money but I'd buy the Barudan either new or used without a regret. I run Barudan and ZSK just for reference. There is a full sized single Barudan for sale on the board in a sticky at the top of that forum. I have the same machine.

By Rene'e Neighbors on Jul 14, 2010 - 4:15 PM EDT

ScamedbyRicoma wrote:
Stay far away from Ricoma. They will take your money and Run. Try SWF

We agree! We purchased a Ricoma machine and had nothing but problems with it. Ricoma replaced the machine and we are continuing to experience problems with the new machine and they will not honor the warranty any longer.....since they replaced the machine. We cannot get support from them and have several issues. The latest issue is trying to adjust the tension.....we can turn the tension knobs until they completely unscrew and it does not effect the line tests we are doing! Anyone have any suggestions?
By American logoZ on Jan 30, 2010 - 4:30 PM EST

I have a single head Barudan. I chose the machine because I know and trust the previous owner (who also bought it used) and because the tech is within 2 hrs of me. I paid to have the tech spend a day in my shop showing me how to use the machine, take it apart, troubleshoot, oil, etc. I literally did not turn on the machine until the tech showed up. I would do it all again in a second. Now I need a multi-head Barudan because business is great!

Choose a machine (1) with a proven reputation you can trust and (2) with a tech nearby.

By naldopr on Nov 6, 2016 - 10:08 PM EST

I'm a Avance Ricoma owner and sadly we have so many problems that is making our embroidery business harder and harder! I believe we made a bad decision saving a few $$$ instead of buying a barudan in the first place! I don't sleep since then

By inkster on Feb 11, 2010 - 4:03 PM EST

I bought a Ricoma last year in May. I bought it as a new machine, however, when it arrived, it was a used machine. I have plenty of pictures of the machine. I sent it back and still haven't gotten any refund despite the fact the distributor said he would refund my money. I'm not only out the cost of the machine, but attorney fees also. Defamation law suit, funny. Ricoma wouldn't have customer issues if they stood behind what they sell. All I want is my money back. Pretty simple procedure.

By 1965 on Jan 29, 2010 - 4:12 AM EST

twok4hd wrote:
Stay away from Chinese and buy a Barudan. :-)

Seriously, go to an ISS show in your area and as they always say.....It only cost a little bit more to go first class. That is what we did.

Hi, twok4hd,
have you ever seen alive a Chinese embr. machines? i dont think you have.
But if you did, are you sure you can have authentic and true oppinion for "stay away from Chinese" if never had included such machinery into your business?
You may know a lot about Barudan. I have known about Barudan only by talks of colegues around me (never have touched such a machine) I know Barudan mark is something like Mercedes. Thats all I know. Its enought for me to know who is this mark made to correspond to. I would never say "go away from Barudan", but after you say "It only cost a little bit more to go first class" seems to me as a real mistake.
It costs a lot more than just a little "to go first class"
Long storry to talk about...

By twok4hd on Jan 29, 2010 - 8:43 AM EST

Yes I have seen Chinese machines. There are 3 Renaissance Cantares in my shop right now that we thought about buying when we first thought about getting in this business. I can assure you all they are good for is a boat anchors. Oh, and by the way they are for sale if you are interested.

Glenn
Sew Fine Designs

By 1965 on Jan 29, 2010 - 9:07 AM EST

twok4hd wrote:
Yes I have seen Chinese machines. There are 3 Renaissance Cantares in my shop right now that we thought about buying when we first thought about getting in this business. I can assure you all they are good for is a boat anchors. Oh, and by the way they are for sale if you are interested.

Attach pics of these machines located in your shop, Glen.

Then I will attach pics (or if you want me send you video, no problem) of machines that I sell in my area. Chinese assemblation. Machines not older than 3 or 4 years.

About pricing, sey yours, I'll say mine.
--
p.s. Renaissance's are Thailand's mark, not Chinese...

By Anonymous (not verified) on Jan 28, 2006 - 8:46 AM EST

My tajima tehx-c1501 which is single head and has 15 needles never lets me down. I've had it for over a year now and it still runs as beautifully as it did the first day. I don't have experience with other commercial machines so I can't comment on them. But, I do have plenty of experience with home embroidery machines and let me tell ya, it' a world of difference!

By Marc on Feb 2, 2006 - 5:41 PM EST

If you've never attended a commercial embroidery trade show before, I highly recommend that you do. Trying out all the machines at one location and in one day will give you much more understanding and "feel" for the machines and how they stack up to one another as supposed trying out machines in different locations and at different dates. Not to mention the trade show discount and bonuses you'll receive if and when you decide to buy so put your haggling hat on 'cause prices aren't written on stone :D.

If I were you, I would stick with the popular brands like Tajima, Barudan, etc. They cost more, but time and time again these machines continue to be the known workhorses of the industry. It's much easier to get support and parts as well as find qualified technicians. I'm not just talking about support from distributors, but support from other embroiderers as well--especially online. Resale value is another aspect to consider. Just like cars, you want a machine that can retain its value better. In short, they're a better investment.

With regards to choosing a single- or two-head machine. Recently, SWF introduced dual-function machines. In the case of a two-head, basically, it is now possible to embroider a different design on each head. I don't know how much you know about commercial embroidery machines, but with the exception of SWF, having a two-head does not mean you can do a different design on each head at the same time. So if that's what you were thinking to get more done, unfortunately it does not work that way.

I really don't think you'll need a two-head for the "personalized" gifts niche especially if you have a "small gift shop." You will receive plenty of orders, but most of the orders will be for personal use and therefore in small quantities. If you were targeting the corporate realm where company logos will make up the bulk of your orders and therefore "identical" designs will be embroidered on dozens and hundreds of items on a single order, then multiple heads make sense.

As far as features are concerned on modern single-heads, popular embroidery machines are jam-packed with features. These machines can pretty much meet your requirements and then some. Get as many needles/colors as you can afford. Having a 15-needle machine brings convenience and productivity to a new level. Since you're in the gifts market, you may want to consider getting a portable/compact machine if you take your business on the road at fairs, shows, and so on. These types of machines are fantastic! Moving them from place to place is a breeze.

Samantha is right; a commercial machine is world of difference compared to home machines. Give us an update on which machine you decide to buy :).

By efect on Feb 24, 2008 - 3:58 PM EST

Hello:)
Commercial is the way to go - Maybe look into single heads that can be daisychained as youre a small shop. This will give you the ability to run them as one,or singly.
Neos are nice,and so are Happy Voyagers,SWF. What you need to consider is the closeness of your service technician to your shop,and the ability of the chosen brand to actually train you in the way of basic maintenance for a few days. Parts availability is also another consideration. You can start with one,and add on as you jusdge the growth.
New is preferable,as you have a full warranty etc.

bye
Nevi
efectpro.com

By dave kirby on May 14, 2006 - 7:17 AM EDT

Mr. Brown wrote:
We have a Brother Innovis NV4000D sewing / embroidery machine which we use on the side for our small gift shop. Embroidered gifts are only a small part of our offerings right now which is why we never really considered upgrading to commercial.

However, this year for some reason we seem to be getting more and more personalized gifts requests so naturally we want to expand to meet with the growing demand. And so we think it's time we get a commercial a machine.

Does anybody have any advice on which commercial machine I should be focusing on? Any features we should pay special attention to? Single or two head? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanx.


Dear sir, I was AT THE COLOGNE show in germany, saw a lot of machines, The SWF. is comparable to any machine on the market, including tajima, my advice to you is to have a look at it.
Regards dave Kirby,
By jimrockford on Feb 22, 2008 - 10:38 PM EST

SWF machines have major board problems that SWF cannot fix without guessing which board to fix. i had to replace 3 boards all at my cost one at a time as they told me to try this one and then try that one. they did npt know how to find out which one to change other than guessing. i will never buy another. the cheap price is not worth the lousy service and cheap product.