FBRsportmod68 109 Posted September 13, 2009 wanting to set the wife up with embroidery business, what would i look to spend in doing so?? best machine, software, etc? Thanks for your time David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tory 0 Posted September 13, 2009 The best? Barudan or Tajima after much research. You want to make sure the machine you purchase can do caps and do them well (keep in registration). You could buy a used machine but if you don't know what to look for you are better off with a new one. A new 15 needle singlehead with the software will run about $15,000 last time I checked. Wilcom is the best software, I have Compucon and like it now that they have worked out the bugs (and they ALL have bugs), Sierra Pulse is another good one from what others say. Really do your homework or you will regret your purchase, best to check out an ISS show because you can ask many questions and actually see all the vendors in one place. Join an embroidery forum for more info to your questions. Eline is a good one and various ppl own various machines. Honestly, there is more return for your money on heatpressed garments. I suppose that depends on how you market too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FBRsportmod68 109 Posted September 13, 2009 thanks Tory. I am doing the heat press and vinyl, she just wants to do embroidery...but not at 15k!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tory 0 Posted September 13, 2009 Your welcome, there's also a learning curve to go along with it too. There are cheaper machines but it's definitely one of those things where you get what you pay for. Sometimes you can find a machine w very few hrs. on it and they decide to get out of the business. Just be careful because you have no idea how it was maintained or if they ran into a hoop. They also sell them for the home market too but I wouldn't go that route myself. It is probably 1/2 the cost but doesn't sew out as well, takes longer, and won't sew larger designs. I started out with embroidery and then went into heat press and bought a cutter. Not sure if I would have done the same if I had to do it again but am grateful for the learning experience just the same. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tank 0 Posted September 13, 2009 as stated you can go cheap(home version machine) but it will be more headaches & such than you really want digitizing is a big learning curve. The older machines have older cap technology so not really worth the trouble. if you can sell quantity to necessitate your own setup it is easier to sub it out as most MFG's will embroid cheap. usually minimum of 100 pcs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lueman 19 Posted September 14, 2009 Hi troy, I started as a home based business and quickly grew to a full scale business, here I am 10 years later and still going. There are many good software packages I used TGML from pulse micro systems you can start out with a basic lettering package and grow in steps to full digitizing. It has the benefit of outputting to any format you like and the software is vector based so going from iilly to pulse is very easy. You can also get away with getting a free viewer like Ambassador (from pulse) http://www.pulsemicro.com, True sizer (wilcom) and many others. Nearly all Production machines come with the nessasary cotroller software , so as long as you have a DST (Tajima formated stitch file) from a good digitizer then you should be good to go. There are many good machines such as AMAYA, Brother, Tajima, Happy/Texmac and Barudan, but the top three are Tajima, Texmac and Barudan. Try used equipment suppliers such as http://www.equip-used.com/equipment/equipmentlist.aspx?id=1 I just saw a nice 1 head/15 needle happy for under 8K. Good luck, but stay away from the single needle sewmachine/embroidery (like babylock) unless your strickly doing small stuff and low production. I have a friend that ran 76 pieces (God bless her) on a 1 head Renessance it took her 3 days! If anyone saw the movie Cannon Ball Run, she looked like the motor cycle rider afer the race! A Good Luck wish: Keep your needles sharp, your hoops tight and your thread dry! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
audii 0 Posted September 26, 2009 i would add that, if you can get one from a dealer so you can get lessons that way they can show you,we have a 6 needle brother and i have not done the hoop yet and they have videos on u-tube that show you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL03mB9geic&feature=related Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
audii 0 Posted September 26, 2009 i meant to say the hat hoop sorry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lueman 19 Posted September 27, 2009 Also TEXMAC Provides 3 day training Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peteyf 0 Posted October 6, 2009 I have a Happy machine 1 head/12 thread...and I am very happy with this machine. I Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted October 6, 2009 have thought about embroidery but with the cost of equipment and having several already in the area wife thinks I have enough irons in the fire now. she also keeps mentioning I don't need a eco sol printer -- will have to keep working on her on that one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lueman 19 Posted October 6, 2009 There is an unfortunate phrase in marketing called cannibalization, that's when a business buys into a product that detracts from the main focus of the business and ends up diverting (eating) profits from the business. As your wife said focus on what works, advertise that, then find those add-ons that support / enhance your main business. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tory 0 Posted October 6, 2009 Agreed Lueman, there are only so many hours in a day. No matter how far we try to stretch them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
