# The Story of 4 Machines: Barudan, Melco, SWF, Tajima (which one?)



## AndrewsSt

Hi Everyone, 

This is my first post, although I have been reading here for a while. 

My wife is going to get into embroidery. She is also going to do sublimation, vinyl, etc. 

The choices for sublimation equipment, vinyl cutters, heat presses, and the like were fairly straightforward. Reviews and forum posts generally pointed very strongly in one direction. Embroidery machines seem to be an entirely different story. I have read as many good posts as bad posts concerning most machines. What I am looking for now are opinions from experienced embroiderers and preferably ones that have experience with at least 2 of the brands that I am considering. 

This will be a long post thread because I also want to explain my interaction with the salesman that I spoke with as well as my gut feelings on each one. That way other readers may be able to benefit.

When I started the search, I only knew that we wanted a multi-needle unit. My wife was set on a Brother 10 needle, but when I saw the price I could only laugh. Not that there is anything wrong with it. I just had no idea how expensive the equipment was. Being an experienced businessman myself, I decided that if my wife was getting anything, it would be the right tool for the job, and possibly even overkill. That way if the business failed, she would at least be able to have really good equipment for her hobby or I would have a shot as recouping some of the initial investment. After much reading and pulling out of my hair, I narrowed the choices down to 4 brands (Barudan, Melco, SWF, and Tajima). I had considered pre-owned, but decided that for the first machine, I wanted brand new with all of the warranty intact, and the latest in technology. (I am a geek. What can I say?)

I am south of Atlanta, GA and I want close technicians and trainers as well as plenty of access to training, live and/or video. My wife can figure out anything watching you-tube. She will probably operate the machine for a few weeks to a month before we schedule the live training so that she really dig in when the trainer is there.
Here are the results of the conversations with each salesman, in the order that I spoke to them. I will not mention any salesman names though.

*Melco:*
The salesman seemed knowledgeable about his product, friendly, and eager to assist. We discussed the newest Melco, the EMT16. Here is what I learned.

1. The EMT16 can be networked with any Melco Amaya dating back to 2004.

2. The warranty is 5 years.

3. There are 4 certified trainers and 2 certified techs in the metro Atlanta Area. One of the trainers is less than 30 minutes from me.

4. The machine comes with 2 days of live on-site training and a series of webinars.

5. The OS flex plus operating system comes with free software updates the first year and cost between $500 and $1000 after that depending on the update. He did tell me that I did not need to have the updates to operate the machine though.

6. When I asked if the machine was built in the USA or just assembled in the USA from Chinese parts, there seemed to be a slight hesitation. He told me that most of the parts were made in the US. I suppose that could be researched further. By the way, China is not a deal killer or anything. I have products produced in China, but I have to stay on top of them if I want quality.

7. My wife can meet with the trainer and get to see an Amaya XTS in action, but not an EMT16.

8. He stated that many big names use this equipment, including Lands End, and LL Bean. Even the product information seems to insinuate that Lands End and LL Bean prefer Melco. Oddly enough both Barudan and Tajima seem to make the same claim. I found this interesting.

9. He told me to stay away from the Chinese brands. I do understand this if the machines have not been around that long. I am more concerned with how long the machines have been around and their reputation than I am country of manufacture.

10. These do not have screens or tension adjustment on the machine. They are dependent on a separate computer to run them. I can see where that would reduce the cost of the machine a little.

*The offer:*

For $13,310.00 I get:

1 new Melco EMT16 embroidery machine
(1) OS Flex Plus Operating System software that allows you to add an additional 30 machines to the original machine 
(1) Cart with wheels for easy movement of the machine 
(1) Power Cord for standard 110V power 
(2) Cap Frames for hooping caps and hats for embroidery 
(1) Wide Angle Driver to put on the machine when sewing on caps 
(1) Wide Angle Gauge assists in the hooping of caps for sewing 
(1) DesignShop V9 Digitizing Software for creating and digitizing designs, letters and numbers ($3500 list price) 
(1) Vector Digitizing Option that allows you to autodigitize vector designs for fast sew out. ($1500 list price) 
(2) 15cm round hoops for left pocket chest designs (2) 18cm round hoops for chest front designs (2) 30cm x 44cm rectangular hoops for large jacket back designs 
(1) Micro Pocket Hoop for embroidery on shirt pockets 
(1) Amaya Starter Kits consists of 16 spools of thread (Madeira) , needles, bobbins and backing 
(1) Crossover Ethernet cables for connecting the Amaya XTS to a computer 
(1) Set of 1000 Digitized designs from Action Illustrated, the designs are ready to sew and are various types of clip art
(1) 2 days of training at your location by a certified Melco trainer and 9 webinars that can be taken more than once 
(1) Operator Kit Box: Extra trimmer knife, Extra red thread feed ruler, Extra bobbin case, 2 Extra thumb screws for arms, Allen wrench set, 4mm Allen Driver, Bobbin case screwdriver, Metal grease, Plastic grease, Brush for grease, Oiler with spout, Offset screwdriver, plastic cord for threading tubes, .4mm gauge for rotary hook support position bracket, Panel Selection Button Guide 
This includes delivery.

*SWF:* 

Next I spoke with the SWF guy, who explained that SWF is in bankruptcy and proceeded to try and sell me an Avance machine. He told me that Tajima and Barudan are great machines, but that I should steer clear of Melco Amaya. He said that they would not hold up to the rigors of a busy embroidery business.
He didn’t have anywhere local that I could look at an Avance, but he had customers that I could call to see how they liked them so far.

After speaking with him for a few minutes, I realized that, for me anyway, there was no need to go further. I just didn’t get a warm fuzzy feeling. He did send me a quote though.

*The offer:*

For $11844.00 I get:

Avancé 1501C Compact Single Head, 15 Needle 
2 Years Parts & Labor, 
5 Years on Major Components as attached (Travel Expenses are not Included) 
STANDARD MACHINE PACKAGE INCLUDES: 
10 total hoops: 2 each per head of 9,12,15,20CM & 12x12 Hoops, 
1-15x21 Jacket Back Hoop 
1 LCD Color Control Panel with USB Connection Networkable LAN Connection 
Tool Kit 
Self Lubrication & Heavy Duty Stand, 
2 million stitch memory or 200 designs 
Easy Change Cap Drive with 2 Wide Cap Frames and a Cap Gauge (270 Degree) 
Sierra Stitch Era Liberty Full Digitizing Software 
65 Mini Cone (1000m) Polyester Thread Kit 
Single Head Embroidery Accessory Kit 
PantoStock Library of 4,000 Embroidery Designs Dakota 200 Quick Clicks Complimentary Designs (Your Choice) 
1 Day Training at ColDesi Location or Self Paced Training (no onsite training) 
Coldesi USB Key. 
Contains needed Training & Support Materials 
Price includes delivery.

I have ruled this out already just from my gut instinct.

*Barudan:*

Another friendly, knowledgeable and helpful salesman. We discussed the Elite XLII 15 needle (more on this later). Here is what I learned.

1. There is a certified Barudan tech just north of Atlanta and that he could handle the training.

2. SWF is in bankruptcy.

3. Steer clear of Chinese embroidery machines.

4. Melco is not bad, but it is really a high end home machine, not designed for the rigors of full time commercial embroidery.

5. All parts are metal, not plastic gears or housings.

6. While all other machines have reciprocating needles (i.e. they are pushed down and returned up via a spring), the Barudan pushes the needle down and pulls it up. This makes sense to me because it is like a bicycle. You can just push the pedal down to go, or you can use bike pedals and shoes and push down and pull up for more efficiency and power.

7. They are still 100% Japanese made.

8. He made the point that it is harder to find a used Barudan than the other machines I am considering, and I have found that to be true. Generally speaking, I believe that means people keep them forever instead of selling them.

9. They do not have any online training.

10. He recommended the Elite XL II over the Pro II because we will be doing a lot of bags. The Elite XL II gives more room under the head to work with large objects, but the sewing field is smaller (9-3/4 x 15-1/2). He said this is not an issue though since you don’t usually embroider anything larger than that.

11. The Elite XL II is only advertised as a 9 needle, but they custom built some 15 needles for a customer that ended up not taking them all so he had a few to sell (at the same price as the Pro II).

12. The Elite XL II has newer sewing head than the Pro II.

13. Tajima is their true head-to-head competitor.

14. He had many customers that switched from Tajima to Barudan.

*The offer:*

For $16,644.00 I get:

Elite XLII 15 Needle Embroidery Machine 
Advantage Elite XL "EX" Cap Frame - Set of 2 
1 Cap Framing Device 
1 XL Adapter Bracket w/hardware 
2 12cm Hoops (520) 
2 15cm Hoops (520) 
2 300x430mm Hoops (520) 
1 Cart with Wheels for Elite XLII
5-3-2 Year Warranty on all Barudan Machine Models On-Site Installation/Machine Training (2 Consecutive Days) 
Wilcom EmbStudio Editing e3.0 
Embroidery Start Up Package consisting of: 
Discover Dakota 4000 Design Pack 
Pre-wound Bobbins (144) 
Medium Weight Cutaway Backing, 14" x 20" (250 pcs.) 
Firm Tearaway Backing, 14" x 14" (250 pcs.) 
Medium Weight Tearaway Backing 7½" x 8" (250 pcs.) 
Cap Backing, 4 1/8"x 25 yds. 
No-Show Perforated Backing, 8" x 8" x 100 yds. Adhesive Backing, 9" x 12 yds. 
Water Soluble Topping, 6" x 12", 100 pcs. 
3-D Foam Backing, pkg. of 8 assorted colors 
75-11 Ball Point Needles (50) 
75-11 Normal Point Needles (50) 
8" Bent Trimmer Scissors 
3½" Curved Tip Scissors 
Trimming Tweezers 
Lint Cleaning Brush 
Disappearing Ink 
Fabric Marker 
6" Ruler 
Tube Oiler 
Canned Air Spray 
Adhesive 
15-Cone Thread Kit, with Madeira's most popular set of thread colors

The salesman is also willing to come to Atlanta and meet my wife at an existing customer’s location to see a machine in operation.

This deal seems like a no-brainer. It is a top brand piece of equipment with a lot of goodies, and at $3000.00 more than the Melco, seems like a relative bargain. The only downside that I see is the lack of training resources beyond the initial 2 day training.
Maybe you can let me know if it matters what training I watch. There are a lot of youtube videos but they are not Barudan specific.

*Tajima:*

Another friendly, knowledgeable and helpful salesman. We discussed the Tajima TUMX-C1501/WCT Hybrid. Here is what I learned.

1. It is like the Neo Plus, but it has a lot more room underneath for bags.

2. My salesman is in the same small town that I am in.

3. The closest certified tech is 25 minutes from me.

4. SWF is in bankruptcy.

5. Steer clear of Chinese machines.

6. Melco is a decent mid-grade machine, but not at the level of Tajima or Barudan.

7. They are still 100% Japanese made and assembled here in the US.

8. Software updates for the OS are free for as long as you own the machine.

9. We can see one in operation with 24 hours notice.

*The offer:*

For $18,340.00 I get:

Tajima TUMX-C1501/WCT (STANDARD SINGLE HEAD aka HYBRID 
Tajima DG/ML by Pulse Composer Software (Lettering, Editing and Basic CorelDraw File Digitizing) 
complete double sets of six different sizes of standard frames (2 of each size per head = 12 frames total with the machine) for various shirt, jacket and cap applications 
a full consumables supply kit to get you started (as seen here: Hirsch - Tajima Embroidery Machines - Start-up Decorators), 
standard crated machine delivery including offloading to GA on-site installation and 
machine training by one of our LOCAL Certified Technicians (based in the Atlanta area). 
Apparently this is only one day of training. 
Software training is done via (live) online webinar and is included as well. He said they have a lot of training videos as well.

*In summary:*
Melco $13310.00 
Barudan $16644.00 
Tajima $18340.00

The packages seem comparable as far as extras go.

*Pros and cons:

Melco:*
Pros: 
Cheaper
Solid entry-level machine

Cons: 
The origin of the parts is unknown
They don’t have the track record of Tajima and Barudan

*Barudan:*
Pros: 
One of the best reputations in the industry (as far as I can tell) 
Arguably the best software package offered between the three 
What I am getting is clearly spelled out right up front

Cons: 
The machine I am looking at was a limited run, although the only difference is the number of needles 
No online training available 
Smaller field than the other two (9-3/4 x 15-1/2). Maybe someone can tell me if that is sufficient or if I need more 

*Tajima:*
Pros: 
One of the best reputations in the industry (as far as I can tell) 
The Pulse software seems highly regarded 
Warehouse in South Carolina (or North, I can’t remember) so replacement parts are close
Lots of training videos available at no cost

Cons: 
Most expensive unit out of the three 
The version of Pulse that I get looks to be much less robust than the version of Wilcom that we get with the Barudan


As far as the online training goes. How much needs to be machine specific and how much can be learned just watching videos with people using any machine?


Given the choices above, which direction would you go and why?


I am honestly leaning towards the Barudan because the reputation is there, the savings over the Tajima will allow my wife to get a Hoopmaster setup and some Mightyhoops for bags and start getting some other supplies. The big downside is the lack of online training available.


Thanks for taking the time to read my novel, “The Story of 4 Machines”. I look forward to hearing your opinions.


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## salty dog

I have Tajima and Barudan machines. I have pulse software. I have been at this for a couple of years. I would not go with a machine with a small sewing field. It's not something you can add. In other words you might have to turn down work if your sewing field is too small. 
I like my barudan better than my Tajima, My Barudan is a more robust machine built for a lifetime. 
There is very little training. The tech can only take you so far. I know him and he has pulled my tail out of the fire more than once, He also works on Tajima. Which ever machine you go with there is a learning curve. There are several groups on Yahoo for Tajima and only one for Barudan. I have tried several times over the past year to join the Barudan group with no response. 
Even though I have Pulse software, I wish I had Wilcom for no other reason than I don't know how to digitize and it seems there is more training on Wilcom than Pulse. But the other side is I don't have time to digitize. 
I do like my Barudan machine but there is nothing wrong with my Tajimas. I would try to find a shops close to you that have one these machines and have a look at them in action. I'm sure Barudan and Tajima can provide you with names of shops with their machines.
Good Luck
Salty


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## AndrewsSt

Thanks Salty.

Would you consider the sewing field on the XL II too small? The reason that the salesman recommended it was because we will be embroidering women's bags as well as backpacks. The frame on this one gives more room to work than the Neo Plus, but the Neo Plus has a larger sewing field. The Neo Plus and the XL II that I am looking at are the same price.

The Tajima has the larger sewing field and the frame that allows us room to maneuver the bags.

We do have the opportunity to see both in action, and we plan to do so.

Thanks again for your input.


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## wilks42

Just purchased my 4th melco. I have not operated other units. Really like the electronic thread tension. Stitch quality is as good or better than the wholesale shop we are used before with tjaima machines. The 4th unit I bought is a 2011 with 56 mil stitch count. It runs better and quieter than the other three newer ones. It seems like it takes this much to break them in. Average sew is 10,000 stitches so this unit has run 5600 sews in three years. Works great.


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## wilks42

To make any decent money it takes more than one head. I don't know if the other single head units can be linked together. The melco design shop pro + does make vector art digitizing fairly easy.


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## binki

A single head gets you into the game but you won't make much money. The tajima full size has an enormous sewing field. Don't get a compact. They are a waste of time.


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## Liberty

Nice research!

I would agree with Binki, if you only have one machine it should be a large field machine. Barudan BEVT or Tajima TFMX. 

I've owned Toyotas, Melcos and Tajimas. Worked with Barudan but that was years ago. Started in the embroidery business in the mid 80's. Now have nothing but Tajima and Wilcom software. Just bought another Tajima six head. If the day comes I ever retire, the shop will surely be full of Tajima. So my opinions might be biased. ;-)

By the way, I just sold two Tajima Neo II machines. Both were good, workhorse machines, but they just didn't cut it for sewing the bulky items like bags and jackets. 

But the newer Tajima Hybrid would be my only choice were I looking for compact machines since it is basically a compact bridge machine that will not restrict access for bulky items.

If you go with Tajima or Barudan machines you will never be disappointed.
If you go with Wilcom or Pulse software you will never be disappointed.

Don't overstate the service and training. These two brands rarely have issues, when they do support is a phone call away. My local Hirsch rep is phenomenal. I'm sure the same can be said for the local Barudan rep. We bring a tech in once a year for a good service and have never had a single day of downtime on any of the Tajima machines, never! (knock on wood)

As for training, the initial training will get you going but beyond that, you will figure it out if you are patient. You can get some very very good assistance right here in this forum...

And think ahead to the possibility of hiring an employee. If you advertise for an experienced Tajima operator you will have no troubles finding one. (around here anyway)

The same for finding a tech. Once out of warranty you will find lots of experienced independant techs with Tajima or Barudan experience.

So if I were given the four choices you mentioned, the Tajima Hybrid would be the only option given the better access from being a bridge type machine.

And when the time comes that you need more machines, the size of the machine is driven by your average order size. "Networking a bunch of single heads" is sales hype. The big companies that do tons of monograms have warehouses full of single heads. (Like 31 bags, all Tajima by the way) The big shops doing orders of 24+ have rooms full of multi heads. (Typically Tajima or Barudan.) But there is always room for a single head for proofing and monograms.

One other thought, forget the price comparisons. Over the 10 or more years you could own the machine, a difference of even $5000 is only $2 per day. Don't make your decision based on price. 

Good luck whatever your decision...


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## api

This is what we did. (I am also a geek )

We started from scratch, purchased a Tajima Neo, used the Pulse software (as a trade in) to purchase the Wilcom ES. By the way the Wilcom training center is close to you in Atlanta.

Learning to operate the Tajima is not too difficult, but it takes some time and effort. You have to make your own mistakes and learn from them. We didn't need any extra help, the machine went into production on the 3rd day and running since then without any problem. 

Binki is right, you cannot make much money with a single head, but you can learn a lot about the embroidery business.

At the beginning I'd definitely outsource the digitalization (the stitch files) because this part of the business has a steep learning curve. In the mean time you can learn the details at the Wilcom training center.

*Summary*:

*Machine* - Barudan or Tajima 
*Software* - Wilcom
*Hoops* - MAGNETIC (mighty hoop) TRY IT!!!
*Thread* - I don't know, we use Madeira Polyneon and we like it.
*Computer* - We use a Windows 7 "Manufacturing Computer" in our network to feed the Tajima (and other machines like DTG printer, vinyl cutter, rhinestone placement robot, wide format printer, etc.)
*Machine Maintenance and Repair* - $49 DVD from Universal Embroidery Machine Repair DVD | Embroidery Products and Supplies

Good luck...


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## AndrewsSt

Thanks for a very well thought out response Liberty.

As I said, the Tajima tech is only 20-25 minutes away. That being said, the Barudan tech is less than an hour.

There do seem to be more Tajima machines around than Barudan.

I had considered a bridge machine like the TFMX-C1501, but there are two issues. The first being that we want to start her business upstairs in her craft room. A 500 lb machine will not be any fun to take upstairs. The only rooms that we could put it in downstairs would be the formal living room (which we don't use, but it would be ugly) and our master bedroom sitting area.

The second issue is that I plan to pay cash for the equipment. I don't really want to finance, especially if she ends up not wanting to continue this as a business. I will say that I think my wife can definitely make a business out of it. Part of the reason that she is doing it is because she sees the embroidery work that people we know are buying and she tells me it is terrible. 

She uses a lot of terms that I don't understand, but she is already mentioning stuff about better ways to digitize patterns that she has seen based on the way the stitches are.

On the one hand I know that she is serious. On the other, it is a huge investment and a bridge machine runs it up even more.

What do you think of the TWMX-C1501 (Sumo)? It looks to have more clearance and a larger sewing field, while still in a more compact chassis.

I do see what you are saying with employees. It may be easier to get folks with Tajima experience than with Barudan experience. Is it that difficult to bounce back and forth?

Maybe I should have Tajima quote me the setup with the Wilcom software.


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## AndrewsSt

OK. So the Sumo is way more than I want to spend, and the TFMX is a stretch.

Here are the sewing fields:
TUMX-C1501 (HYBRID) - 14”D x 19 1/2”W
TFMX-C1501 (STRETCH) - 17 1/2”D X 16 1/2”W

I see that I pick up 3-1/2" in depth, but lose 3" in width. It it closer to square. Is there some advantage to that?

Sorry for all of the questions, but as Liberty said, a $5000.00 difference is not a deal breaker in the long term, even if I have to finance a small portion. It is better to overpay and get the right thing than it is to underpay and get the wrong thing.


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## Liberty

No experience with the Sumo, but should a be fine choice. We use the large hoops all the time. It looks like a good option. You may go weeks without using the giant hoops but when you need them there is no alternative.

The TFMX is heavy but we put them on the stand with two guys so I'm not sure the head weighs 500. That might be for everything including hoops, cap drivers etc?

Jumping from one machine to another is easy in theory. But anything that makes life easy with employees is a good thing. Realistically though, if you do hire an experienced employee, their experience could be on a different model. And there is a risk that they have bad habits from previous shops. 



AndrewsSt said:


> Thanks for a very well thought out response Liberty.
> 
> As I said, the Tajima tech is only 20-25 minutes away. That being said, the Barudan tech is less than an hour.
> 
> There do seem to be more Tajima machines around than Barudan.
> 
> I had considered a bridge machine like the TFMX-C1501, but there are two issues. The first being that we want to start her business upstairs in her craft room. A 500 lb machine will not be any fun to take upstairs. The only rooms that we could put it in downstairs would be the formal living room (which we don't use, but it would be ugly) and our master bedroom sitting area.
> 
> The second issue is that I plan to pay cash for the equipment. I don't really want to finance, especially if she ends up not wanting to continue this as a business. I will say that I think my wife can definitely make a business out of it. Part of the reason that she is doing it is because she sees the embroidery work that people we know are buying and she tells me it is terrible.
> 
> She uses a lot of terms that I don't understand, but she is already mentioning stuff about better ways to digitize patterns that she has seen based on the way the stitches are.
> 
> On the one hand I know that she is serious. On the other, it is a huge investment and a bridge machine runs it up even more.
> 
> What do you think of the TWMX-C1501 (Sumo)? It looks to have more clearance and a larger sewing field, while still in a more compact chassis.
> 
> I do see what you are saying with employees. It may be easier to get folks with Tajima experience than with Barudan experience. Is it that difficult to bounce back and forth?
> 
> Maybe I should have Tajima quote me the setup with the Wilcom software.


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## AndrewsSt

Liberty said:


> The TFMX is heavy but we put them on the stand with two guys so I'm not sure the head weighs 500. That might be for everything including hoops, cap drivers etc?


Do you think that it would be safe to operate upstairs in a house?


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## jolfers1

I currently have an Amaya XT (single head) that I have had since 2007, and without question I would advise against a single-head machine.


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## skits

We have 8 barudan machines & 2 swf.

I will never make a mistake of buying swf again. Its a cheap machine and there's a reason why its cheap.
With barudan you buy a new one and you won't need to worry about it for the next 6-8 years in terms of replacing any major parts.

As for software wilcom and pulse are both good although wilcom is more commonly used. I would suggest outsourcing your digitizing until you get to master the embroidery side of it first and then get to learn the digitizing. When outsourcing your digitizing make sure you request for the native files and NOT dst files.

As others have mentioned a 1 head machine is not going to make you any money. We have the barudan elita and its used only for sampling purposes. Good machine.


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## dtogs

Here is another reply from a Barudan owner with Wilcom software - great combination. Only machine you did not look at - consider was ZSK...

ZSK Industrial Embroidery Machines

any additional embroidery heads will be ZSK.


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## Liberty

Sure. If you can get it up there it would be fine. 



AndrewsSt said:


> Do you think that it would be safe to operate upstairs in a house?


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## purplecheese

I have the Barudan Elite Pro II, and it's a great machine. I started cold in the industry and learned by hands on experience. For bags, it works, unless you are doing ultra large bags; then it's a pain. I've embroidered everything from large duffel to small purses. The only bags I can't do are large suitcases and golf bags (so far).

My biggest grip about the Pro II is the legs under the sew area - but that's a liveable problem. My next machine will be the COII, bridge machine. I know you said you don't want to lug a bridge up a flight of stairs - but the versatility far outweighs the placement issues. Plus that's what riggers are for.

I also started with Wilcom, and it's great software. Easy to use once you get the hang of it. I can be intimidating but just keep at it and practice. Outsource your early designs to digitizing companies like has been said in this thread.


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## Posylane

AndrewsSt,

What does your wife want to do with this machine? Contract embroidery, or embroidery on her own stuff? 

I don't really know what to make of the claim that Melco's are glorified home machines. We embroider our own things, so our machines don't run 24/7. But they do embroider 3-6 days a week. Our oldest machine (of three) is around 5 years old. 

So far, they just run. One thing you might sniff around on is the cost of the next machine. The cost of your next melco will drop about $2k.

You should also go see each machine in operation before you decide. I did, and that is why I choose the XTS. I greatly prefer using it for what we do, over the other brands. Someone else, or if we embroidered different things, might come to different conclusions.


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## AndrewsSt

Does anyone here live south of Atlanta in the Newnan or Peachtree City vicinity? If so, do you have one of these machines that we could see in action?


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## Posylane

Andrew,

The dealers should be able to set up visits. That is how mine got set up.

Nathen


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## AndrewsSt

Posylane said:


> Andrew,
> 
> The dealers should be able to set up visits. That is how mine got set up.
> 
> Nathen


They both offered to. I was just trying to get a look without the salesman there.


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## Posylane

if your experience is like mine, the salesman won't be. You will just walk into someone's business and be able to ask questions and hopefully see it work.


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## sportasiajan

Have used Barudan, Tajima, ZSK and SWF, would agree with other comments re SWF wouldn't touch them again bankrupt or not. Barudan, Tajima and ZSK have been around for years and are designed for volume work. Haven't had issues with any of them, I would also agree with advice from salesmen re Chinese machines, having seen them in the flesh they are not good quality and the one I watched running had had to have the speed turned down to deal with a heavy design - this was at a trade show and you would imagine they would want to show off the speed rather than admit to having to turn it down. 
If I had to chose just one machine of the machines you quote I would go for the Tajima - purely personal opinion I just got on better with it than a Barudan.
Janet


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## wilks42

Some used available. http://www.embroiderygaragesale.com


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## AndrewsSt

Thanks for your input everyone. 

I pulled the trigger on a Tajima TFMX-C1501 today. Hopefully it will get here before the first.

Our salesman is a pleasure to deal with. We met him today at a facility that is running Tajima machines and were impressed with the equipment. They were running around 100 heads with a mixture of single, double, 6-head, and 12-head machines. I told my wife that could all be hers someday.

He also showed us their Neo Plus unit. Everyone is right. If you are only getting one machine with one head, bite the bullet and get the full size machine.

The salesman is in the same town that we live in, and he is going to help us get it into the house when it arrives.

I am sure that we will have many more questions in the coming weeks and months as we learn the business, but we are excited to get started.

Merry Christmas!


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## sportasiajan

Glad you are sorted and have such a helpful salesman - good luck for the future and Happy Christmas and New Year 

Janet


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## Tam4jesus

I just have one question: How do you get those large table machines into your house if you do not have either sliding glass doors or french doors (double) doors. I have wanted to upgrade from my compact single head to a table type but have standard 36" doors in my home


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## mickstr68

I own 6 single head swf (all compact units), 1 single head Barudan, 4 head Barudan & purchasing a 6 head Barudan. All my machines I bought used. It is my opinion that SWF is getting a bad rap- getting started in the business I didn't want to spend too much and SWF machines used were a great deal dollar wise- I also started in my basement so I had to be able to get machine down stairs. Now that the company is in bankruptcy, I would second guess buying more. However, my tech tells me many Tajima parts will replace broken swf parts should there be a future parts problem.

Now that I am growing, moved into an industrial space, I have decided to switch to Barudan. Why- it is flat out a better machine. The SWF machines have a reputation of having some electronic issues; one of my single heads will need a new power board soon, 2002 model, but besides that one issue I cannot agree with that claim.

One thing I can agree with is that the SWF compact machines have many more thread breaks than the Barudans. I can stitch practically non stop with the Barudans as they have a better tension system that the SWF's. I do have an SWF Man-12 that I just couldn't pass up for the price which has an automatic tension system. That Man-12 is great for stitching my customer proofs but not built for heavy quantity stitching.

I have heard good things about the Tajima's but I have no experience with them.


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## AndrewsSt

Tam4jesus said:


> I just have one question: How do you get those large table machines into your house if you do not have either sliding glass doors or french doors (double) doors. I have wanted to upgrade from my compact single head to a table type but have standard 36" doors in my home


36" is enough for the Tajima or Barudan. We brought the Tajima through our standard front door today.


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## AndrewsSt

The Tajima arrived today.

Our salesman, Jim Wesolowski is awesome. 

The trucking company said they could not deliver today, but he and his assistant made some phone calls to get it delivered and he came to help unload it and get it in the house.

Now we are just waiting on the software which is due to arrive Monday.

My wife is happy.

I will update as she learns to use it to let you know what we think.


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## salty dog

Looks Good. I think you will be happy. 
Salty


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## Mike11113333

Without a doubt- Barudan


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## AndrewsSt

Mike11113333 said:


> Without a doubt- Barudan


Thanks Mike, but we decided on the Tajima for the reasons I explained in the thread. Barudan is a great machine though.


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## hannahandcrafts

Hi AndrewsST,

I'm in the market for a commercial embroidery machine and stumbled upon your posts. Great research by the way and saved me doing the homework myself!

Right now, I have a Janome home embroidery machine. I bought it for my own use and somehow morphed into a home-based business. People are coming to me for embroidery but I turned away a lot of orders because I feel my machine is just too slow and hooping takes too much time that certain jobs is just not worth doing.

Wondering how do you and your wife like the Tajima TFMX-c1501? Did you like the Pulse software? I'm considering getting the same machine. Although right now I can't seem to find a dealer locally in Calgary, AB, Canada. The closest one is 3 hour drive away.




AndrewsSt said:


> Thanks Mike, but we decided on the Tajima for the reasons I explained in the thread. Barudan is a great machine though.


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## AndrewsSt

hannahandcrafts said:


> Hi AndrewsST,
> 
> I'm in the market for a commercial embroidery machine and stumbled upon your posts. Great research by the way and saved me doing the homework myself!
> 
> Right now, I have a Janome home embroidery machine. I bought it for my own use and somehow morphed into a home-based business. People are coming to me for embroidery but I turned away a lot of orders because I feel my machine is just too slow and hooping takes too much time that certain jobs is just not worth doing.
> 
> Wondering how do you and your wife like the Tajima TFMX-c1501? Did you like the Pulse software? I'm considering getting the same machine. Although right now I can't seem to find a dealer locally in Calgary, AB, Canada. The closest one is 3 hour drive away.


So far we like it. My wife has been teaching herself the software and the machine. 

We ran a 38K pattern on a t-shirt right after we got it. We had a couple of thread breaks on the pattern because we didn't get all the slack out of the cones before we started. The cones come on the machine and the shaking in transit let the thread get loose and get caught under the cone. It was an easy correction. 

My wife has now embroidered on burlap and done an applique just to test and they went well. We will probably give it another week or two of use, and then we will have the trainer come in for the day. 

Be aware that according to the manual it does require its own 20 amp circuit, but we have it on a shared circuit with some electronics and have not had an issue.


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## Gorilla2011

I have been running Tajimas for the last 8 years. They are a little higher than the rest but if well maintained it will last forever


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## NCMTN

Hi
We are looking at the same two machines as you did. The location of the Tajima distribution center is only about 30 minutes for us and the support sounds excellent. Is there any one thing that helped you to chose the Tajima over the Barudan. 
Thanks


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## AndrewsSt

NCMTN said:


> Hi
> We are looking at the same two machines as you did. The location of the Tajima distribution center is only about 30 minutes for us and the support sounds excellent. Is there any one thing that helped you to chose the Tajima over the Barudan.
> Thanks


Yes. The VP of sales is less than 10 minutes from me. He took my wife and I out to see the machine in action and even helped us unload it and get it in the house.


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## NCMTN

Thanks
They both have sale offices 30 minutes from me. I have seen the tajima machines and will see the barudan tommorrow.


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## AndrewsSt

NCMTN said:


> Thanks
> They both have sale offices 30 minutes from me. I have seen the tajima machines and will see the barudan tommorrow.


I do have couple of recommendations:

1. If you decide to go with Tajima, ask them to match the ESP package that Barudan offers. We asked for it and got it. It wasn't the exact package, but it was very close and I think we got more free stuff than Barudan offered.

2. Get Wilcom software, regardless of the machine. We tried the Pulse software, but didn't like it. There was no real good online training for it either, besides the webcasts that Pulse does. With Wilcom there are tons of training videos.


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## purplecheese

As a note about the Barudan, the new models came out with the upgraded controls. Lots of great features have been added to the machines.


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## NCMTN

Did you get the Wilcom software package through Tajima or did you have to buy it direct. Which level of wilcom did you go with. Was the cost comparable with the Pulse software.


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## AndrewsSt

NCMTN said:


> Did you get the Wilcom software package through Tajima or did you have to buy it direct. Which level of wilcom did you go with. Was the cost comparable with the Pulse software.


We got the Tajima Pulse because that is all they offer. Since we had never used either program, we didn't think it was a big deal. 

We traded for Wilcom within a few weeks. They were running a special. We traded our software (basic that came with machine) for Wilcom Embroidery Studio E3 Designing and the Bling, Advanced Offsets, Team Names Advanced, and Auto-Digitize bitmaps add-ons for $2515.00. 

The add-ons were buy one get one free.


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## murtceps

Definitely Barudan or Tajima IMHO. Although I own a HAPPY and I'm happy with it!


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## Blue92

Looks good. Updated model of the TMEX C1201 we're using.


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## cortez1314

Just wanted to thank you, Steve, for posting all the amazing research you did on those 4 machines. This thread has been extremely useful for someone just getting started! Hope your wife is enjoying the Tajima and that business is going well!!


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## oochallenger

i just found this post and was wondering what machine you ended up with? and why did you say no to the avance just from gut instinct? I am looking into it now and that was a red flag to me! id appreciate your comment..


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## 539162

oochallenger said:


> i just found this post and was wondering what machine you ended up with? and why did you say no to the avance just from gut instinct? I am looking into it now and that was a red flag to me! id appreciate your comment..


Sent you a private message


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## Hotpuppy

I know this thread is a little old, but I wanted to toss in my two cents. This is a common question and a good review of the aspects. Others may benefit from more information. I had 6 of the Melco Amaya (Big Red / 1st Gen). Never again. I got out of the business in 2011 and was able to sell my machines. We finally learned that the advertised speed was what you should never run them at in production. Flats ran 1,000 spm and hats were down in the 500-600 but it was really dependent on the hat and design. Some have to be slowed down further. We kept them under maintenance contracts and we got our value out of those. I usually had one machine down at any given time and we did not run alot of volume. I ran them a few days a week on 20 to 144 piece orders. 

A bit more about Melco. Great support. But the nearest tech that I trusted was in Dallas. There were closer techs to Houston. One's wife had an embroidery shop.... no thank you. Others just didn't know more about the machine than I did.

While they ran well when they ran, I felt we had too many issues. One was down nearly all the time and we would have the tech in a few times a year. Now, I took the position of not wanting to work on my machines. So if we had a scratched/gouged hook from a needle strike we would take the machine offline until it could be checked out. We upgraded the feed wheels twice. 

We used DesignShop which is good software.... Embroidery is drawing with thread and it really takes someone who can sketch to be any good at it beyond lettering. Small lettering is a special skill/madness. 

I felt like we had top notch embroidery and we did contract and retail work. However, it was something we never quite got the hang of selling. We were an online company.

I was a screenprinter first and my first Melco was an EMC6/4 (6 color 4 head) and I forget the piece of junk software we ran. We bought two of those.... and a 12 head Tajima monster. The Tajima could shake the whole building and was a $1000 game of Simon. One wrong move and it would shear all the plastic needle spacers. haha. But it did beautiful work and kept right on going. We did contract piece work with that machine and it only did 400 spm but it would run and run and run and run and run. We rolled it in on furniture dollies and managed to get it where nobody thought we could. My first EMC was flipped off the back of the truck and cursed from the get go. I should have filed an insurance claim and moved on. Instead I let them fix it. Mistake. I sold the Tajima and bought a second EMC. EMC machines had Tajima heads on them withe Melco frames and firmware. We traded them in and bought 6 heads of Amaya. More than I needed. 3 would have been fine. 

I will be getting back to embroidery eventually. When I do I will start with two single heads. That will cover the majority of my in-house needs.

Never forget you can and should contract out big stuff. It doesn't matter if you have one head and have to send out a 288 piece job to make money. The hardwork is design and proofing. Always sew your proofs. It takes time but it works to find issues. 

Send out designs that are too hard for you to digitize and then pick apart what they did to see how they did it.  No thread breaks should result. If a design breaks threads it's bad.


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## ralbert

we only by Barudan, they are the best. Tajima is a second. be careful, once you buy Barudan, it's like buying a BMW, you will not want to go back to cheaper ones. Tech in area is probably the biggest issue to look at, especially if you have one machine. you need it fixed quick, and you dont want to pay to have someone to come in from out of state to fix... 
we actually have a used one for sale at Home - forsale but you may want a new one if you learning.... 
we also have Rayon thread for sales, as our shop had to switch to poly threads for industrial laundry use...


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## bpipal

This was fantastic and aligns to what I'm looking for today. What was your final outcome? Today I'm comparing the Tajima TMBR to the Melco EMT16 Plus.

I would buy the Tajima now even though it is 7k more expensive if I could find training videos at all. You mention a large supply of Tajima training online, is that something that you can share the location of?


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## Diesel Tuner

I am interested in these training videos also


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## Gilligan

Hotpuppy said:


> ...
> A bit more about Melco. Great support. But the nearest tech that I trusted was in Dallas. There were closer techs to Houston. One's wife had an embroidery shop.... no thank you. ...


If you are speaking of Ed... he's a stand-up dude.

He's my tech and I don't think I'd ever want another tech.

Having his wife own her own embroidery business was really only a good thing to me. He understands digitizing and the problems that arise from that better since he has to deal with it more than just in and out of other businesses when their machines are down or need a tuning.

Again, I recommend him to ANYONE with any machine!


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## edward1210

Hi to all
I know this post is old
I used to have ricoma, I bough the barudan 3pro, not been good experience, I been having a lot of issue, issue that i never have with ricoma, 
Baruadan ha one tech in my area, but is hard to get him in, i'm looking to get another machine maybe 2 head, I m looking at the melco or tajima, but I'm not sure what way to go, tajima ex more expensive
any suggestion will be appreciate


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## MelindaA

This post was started long ago but is chock full of great information. However, I'm concerned it may be somewhat dated. I am looking to get into apparel - we will be starting with vinyl transfers using existing equipment for now and wish to also do embroidery. Have just begun the search. We don't expect to run an embroidery machine in a high volume repetitive market - perhaps some runs of a dozen or so garments for a campus store and university departments as well as small runs for public community and probably some unique one-off designs for public customers who want their item embroidered. Have begun research and speaking with a couple of reps. Any words of advice for equipment considerations that are newer than 2014? Has much changed since then? Thinking back of jackets, right or left chest logos, etc. 
Suggestions for proper questions to ask ourselves and vendors would be appreciated and specific things to think about.
Thank you for any input.


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## EmbroideryOnline

Recently had two week trials on Barudan and happy japan as we are coming away from Tajima after unresolved problems with the distributor.

Tajima are nowhere near Barudan and Happy anymore.

Personal preference as to which of happy or Barudan you choose. I preferred happy japans interface and setup.


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## Redeemed1

EmbroideryOnline said:


> Recently had two week trials on Barudan and happy japan as we are coming away from Tajima after unresolved problems with the distributor.
> 
> Tajima are nowhere near Barudan and Happy anymore.
> 
> Personal preference as to which of happy or Barudan you choose. I preferred happy japans interface and setup.


Which model of Happy Japan did you go with?


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