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Can anyone verify that Japanese Commercial embroidery machines are the best?

I am looking to add embroidery to my dress making business, and I have been told by many embroidery shops that Japanese embroidery machines are the best. They all recommended Tajima, Toyota, Barudan, Happy, or Brother. Can anyone verify this?

Public Comments

1. Yes absolutely! I repair all brands of commercial embroidery machines, and I can tell you without a doubt that Japanese machines have the longest life by far. Japanese machines will always sew better and have fewer breakdowns. The Chinese machines are always improving, but they still have a very short lifespan, and are always breaking down. Any of the above machines you mentioned are excellent choices. Just look for the company that gives you the best training and suport. Also, try to get references from existing machine owners that have had their machines for 2 years+, not brand new customers. I hope this helps.
2. Japan is king when it comes to any of those machines, even with sewing machines. You'll pay a pretty penny, but in the end you won't regret it.
3. Most professional embroidery places I know use Barudan or Tajima machines. The place that does the cresting for the skating club (I designed their new logo) has switched entirely to Tajima machines, and invested in a twenty head machine, that is one that embroiders twenty jackets at once! Be sure to get lessons, training, and as much support as you can. If it's your first commercial machine, buy from a dealer so you can get the required technical support, including design software if you want to do your own embroidery designs. Don't waste your time or money with a household embroidery machine, they are far too slow for professional applications.
4. Hi I have been in commercial embroidery for 14 yrs. We have Amayas - made in Colorado - (melco amaya) and I think they are the best.. I have Toyota and several 'home machines' .. You should really ck on what you 'need' for your biz though. Commercial machines are very pricey and if you are going to be doing "logo" type work or small designs a good home machine like Viking Designer series might be enough to do what you need. Prob all you need is a 6x10 hoop size.. Before you invest in a commercial machine I would do a lot of research..Research research research! Decide what you are going to 'do'.. what is your niche or are you going to do 'logos' or hats or what? What size hoops do you think you will need and what comes 'with' and what is 'extra'. I use my very biggest hoops most, then fast frames (extra $ though) then an 11" square hoop that I do bags and youth clothing on... Pay attention to hoop size, sewing speed, number of needles, how close the nearest repair tech is and whether it has a good warranty. Find out how 'good' their cust svc and technican dept at the company is - how quick to respond, can you get 'through' to them most of the time etc. Search Yahoo Groups for Commercial embroidery and you will come up with tons of groups for every kind of machine from Amaya to Tajima, SWF, Toyota, Barudan - you name it and it is prob on Yahoo groups.. Wouldn't hurt to join and ask questions but keep in mind people would not have that machine unless they think it is the best - lol! There are also several 'generic' Commercial embroidery groups I have learned a lot on - besides the machine specific ones - Search for embroidery business or commercial embroidery and prob will come up with several that I subscribe to. I have two comercial machines - an Amaya & a Toyota and absolutely adore both. The Amaya though sews faster and has the biggest hoop, neither have had any major problems but I do have them cleaned and maintenanced 1x per yr. and I follow the shop maintenance directions on both. I also still sew logos and some other small things on my 2 home machines! The Singer XL 1000 was my 'first' machine and it still chugs right along! I sew regularly at 1250 spm on the Amaya and do a lot of large format designs - hardly any threadbreaks and I really really enjoy it. Also you may want to ck out what other 'competition' you have in your area and try to find a niche that they don't do.. Just look in the phone book for embroidery company etc and ck out. It's hard to compete with someone that has been in the biz for yrs and has a lot of established customers. Make sure you have a marketing budget or money you can spend to promote with too. Keep a list of marketing ideas you think of or hear about and adjust them to what you can do. Seems like a lot to do but sure helps getting off on the right foot. I wish someone had told me stuff like this lol! If you do buy an Amaya (www.melco.com) be sure to join our Amaya group on Yahoo!