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Running An Embroidery Machine Can Be
Both Pleasurable And Profitable . . . .
. . . . But You Must Make Sure That You
Choose The Right Machine & Supplier
The following 15 pages will provide much more detail but here are the key
pointers that you need to know.
If you are running a business - Australia is a high labour cost country.
What this means is that you must have highly productive & very reliable equipment that produces top
notch quality. You simply will not get that if you buy the lowest price equipment.
Different makes of embroidery machines are not all the same
Good quality, well built machines are relatively quiet. They run well with few thread breaks, they
produce very good quality on garments and on caps and they are very reliable. They also should
have good after sales support and a solid warranty. They also retain better re-sale value.
Many budget priced machines are in fact copies of a old model Japanese machine. Take this option
and ou would be buying a poorly assembled machine built with inferior quality parts copied from old
technology. What kind of a start would that be for your business?
What warranty is offered with the machine?
* How long will warranty last
* Exactly what is covered by the warranty? Ask specifically what is not covered?
If a salesperson isn’t prepared to give you a decent warranty up-front then don’t be surprised when
you find that the machine is prone to problems.
Does the price include delivery to your home, shop, or factory?
This could be an extra cost to you - especially if you live in a country area.
Does the supplier’s insurance cover the machine right up until it reaches you?
At best this could be hidden, extra cost to you. At worst, it could be a disaster waiting to happen.
You have a machine that’s seriously damaged in transit, which you have paid for only to find out that
it is not insured.
How much training do you get with the machine and where is it given?
If you are new to embroidery then you will need at least 3 days training and you should make sure
that the training is given on your machine. You at least know that it is working.
What are the payment terms?
If the price includes installation and training - don’t pay the full amount. Ask to retain some payment
just in case there are any problems with missing accessories or any problems detected during setup.
Is there any money-back guarantee?
This one really puts your mind at rest - to know that if you are not happy, you can ask for a full refund
(Continued
Follow These Simple Rules
To Find Out Which Embroidery Machine
Will Serve Your Business Well
Which of the following two statements best describes you?
*
I don’t believe in re-inventing the wheel. I’m going to read every scrap of information I can and then
make my buying decision based upon the advice given by those who have many years of experience in
this business. I don’t want to repeat anyone else’s mistakes.
*
I’ll read it if I have time - but to be honest I’m a sucker for a good deal. I’ll probably end up buying from
whoever gives me the lowest price or because I like the sales person.
Did you answer Yes to the first question?
possible start you can hope for.
Congratulations! You are already on your way to the best
Did you answer Yes to the second question? Well you’ll probably be wasting your time if you continue to
read on. But you know what? You are exactly the person that this document was written for.
What’s in it for you?
What I’d like to do is arm you with all the information you need so that when you’re ready to buy - you really
know what’s what and no-one and I mean no-one will be able to pull the wool over your eyes.
I’ve been in business for more than 27 years and whilst I’m not exactly proud to admit it . . . I’ve made a couple
of bad purchases early on. Boy did I feel bad and more than a little embarrassed when my staff complained
because they couldn’t do their job. Why? Because an unreliable product that I had purchased at a “good
price”, had failed again. No - It wasn’t fun at all but I learned quickly that a “good deal” often leaves a sour taste.
Here’s an example - (not the mistake I made - it’s too embarrassing to tell you about)
Have you ever had one of those telephone sales calls offering a fantastic deal like:
** ‘A free, colour laser copier and a free fax machine thrown in for good measure’**
All you have to do is change your from your existing biller to XXX Communications.
Do just that and they will deliver and install all your shiny new equipment.
How good is that? - A free colour laser copier AND a free fax machine???
Hang on a minute. Take a closer look at their call rates. Yes! You guessed it. They’re not so cheap. In fact
they’re really expensive. You would actually end up paying for all the ‘Free’ equipment over the length of the
contract. Not such a good deal after all!
So - Don’t accept that the information you read on a glossy sales brochure or for that matter what the
salesperson tells you is accurate or is really everything it’s made out to be.
How does that affect the purchase of embroidery equipment?
If you’re new to embroidery equipment, you might be forgiven for assuming that one embroidery machine is
much like another. After all, they all have needles and thread. They all make embroidery on fabric. Don’t they?
Yes they do - but that’s just about where the similarity ends.
Anyone with experience in the embroidery business will tell you that there’s a Grand Canyon of difference
between the leading makes and the pretenders . . . . the Wanna Be machines.
Remember that a sales person’s job is to convince you to buy his or her product regardless of whether or not
they truly believe their product is the best for you.
You have to be prepared for this and you will be . . . . . .
(Continued
Make sure you’re comparing Apples with Apples?
This is the first hurdle and the one which trips up many newcomers AND even some experienced
embroidery business owners.
I make no apology for repeating myself here - Embroidery machines are NOT all the same.
The best are almost a joy to watch in action and they can make a small fortune for you! The worst . . . . .
. . . . . well, I think some almost come close to contravening the trade descriptions act. They simply are
not now and never will be suitable for the purpose of producing high quality embroidery on both
garments and caps. In fact I’ll even go so far as to say that there a number of ‘so called commercial
embroidery machines’ that are not even as good as a small domestic type embroidery machine.
What makes the difference?
Some of the leading manufacturers have been developing and refining their mechanical design,
electronic systems and control software for more than 40 years. They have ironed out the bugs,
improved performance and stitch quality to a very high level. Quality machine manufacturers test their
new models very thoroughly. They test them first within their own company and then they put them
through extensive field trials with selected customers who work them very hard indeed over an
extended period of time.
By undertaking this time consuming and very costly quality control testing they ensure that when a new
model hits the market it has been exhaustively tried and tested and works very well.
Many of the inferior makes of embroidery machines are cheaply made copies of very old Japanese
made models. So not only is the technology old but the quality of manufacture is often very poor. It is
highly likely that it won’t produce acceptable quality, It will not be reliable and will have a very limited resale value. That’s IF you can find anyone who will buy it at all.
Hand on heart - I know of several
people who have literally given machines away that were less than 1 year old.
How else do you think they come to be so cheap?
"You get what you pay for".
What main features and performance checks should I look
for in a new machine?
1.
A commercial embroidery machine must be able to produce high quality embroidery on a wide
variety of popular products. The last thing you need when you’re getting started is customers
who refuse to pay for work because the quality of the embroidery you produce is just not
acceptable.
They might even insist that you pay for their ruined garments too. Ouch! That can really hurt!
2.
It should have a top stitching speed of at least 1,000 to 1,300 stitches per minute and a high
average stitching speed too. Some machines run fast, but only when stitching very short
stitches. Some machines can run fast but have a huge problem with thread breakage,
excessive noise and poor design quality at high speeds.
3.
It should be able to run with minimum thread breaks. High quality embroidery machines using
good quality embroidery thread run very well indeed and with few thread breaks.
4.
It should be able to embroider large designs of up to 73mm high on caps, which have a centre
seam, with very few needle breaks and at speeds of up to 800 to 1,000 stitches per minute.
(Continued)
5.
It should be easy to operate and be able to read most of the commonly used commercial
machine design formats, reliably and quickly. Modern machines can read large designs of say
20,000+ stitches and just a few seconds.
6.
It should be well constructed with mostly metal parts and it should run quietly and smoothly even
at high speed.
7.
It should have an excellent parts and labour warranty provided by the manufacturer and
the supplier.
Note: Warranty is a clear statement of both the manufacturer’s and the supplier’s faith in their
product. If they are reluctant to give you a decent warranty then something is not right.
Remember, it's not just the cost of the repair that you need to consider, it's the cost to your
business in lost income whilst your machine is out of action AND the possible loss of customers
to your competitor . . . . . maybe for ever.
Insist on seeing the full warranty conditions before you pay any money.
and ask as many “What if” questions as you can think of.
Check the fine print
Let's get down to the detail
You must make sure that the machine you buy is able to produce high quality embroidery on a
wide variety of goods.
It must be able to do this all day, every day and at a high average speed.
If it can't, you will be at a very serious disadvantage right from day one.
When you can produce high quality and give quick service you are in a position to charge a premium for
your product/service.
When your quality and service are below par . . . . Guess what? The only thing left for you to do in
order to win new business is?
Yes! You have to CUT YOUR PRICES.
Now some customers will go for this but most won’t and even the ones that do are unlikely to stay happy
for long.
You’ll miss opportunities, lose customers and leave the door wide-open for your competitor to take
business & customers away from you.
What kind of product can and is embroidered
Like any business, your success will depend upon your ability to produce good quality and provide
a good and reliable service. Here’s a list of commonly embroidered products:
* T-shirts
* Work shirts
* Car floor mats
* Sweats
* Car seat covers
* Polo shirts
* Leather
* Handkerchiefs
* Sportswear
* Head rest covers
* Sun visors
* Baseball style caps
* Scarves
* School bags/wear
* Soccer boots
* Towels
* Bucket hats
* Computer Bags
* Horse blankets
* Flags & banners
When I’m checking the stitch quality, can I use any design?
The simple answer is no.
There are both simple and complex types of embroidery designs.
A simple design may appear to work well whereas a complex design would really show up a
machine’s weaknesses.
(Continued)
Example of a simple design:
*
20 to 30mm high, block lettering embroidered on a stable
woven fabric like a work jacket, work shirt or other light to
medium weight woven fabric
*
Areas of fill stitching with wide borders or no borders
*
Separate blocks of stitching which do not have any outlines
or borders
Example of a complex design:
*
A lot of fine detail.
*
Filled areas with very narrow satin stitch or run
stitch borders
*
Small lettering down to around 4mm in height
*
Designs to be run on caps - especially low profile
caps with centre seams
What does a good quality, finished embroidered
design look like?
Basically the design should have an overall look of quality.
Stitching should be smooth and even without loops.
Borders should cover the edges of filled areas without
either excessive overlaps or gaps. Small lettering should look clean and be readable. Narrow
columns down to 1mm should be smooth and even with no evidence of bobbin thread being pulled
up to the top surface.
Caps - are more important than you might think
Caps come in many different shapes, styles and qualities. The better quality machines have
improved to a level at which many embroidery companies find that they can often (but not always)
use the same design for both garments and caps and with excellent results.
The difference between the finished embroidery from a cheap machine and a quality made machine
can be very considerable indeed. This is the acid test of performance for many machines and those
who use different makes of machine within the same business often find that customers reject the
work done on the inferior quality machine.
How can you tell if the machine is performing well?
The best idea here is to get your hands on a really good test design. One which you know runs well
and looks good. Run it yourself so that you have a good sample, run on your fabric and with your
thread. Take this design together with a good number of pieces of fabric, backing and thread and ask
each salesperson to show you their machine running your design on your fabric and with your
thread.
(Continued)
LET’S BE FAIR - IT’S NOT ALWAYS THE MACHINE. IT MIGHT BE THE DESIGN!
Just about everyone who is going to run your design will at least need to check that it’s not too big for
their cap frame but really that’s all they need to know. If they refuse to run directly from your original
design then ask what changes they have made to the design and why? There might be a good
reason but be prepared for some ‘creative explanations or in other words - excuses’.
Even the worst machines can be made to look a bit better by tweaking the design. This might include
increasing the stitch density for better cover, making borders wider to avoid gaps or changing
underlay settings so that underlay stitches don’t show along the sides of the columns.
”if they can make it work then so can I”.
Wrong!
They probably know a lot more about embroidery than you so it may take you hours and hours of
extra work editing and re-editing designs? Your costs will be miles higher than your competitor, your
service will be slower, you’ll be stressed and angry. After all that you will probably still end up
producing inferior quality and your customers will not be happy.
One machine supplier I know tried to blame the low quality embroidery produced by his machine, on a
‘badly digitised design’. Unfortunately for him the customer had already run the design on a
different machine and it was perfect.
What kind of design would be good for testing a machine?
Ideally this design would have a combination of stitch types including:
* fill stitches
* satin stitch columns (narrow, wide and tapered)
* running stitches
* small lettering (5mm or less).
There should be a good number of colour changes backwards and forwards. Adjoining areas of
stitching shouldn’t have wide overlaps. This increases the stitch count, the running time and it makes
the finished embroidery look more bulky and feel stiffer than it should be.
As the machine runs, watch how it copes with the following :
*
Colour changes
** How does the colour change mechanism sound?
**How quickly does it change colour
*
Thread trims
** How quick is the thread trim?
** Does it trim thread cleanly and leave no ends sticking up?
** How about metallic thread or stronger polyester threads?
** How does the embroidery look on the back. Is it messy with long thread ends?
Note: All machines leave trimmed thread ends on the reverse side of the fabric. These ends
are necessary but shouldn’t be excessively long!
*
Long stitches
** At what length of stitch does the machine slow down
** What speed does it slow down to
** Does it slow down and speed up smoothly or is it a sudden, jerky change?
** Look for a stitch length change at the point where the machine speed changes. If there is a
problem, it will be most noticeable when the machine is stitching a tapered column starting at
say 1mm and increasing to 10mm. At one point or another the machine will either speed up or
slow down. The finished column should have perfectly smooth and even sides. No steps in
the stitch width!
*
Runs at high speed
Quality built machines will continue to stitch at high speed right up to around 8 to 10mm
and even then the speed will decrease gradually resulting in smooth, even edges to the
tapered column. Low quality machines may slow down suddenly and this in turn can
produce a noticeable change in stitch length (a step) right at the point of slow down. Not a
good look!
*
Runs without excessive thread breakage
Assuming that your are testing the machine with a decent embroidery thread, there should
be few threads breaks. Modern high speed embroidery machines are very much more
efficient than their predecessors. High quality steel, precision made sewing parts and
advanced electronic control systems have produced remarkable improvements in overall
performance and productivity.
Note: It is not possible to predict exactly when a machine will break a thread but it is not
uncommon for a good machine to run for hours without a thread break.
If the machine you are checking, struggles to cope even with this type of work during a
demonstration then you should look elsewhere.
More on machine speed
Modern machines should be able to stitch at speeds up to 1,000 for a multi-head machine and up
to 1,300 stitches per minute for some 1 head machines. It should maintain a high average
stitching speed of around 800s.p.m. Time each machine running your design and on your fabric
and thread. This way the only variable in each case will be the machine.
Remember!
A high average stitching speed is more important than a high top speed.
Note: It is not uncommon to see machines being demonstrated running designs, that have been
carefully chosen because they have lots of short stitches so the machine runs at full speed
throughout the whole design. This is not all bad because if it runs well at high speed then that’s
good but remember that only some designs are made up of short stitches only and a good
machine has to be able to run all kinds of designs with a variety of stitch lengths.
The machine which completes the embroidery in the shortest time and with very good design
accuracy and stich quality may be your best choice providing that you believe that it is made well,
has a good warranty and will have good after sales support.
The ability to embroider well on a variety of products
We have already talked about stitch quality and speed. Now we need to look at versatility. By that
we mean can the machine handle a wide variety of commonly embroidered fabrics and products
from handkerchiefs through T-shirts, caps, bucket hats and leather.
Frame Change-over time
If the machine can handle each of these products, the next question is: How long does it take to
change the machine over from say a T-shirt hoop to a cap frame.
Frame changeover should :
* take less than one minute per head
* be possible with only one person
* no tools required.
(Continued)
Cap embroidery - For your sake don’t ignore this one
A commercial embroidery machine must be able to embroider a wide variety of products including
caps. If it can’t then you may lose the opportunity to win new customers and you may even lose
some if your machine does not do a good enough job.
There are a number of factors that you should look out for. Here are the main ones:
Cap design and construction
There are a large number of cap styles and construction methods. Your machine should be able
to embroider a wide variety including the popular low profile styles that have centre seams and
sloping front panels.
The machine
The overall design of the machine and the quality of build will have a major impact upon the quality
of finished embroidery and the variety of products which can be handled. Here are some of the
specific design features/problems you should look out for.
The needle plate should match the curve of the cap
Caps have rounded front panels but most machines have a flat needle plate. This results in a gap
between the cap and the plate which can cause pattern distortion, stitch quality problems and
thread breakage. To try and overcome this problem, some machines have to be fitted with a
different needle plate or an attachment each time you run caps. This
wastes production time - especially on multi-head machines. The
better machines have a curved plate which matches the cap and
which doesn’t need to be changed.
Needle plate length - If the distance from the needle hole to the end of
the needle plate is too big (say more than 10mm) then you will not be
able to embroider close to the top of the cap. If you try, the top of the
cap will rub on the end of the plate and cause distortion of the pattern
or worse still a very costly pattern move-off.
The thread holding fork - Many machines have a thread holding fork
which sticks out from the end of the needle plate during embroidery.
When trying to embroider a high design, the top of the cap presses
against the fork and either causes design distortion worse still it can cause a serious thread jamup. The well designed machines have thread forks that don’t protrude past the end of the needle
plate.
The peak guard is designed to prevent the cap peaks from rubbing on the back of the
presser feet during embroidery. On the well designed machines the peaks should touch the
guard only when embroidering close to the bottom of the front panel of the cap and when/if
they do touch, the machine should continue to produce good quality embroidery.
You will find that on some machines, the peaks will make contact with the peak guard even
when stitching at or around the half way point up the front panel. The more heads - the more
pressure or friction between the peaks and the guards. It can cause pattern distortion, pattern
move-off and marking of the cap peaks.
The cap holding frame & driver
It should be relatively easy to fit the cap into the cap frame and once fitted to the cap driver on
the machine, there should be no noticeable movement front-to-back or sideways.
(Continued)
Some common questions about machines
What is best for my business - a single head machine, 2 or more single head machines or a multihead machine?
This is a very good question and depending upon who you are talking too you might receive a different
answer. There are a couple of embroidery machine makers/suppliers who build only single head
machines. Now you won’t be too surprised to know that they will stand on their heads to convince you that
the only way to go is to buy lots of single head machines.
The leading embroidery machine manufacturers give you a choice. They offer both single head machines
and multi-head machines too.
The embroidery industry itself is your best guide. If you look around Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the
USA and in fact every other country around the world you will find that the overwhelming majority of
embroidery companies will have at least one single head machine for sampling and for short runs but the
bulk of their work is done on multi-head machines with 4, 6, 8, 12, 15 or 20 heads.
Single head machine (the advantages)
You can run a different design on each machine. This is an advantage if the majority of your orders
are for only one item. However, this type of work represents only a tiny portion of the total embroidery
business. Most orders are for multiple items with the same design.
·
If a thread breaks on one machine, the others continue to stitch so productivity can be better during
thread break / bobbin change stops.
·
If one machine should suffer a serious break down, you still have the others in operation.
·
Maximum stitching speed can be (but is not always) higher than multi-head machines. When
considering maximum speeds it is very important to check the stitch quality of each make of machine
when running at full speed. Some machines have a high top speed but can’t produce high quality
(fine detail) at high speed.
·
Single head machines (the dis-advantages)
It is more expensive to purchase say 6 single head machines than it is to purchase a 6 head (multihead) machine. You are paying for 6 electronic control systems.
·
The design has to be loaded separately into each machine
·
Some networked single head machines are controlled from a standard Windows based computer so
if anything goes wrong with the computer (hardware, windows, virus Etc) then all of your machines
are out of action. Embroidery machines which have their own solid state (micro-chip) control system
are generally much more reliable than a PC based controller.
·
If you have multiple single head machines running from a central computer, you cannot sell one or
more of the machines without the computer. The buyer must either already have a special control
computer or they will have to buy one if they can - which can be very expensive.
·
Thread breaks, thread cone changes, hoop changes and bobbin run-outs all result in machines
stopping and starting at different times so operator efficiency and productivity can suffer.
·
Multi-head machines (the advantages)
Running a mulit-head machine is more of a production line type process which can be more efficient in
many ways.
l
l
l
l
l
The design is loaded only once for a 6 head machine
All the bobbins are changed at the same time.
Thread colour/cone changes will be done on all heads at the same time.
Hoop unload & re-load is done on all heads at the same time.
This is why so many embroidery companies use multi-head machines.
The disadvantages
You can run only one design at a time
All heads stop at the same time.
If you should have a breakdown - all production stops
n
n
n
You will find that modern, quality made machine are very reliable and when running with quality threads
and a well digitised design they don’t stop very often.
(Continued)
Some common questions about machines (continued)
With the money I save by buying a low priced machine, I will be well ahead of my competitors who
paid more for a Japanese machine. I can undercut them on price!
This is the most common misconception we come across. It’s a shame to see people tearing their hair out
because the machine they bought is either broken down again OR just is not capable of producing
commercial quality work in the first place.
The majority of Australia’s biggest and most successful
embroidery companies use only Japanese made embroidery equipment and many of those companies
are owned and run by Chinese and/or Vietnamese Australians. If non-Japanese machines were so
good, don’t you think that there would be many more of them in use by the industry leaders?
Now before you say to yourself “Yes that might be OK for existing businesses who can afford it but I’m only
small so I’m in a different league”. Those who understand business will tell you that in fact it’s really the big
businesses who can’t afford to buy the cheaper machine. It would cost them so much more in the long run
because of reduced quality, lower productivity, poor reliability and much shorter productive life.
‘Return on investment’ is what’s really important - NOT purchase price. (See detailed explanation on page 11)
I have heard that there is a machine which can run one job on half the heads and a different job on
the other half. (Dual function)
There is such a machine manufactured by only one company. It is really like two separate machines
mounted on one chassis and with a computer control system that is claimed to run both machines at the
same time.
Opinions are divided (even among users of this type of machine) as to whether or not this is truly a benefit
or more of a marketing gimmick. The theory is that if you are in the middle of a job and you get a rush order,
you can continue with the first job using half the machine and start the rush job using the other half.
Let’s look at an example
You are running a 4 head machine (2 x 2) dual function and you get a rush order for 8 units. To complete
the rush order you can either run the machine twice using all 4 heads OR runt it 4 times using only 2 heads
whilst the other two heads continue with the original order but at half the productivity.
I just don’t see the advantage! If I run all 4 heads, I can finish the rush job in half the time and then carry
on with the original order using all 4 heads again. (I can do that with a normal 4 head machine that is not so
expensive to buy).
If I run the machine with 2 heads on the original job and 2 heads on the rush job it takes twice as long to
finish the rush job and my original job is still delayed anyway. It’s a great marketing gimmick!
Other considerations
Space - these machines are much bigger that a standard multi-head machine
Check the stitching speed! They rarely if at all, run at the advertised speed. If it doesn’t then where is th
benefit?
Productivity & reliability - This is once again a good marketing concept but when put into the embroidery
workplace has proven to be much less effective than is claimed. In fact there have been many claims of
computer’s locking up and quality issues with finished embroidery.
What about single needle, self threading machines
There have been a couple of these prototypes in the last 10 years. The first of these was introduced in
America and never really made it to the market place. Another from Korea in 2008/2009 but once again
there are issues with flexibility and reliability.
n
It has only one needle-bar and presser foot. If it is damaged in any way your machine is out of action.
n
It is quite common nowadays for embroiderers to use different sizes of needles in the same machine standard needles for caps Etc and thinner needles and thread for fine detail. This can’t be done with a
machine that has only one needle
n
The machine is claimed to re-thread itself automatically. This depends upon where in the machine the
thread breaks. If it breaks before or within the threading unit then it can’t re-thread automatically.
(Continued)
What one of Australia’s leading embroidery business
owners had to say about purchasing embroidery equipment
He started with just one 2 head embroidery machine and now runs 17 multi-head Barudan
machines. His proven track record over 25 years clearly demonstrates that he knows
what produces the results you need to survive and succeed.
Q1.
If I was buying an embroidery machine, what should I be looking for?
Well! I never just ‘purchase equipment’ as such. I always purchase a result. The result being reliable and
continuous output of high quality embroidery from my machines.
The growth and prosperity of my business depends on my ability to produce top quality embroidery on a
continuous basis whether it be 8 hours a day or 24 hours a day. My customers are not interested in excuses
or what equipment I have, just as long as I can produce good quality embroidery on time and every time.
When you purchase a result rather than a machine it's important to consider the following factors:
The quality and performance of the machine itself
Some machines can't even produce good quality embroidery when they are new let alone when they have
a couple of years of hard production behind them. Any machine worth it's salt must be able to produce high
quality embroidery on day one and then continue to do so well after the last lease payment has been made.
Poor stitch quality is a serious problem with some low cost models and I've seen some dreadful
embroidery in my time. Test the validity of the information you are being given and even if the quality looks
OK to you at first sight, see how the sales person reacts to a request for a "5 year Stitch quality
Warranty" and a "30 day Money back guarantee" or both for that matter.
To put it simply:
If the machine does not perform up to the supplier's stated performance level on a reliable and ongoing
basis, (assuming that you are doing everything according to the book). Will he or she agree to take the
machine back and give you a full refund of all costs associated with purchase and delivery to your place of
operation.
If a supplier is happy to put this in writing together with a guarantee that the machine will continue to
produce the same high quality embroidery for at least 5 years or more then he or she is confident in the
product. Remember . . . . . actions speak louder than words.
Unfortunately there are number of people who have not done their homework properly and who have had
the bitter experience of buying a machine which just did not deliver the goods - even on the easy jobs let
alone the more challenging jobs such as low profile caps with centre seams. So it is up to you! Know what
to look for and don't be afraid to ask the hard questions and protect yourself and your business.
The "Durability" of the machine. It is really important that the machine runs well during the 5 year lease
term plus at least another 3 years. At the end of the 5 year lease period your lease payments have finished
and so your profitability increases dramatically.
A well made machine should produce good quality embroidery for a period of at least 8 years provided that
it is taken care of as per the manufacturer's specifications.
If this is the case, the embroiderer is assured of a reasonable return.
If this is not the case, the machine manufacturer may be happy but the embroiderer is definitely not.
The "After Sales Service". It is crucial for today's embroiderer to have top notch "after sales service". You
just cannot afford any down time. The stability of the supplier and level of technical expertise should be
carefully examined prior to the purchasing decision. Do they have the ability to have you up and running in
the shortest possible time, in case of a breakdown? Do they have a reasonable stock of critical spare parts
or would you have to order them from overseas and then wait 2 or 3 weeks for them to arrive? These are
very important factors to consider.
(Continued)
More advice from an industry leader
A solid 12 month warranty, with an optional 5 year parts and labour warranty
In business you need to have peace of mind. That's what it is all about. It also indicates the level of
confidence the supplier has in his product.
Insist on at least 3 references from embroidery machine users who have used the particular brand of
equipment for at least a 5 year period. If the supplier can provide you with references of 7+ years, this is a
good sign. By talking to these references you should be able to make an accurate determination on all of
the above areas. BUT MAKE SURE THEY HAVE BEEN USING THE EQUIPMENT FOR AT LEAST 5
YEARS. BECAUSE IT TAKES THAT LONG TO MAKE AN ACCURATE DETERMINATION.
Q2.
How do you feel about equipment pricing?
consideration?
Do you think it is an important
Yes of course, price is a an important aspect of any equipment purchase but it is much more important to
analyze and understand what the real cost will be. The real cost is closely linked to the quality, durability
and the useful life of any piece of equipment.
Let's put pencil to paper and do the math. This example shows two machines - one costing $100,000 and
with a useful life of say 5 years. The second machine is $10,000 higher in price but has a useful life of 10
years. Just for the record many of my machines are 10+ years old and still producing excellent embroidery
with extremely low maintenance costs.
COST PER YEAR TO PURCHASE EACH MACHINE
Machine
A
B
Cost
100,000
110,000
Useful Life
5 Years
10 Years
Year 1
20,000
11,000
Year 2
20,000
11,000
Year 3
20,000
11,000
Year 4
20,000
11,000
Year 5
20,000
11,000
Year 6
11,000
Year 7
11,000
Year 8
11,000
Now which machine do you think is the more expensive of the two to own and run?
The above example shows that Machine B costs $10,000 more than Machine A, but because machine B
gives at least 5 years of extra productivity, the yearly cost to buy machine B spread over it's useful life is
considerably lower than machine A. That means more money in your pocket. Not only that but there is a
very good chance that Machine B will keep going much longer than 10 years and will be more reliable,
more productive and produce better quality embroidery on a greater range of garments and caps. I have
had many machines that have lasted easily up to 15 years.
Most machinery is purchased under asset financing arrangements (5 year lease with a 20% residual, and
approx. 7.5% PA interest.) My calculations show me that Machine B really costs only around $15 per
working day than machine A. You’d have to be nuts not to go for Machine B.
Let me use another example!
There are plenty of very cheap cars available here in Australia and yet pretty much all the taxi companies
buy the more expensive Australian made cars.
Why do you think that is?
Well, it's because taxi companies know that their vehicles have to perform reliably and with minimal
maintenance costs. They have to do this for many hundreds of thousands of kilometres, carrying heavy
loads, in both hot and cold weather and throughout the summer, with the air conditioning running too.
Fords and Holdens have proven themselves over and over again to be the best vehicle for the job here in
Australia. In Germany it would be a Mercedes or a BMW.
Q3. If you intend to keep your equipment for at least 8 years, don't you think your
competitors will get ahead of you with new technology?
This is the same argument that has always been used by manufacturers of inferior equipment in order to
justify their case. The reality in the embroidery industry is quite different. Let me explain with another
example.
(Continued)
Example a.
Mr Smith buys a very durable, quality made 12 head Embroidery machine in 1994.
Mr Jones chooses a cheaper and inferior 12 head machine at the same time.
In terms of lease costs Mr Smith pays around $15 per day more than Mr Jones.
Mr Smith's machine has a useful life of at least 10 years
Mr Jones’ machine has a useful life of about 5 years.
After 5 years, Mr Jones decides it’s time to replace his machine.
Mr Smith doesn’t need to change his machine. It’s already paid off but because his machine is still working
very well and has at least 5 years or more of good life, he decides to buy a second (new) machine.
Mr Smith now has 24 embroidery heads - doubling his output.
12 Heads - Existing Machine
12 Heads - Newer machine
Mr Jones still has only 12 heads. He got rid of his first machine because it was beginning to let him down.
In terms of lease costs Mr Smith still pays only $15 per day more than Mr Jones but now Mr Smith not only
has a better performing equipment but now he also has double the number of embroidery heads.
With this advantage Mr Smith can give Mr Jones a very, very hard time indeed. He can offer much quicker
delivery times and if he wants to he can clearly undercut Mr.Jones’ prices giving him an even stronger
advantage.
Which of the two do you think is most likely to survive? Which one do you think is going to grow?
This has always been the growth strategy of the larger embroidery companies and gives the strongest
indication that the durability and useful life of embroidery equipment is paramount for the success of your
business.
Q4. What's your opinion on a machine "Breakdown Insurance Policy" instead of the
traditional warranty?
I don't buy that one. If you just purchased a brand new Ford or Holden for say $35,000 would you accept a
"Breakdown Insurance Policy" in place of the Traditional Factory Warranty? No way! Why would you
cover the risk when the manufacturer should.
Then why should I accept a ‘Breakdown Insurance Policy’ instead of the ‘Factory Warranty’ for a machine
that is going to cost anything from $20,000 to $100,000 plus.
Let me explain!
When a manufacturer of any kind of equipment provides a Traditional Old Fashioned Warranty, whether it
be 1 year or 5 years, it is a good indication of their confidence in the product, because the risk is fairly and
squarely on them.
When a manufacturer starts talking about "Breakdown Insurance Policies" in place of the "Traditional Old
Fashion Factory Warranty" it is a good indication that they don't have confidence in the product.
They think that a "Traditional Good Old Fashioned Warranty" will cost them heaps so they are selling the
risk to an insurance company.
Well! Then it is reasonable to assume that a machine that comes with a "Breakdown Insurance Policy"
could have a higher level of down time? Even if the repairs are covered by insurance - Who is responsible
for the cost of the down time and what happens to the insurance premiums when you make a claim. Also,
are you out of pocket between the time you pay for the repair and the insurance company pays you?
(Continued)
Why would you bother to sell the risk to an insurance company if you really thought it was not going to cost
you anything in the first place? Insurance companies aren't stupid either, they come up with all kinds of
weird and wonderful clauses that limit their risk.
All I can say is: If you really need to get a "Breakdown Insurance Policy" watch out. Read the fine lines and
make sure there are no nasty surprises in the fine print.
When suppliers try to convince me that a "Breakdown Insurance Policy" is superior to a traditional
warranty, my test is simple.
Forget your insurance policy and provide me with a 5 year parts and labour warranty on all major circuit
boards and major parts and lets say an optional 2 year extended warranty on all major mechanical parts
and circuit boards and you have the sale.
Now even with an optional 5 year guarantee, will the supplier also back it up with a 5 year stitch
quality guarantee. That means, will he give you a guarantee that the machine will still be producing
the same high quality stitching after 5 years as it did on day one? If their machine is as good as
they are telling you, they should not have a problem with this!
The truth of the matter is that this request will make some suppliers very uneasy!
I haven't found anything yet which is better than a "Traditional Old Fashioned
Absolutely nothing!!
Warranty".
Q5. What other areas should I be careful about?
The following items spring to mind:
Machine Speed: This is an area where certain machinery manufacturers attempt to confuse the end user.
Let me tell you why, even though most machinery manufacturers say that their machines run at 1000+
stitches per minute, what they may fail to tell you is that they slow down for longer stitches. Some machines
slow down to say 400 - 500 stitches per minute once the stitch length exceeds 4mm, some 5mm and some
others 6mm and so on. The trick is that certain machines don't indicate this slowing down on the screen.
Some may actually continue to run at the same speed but in "jump stitch" mode, which is really one stitch
for every 2 machine revolutions - so half speed. The best way to check for speed from an embroiderer’s
point of view is to use a standard average design of say 6000 stitches and run it on all the machines you are
considering and have them timed. It’s old fashioned but foolproof.
Second hand Resale Value of your Machinery: Some machines hold their value better than others. So if
this aspect is important to you, go for the machines that have a longer useful life because they will certainly
have a better re-sale value. I know of a Chinese-made machine, which was purchased about two years
ago. After 6 months of very unreliable use, it broke down, was switched off and pushed into a corner where
as far as I know it remains to this day. What a complete waste of money!
Does the machine supplier support your business or compete with you: Some suppliers of
Embroidery machinery compete with their customers, in fact they are out there looking for the same
embroidery work that you are looking for. I consider this a huge conflict of interest and would not purchase
equipment from my competitors. The main reason being, whenever my machine breaks down or needs a
service I have to let my competitors in to my factory. This is dangerous because they can see what work I
am doing. I have heard numerous horror stories of how companies who used their competition for
digitising or machine purchases mysteriously lost lucrative contracts.
No way am I going to let the competition in my door or prop up their respective businesses by
purchasing from them. But it is up to you.
Q6. Do different makes of machine produce the same quality from the same original design ?
That's an interesting question! The answer is most definitely No!
It is a well known fact that certain
brands of embroidery machine need to have up to 20% or more stitches to produce similar quality to
leading brands. Think about it! This is a huge cost increase for the embroiderer. 20%+ more stitches
means higher digitising costs, 20%+ more running time, 20%+ more labour cost, 20%+ more machine
wear & tear and 20%+ more thread cost.
If your machine needs more stitches per design than your competitors just to get near then you are way
behind the 8 ball before you even start.
(continued)
Here’s what one experienced embroiderer had to say after
she purchased a higher priced machine.
(Continued)
Your Pre-Purchase Checklist!
4
Do your research before making any commitment but remember to keep clear objectives in mind.
4
Watch every machine running your design. Tick off each pass & fail for comparison.
4
Don’t give in to pressure like “You might miss out - this is the last one at this unbeatable price”. That’s
an old, old tactic.
4
Make sure you’re getting a current model and not one that is about to be superseded and immediately
lose re-sale value.
4
Find out what equipment the bigger companies use. Remember - they didn’t buy Brand X because
they were successful . . . . . they became successful because they made the right decisions and bought
the best equipment for their business in the first place.
4
Check out genuine references from embroiderers who have used this equipment for at least 2 to 5
years. Aask them every question that is on your mind - especially the hard ones about reliability, thread
breaks, after-sales support, warranty Etc. Make those calls! References are useless if you don’t call
them and ask
4
Ask each supplier the hard hitting questions. Why do they think their machine is the best? What are
the points about their machine that they think could be improved.
4
Insist on getting a copy of their full warranty conditions before you buy.
What is covered and for how long?
Ask specifically what is NOT covered by their warranty
Who will provide the warranty service - an employee or a sub-contractor. This is important!
4
Ask how much time will their technician spend with you for installation and training. At least 3 full
days should be provided especially if you are new to embroidery.
4
What are the payment terms?
Don’t expect to pay everything before delivery unless you are buying a non-standard model but even
then, insist on money-back protection in case the machine does not perform.
Don’t pay 100% up-front for a standard (stock) model. Hold back a good percentage until after you are
satisfied.
If there are good guarantees then it is normal to pay a 10 to 15% deposit with the balance payable
at completion of installation (providing everything is OK). If there are any problems with performance
or with short shipped items, it is reasonable to hold back some payment until they are delivered or until
the performance issues have been resolved.
4
Last but not least
Will they guarantee that their machine will do everything they say it will do.
Will they guarantee that it will perform as well as Brand X on a back-to-back trial.
If their machines doesn’t live up to their claims, will they give you all your money back and take the
machine away.
Now ask for it in writing.
Tip: Print of the check list on the next page and use it make a simple comparison chart
For information on embroidery machines (small or large / new or used) or advice on starting
your own embroidery or garment decoration business please contact us and ask for either
Paul or Riz.
Tel.
Email:
Note:
1800 137 670
[email protected] web: www.barudan.com.au
We accept enquiries only from Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Islands.
For other countries - please visit www.barudan.com for your local Barudan distributor
Your Embroidery machine comparison checklist
For a fair comparison you should take along your own design, fabric, backing and thread then request each
supplier to run the machine at the maximum speed they think is acceptable for that design.
Do not use a different design, or thread, or fabric or backing on each machine as this will distort the results of
your tests.
For each feature give the machines a score out of 10 then compare totals
Feature/benefit
Machine - look and finish
Noise level when stitching at speed
Total time to complete your design?
How many thread breaks?
Do threads trim every time?
Neatness of trimmed thread ends
Reliability of thread pick-up after
thread trims
Other:
Quality of embroidery
Quality of fine design detail
How accurately do borders match up
with filled areas
Time required to change from garment
hoops to cap hoops
Maximum height of design that can be
embroidered in the cap hoop
What speed does the machine run on
caps
How does it sound running on caps
Thread breakage on caps
Needle breakage on caps
Finished quality on caps
Machine price
How much deposit is required
Balance payable when
Warranty - length, what is covered - what is not?
Is there a money back guarantee
Is there a trade-up guarantee
Is there a stitch quality guarantee
No. of days installation & training
Total score:
Machine1(___________)
Machine 2 (__________)
Machine 3 (__________)