Used Embroidery Machines

Tajima, SWF, Brother, Barudan, Melco, Toyota, Amaya.. there are a lot of used embroidery machines on the market, mostly due to the popularity of the business and the need to upgrade to newer, more reliable single heads OR to a multi-head embroidery machine.

If you have embroidery business experience, especially with the specific brand and model you’re looking into on the used machine marketplace, this can be a real savings and solid business move. On the other hand, if you are one of the vast majorities of people searching for used embroidery machines (or used “commercial” embroidery machines) that are starting a new business you may want to reconsider, and we’ve listed those below under “Buying Used vs. New”.

The first thing you should know in deciding between new and used embroidery machines is that the price differential is not as big as you think! In other words, because of manufacturing advances and the popularity of the business itself, you can buy a very high quality commercial embroidery machine like the Avnace 1501C, for less than many used ones.

The second thing you need to know is that with easy financing terms you can actually lease to own a new machine more easily than you can borrow to buy a used one. If you’re interested in financing options, just click here for more information.

Buying Used vs. New

Getting a pre-owned machine may save you money up front, but consider the following before you purchase:

  • Training – There are some fundamental differences between commercial and consumer equipment, so even if you’re an experienced home embroiderer you will still need training to get up and running profitably. Training on machine operations, on maintenance and even on what kinds of backings and sundries to use on which fabrics. Will whoever is selling you their old equipment provide training? Will they be any GOOD at training? When you purchase a new embroidery or monogram machine from a dealer like ColDesi you get real training for free.
  • Technical Support – make sure that whoever you buy equipment from, that they also provide support if something goes wrong. You may be buying a system that’s out of production or so old that support is no longer provided. Even if the machine is running perfectly now, you should be prepared with who to call if something happens during a production run. New equipment comes with free support and a toll free phone number.
  • Warranty – if you are looking into purchasing used, many professional system dealers offer warranties. Make sure that the seller you choose guarantees the equipment as well; otherwise your business could be stopped cold before you get started.
  • Parts Availability – especially if you are considering a 5+ year old embroidery machine, you should look seriously into the ongoing availability of parts. This is a serious issue that can change a simple repair into an insurmountable problem!
  • Software – whether you want to do your own digitizing or not, you’re going to want some kind of application where you can make small changes, or even just view and queue your designs. Make sure the machine you buy comes with some kind of embroidery software, that it is current, AND that you can find support for it as well. Some digitizing software packages are just not simple to transfer and can be costly to replace.

New Features

The basics of embroidery haven’t changed in a decade, but there are some important advantages, other than warranty, support, etc., to keep in mind that should put a new machine in your sites:

  • USB vs. Floppy Disk – did you know that many of the used machines on the market actually require 3.5” floppy discs to operate? Modern use USB sticks or..
  • On Board Memory – the memory on the Avancé 1501C itself can hold 2 Million stitches. That’s probably every design you’ll do more than once for a customer – how easy is that!

Shopping Options

Once again, if you are experienced embroidery professional and dealing with a machine you’re familiar with, you can save thousands on a used machine. But even with that up front savings, consider all of the other caveats to buying used before you make your decision.

The Avancé 1501C is a great alternative to purchasing a used single head or even multi-head machine because of its attractive pricing, ability to lease, great quality, and the 45 years of training and support that comes with buying anything from Pantograms.

Interested in an embroidery machine? Call us toll free 1 (877) 458-5575.