Can't decide on a machine? Are there too many to choose from? Here's an awesome way to help narrow down the machine! Once you've picked a machine, head on over here! Good luck!
- Takes up less space than 2 machines
Are you on a budget? In the end, I mention my tips for having both sewing and embroidery on a budget!
Do you want just embroidery or a 2 in 1 sewing and embroidery combo machine?
Here are some pros for if you get a 2 in 1 combo machine, like the Brother se600:
- Has lots of sewing features
- Has lots of embroidery features
- Nice big machine
- Most of the time you can “get more bang for your buck”
Here are some pros for just an embroidery machine, like the pe800:
- Lots of embroidery features
- Cheaper if you don’t need the sewing features (this depends on the hoop size you're wanting to get)
- Can get bigger hoop sizes for cheaper (compared to if you're upgrading the hoop size on a 2 in 1 machine, there will still be a jump in the price as you upgrade hoop sizes)
- Nice big machine
Cons for a 2 in 1 combo machine:
- Can be annoying changing from embroidery to sewing
- As you go up in hoop sizes they get really expensive
Cons for just an embroidery machine:
- If you need sewing you’ll have to buy another machine or do it by hand
- Takes up a lot of space if you need two machines
Picking an embroidery machine brand
Is there any particular brand you’re wanting to purchase from?
This is how you can check that the brand you’re going to use will give you benefits!
The costs, is the brand offering better or worse prices than its competitors?
If you can’t pick between two brands, try putting 2 machines that are pretty much identical and compare the prices.
What does the brand offer you compared to other brands?
For example, Brother has Ibroidery where you can purchase designs online that are only available to Brother users.
Which brand is better liked?
See what other people say about that brand, try joining some Facebook groups and ask what brands they like!
How is their customer service?
What do they offer for customer service? What do others say about this brand? For example, Brother is known for their great customer service!
Does the machine include an option for a USB?
Having a USB port on the machine is really important, you want to be able to put designs that you purchase online from places like Etsy or Creative Fabrica onto the machine.
You can learn how to put designs onto your USB stick here
Can more than one embroidery design be combined?
Check if the machine has an option for combining more than one embroidery design on the screen.
This might seem unimportant but later on, you may want to combine a name with a design, but you might not want to purchase software.
What is the hoop size?
What is the biggest hoop size that the machine can do? This is often the biggest question people ask when wanting to get an embroidery machine.
Most often, people will give the answer, “the biggest hoop size you can afford!” And I agree! Having a big hoop size can ensure that you can grow with your machine as you learn to use it.
If you’re wanting to purchase a big hoop size for your embroidery machine, it’s a good idea to get just an embroidery machine and think about purchasing a sewing machine separately.
What hoops are included with the machine?
If you’re purchasing a machine with a decent-sized hoop, how many hoops are gonna come with your machine?
Will the hoop sizes 4 x 4, 5 x 7, 6 x 10, etc come with the machine?
Are there hoops available that you can purchase for your machine?
If they aren’t gonna come with your machine, how much would they cost to purchase separately?
Does the machine have a touch screen?
Most modern-day embroidery machines have a touch screen. I think that if you’re getting an embroidery machine you should definitely make sure that it has a touch screen.
Is it black and white or does it have colour?
I definitely suggest making sure that the touch screen has colour, you’re gonna want to see what the design will look like before you stitch it out. If it’s black and white, you won’t be able to preview the design before you stitch it out.
Also, if you have black and white you won’t be able to see the colours of the thread for when you need to do a thread change, you’ll only see the number or name.
How many built-in designs does the machine have?
How many fonts are built-in?
Fonts are probably the hardest to purchase online. If you don’t want software, you’ll have to manually do each letter at a time.
To save you from the struggle, check how many fonts are built into the machine and if you like them or not!
Is the machine new or old?
It’s a good idea to get newer machines if they aren’t too much more expensive. This links to the machine having a USB port, almost all newer machines have one.
Here's my two cents on picking an embroidery machine on a budget!
If you want both embroidery and sewing, these are my tips for keeping it as cheap (but good quality) as possible!
If you don’t have much space:
I suggest the brother se600, it’s an amazing budget machine with lots of features. It only has a 4 x 4 hoop but it’s still an amazing machine!
If you have more space:
I suggest getting a just embroidery machine with a 5 x 7 hoop or bigger and purchasing a sewing machine separately.
For example, getting a brother pe800 and a brother PQ1500SL!
If you can’t afford an embroidery machine that has a 5 x 7 hoop, that’s okay! 4 x 4 hoop is plenty of space so don’t worry about it!
But if you’re going to get an embroidery machine with a 4 x 4 hoop, you might as well get a 2 in 1, it’s much less expensive to get it as a 2 in 1 than to purchase another machine. That only applies if you’re getting a 2 in 1
Once you’ve picked out an embroidery machine, it’s time to get all the stuff that you need to get started!
If there are any more things that you do/did when you pick/picked out an embroidery machine, let me know by leaving a comment!
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