Amaya XT for start-up

I would suggest you keep looking for a cheap used machine that has been well mantained. Amaya XT is no doubt a good machine and expandable , but is VERY expensive at the same time.

Your first six months will help you gain knowlege of mahines and troubleshoot embroidery technicalities. If you work had on marketting you will certainly gain good results..

Let me know if i can be of any help.. you can get to me on my contact below.

The Amaya XT is a fantastic machine for a small business startup. I have a multihead machine and just added an amaya xt for one offs. i am very very impressed with the ease of use and the machine itself. in fact, i am seriously considering replacing my older multihead with 4 more XT's. its that versitile and that easy to use.

I think there were problems with the original Amaya's but the XT is awesome! I wish I had started my store with that machine years ago! LoL

Seriously, I think looking around is the right thing to do but if you have no experience in embroidery, the traditional machine can be very confusing. The Amaya XT eliminates a lot of the confusion.

As for price, there are some traditional machines out there that are cheaper new. (Ricoma comes to mind) but they are a traditional style machine with the learning curve that comes with it. Tensions are primarily what I keep referring to and it can take time to get that right. The Amaya doesnt use the traditional tension knobs and that makes it easier to learn. However, if you are pricing against Tajima, Baraudan, or SWF, the price for the Amaya is inline.

Call me if you want to discuss. I'll be glad to share the pro's and con's.

I am also looking at the Amaya XT (have e-mailed some with Matt at JuBilee). Today, I got info in the mail on the Toyota 9100 that Pantograms carries. Apparently it is modular and networkable like the Amaya and is supposed to be light enough to transport to fairs and such. They have a really good special going right now and lease-to-own options.

However, those tension knobs on the Toyota are really intimidating. Is the acti-feed system on the Amaya really that much better? And is the Amaya light enough to be transported? The brochure on the Toyota says it is quiet and doesn't vibrate a lot and the DVD we watched on the Amaya made it seem to be quite shaky and loud (kind of like my home machine!!)

Also, the salesman told me (of course) that I should only consider Japanese machines and not American made ones because the quality isn't there. True? Untrue? He was saying Toyota or Tajima are the way to go because they are so well made and last forever.

Thoughts?

All machines are noisy. Some more than others. The Amaya XT is quieter than my other machine by far! It all depends on how the dealer is defining "quiet". you cant have that many moving parts and not create noise. I have friends that own a shop in another town and have the Toyotas. To me, same "noise" as the Amaya XT. Just my opinion.

Same for shaking. it depends on what you are sewing as to how much "shaking" is going on. ALL machines have movement. My multihead weighs 2200 lbs and shakes with some designs if the pantagram is moving back and forth quickly.

Have u been to a trade show to see all the machines run side by side? if not, i would strongly recommend it.

The actifeed system is MUCH easier to use than the tension knobs. Its much easier to train new employees on it which is what i love. The autotension settings in the operating system allow new people to see what something is supposed to look like and you can run in auto mode all the time. However, as you learn more, you will probaby find yourself switching to manual mode and setting the actifeed yourself.

Both machines are great! I just personally like the Amaya XT better because its faster, sews great, and easier to train new employees on.

Thanks for the info!! We are hoping to get to a tradeshow once we sell our current business (not embroidery.)

Amaya and Toyota make good machines, both network very well as long as you are good with computers and networking. The Toyota does have a brain of its own(if network goes down) and offers much longer Warranty coverage than the Amaya. The Amaya allows you to control your tensions from a CPU and embroidery about 10-30% faster **if the Digitizing and Stitch length are prepared for the Amaya. The Toyota has a traditional mechanical device that slightly adjusts the tension by the pressure/thickness of the material you are embroidering. The tension knobs allow adjustments for extreme jobs, but don't require adjustments very often. Toyota has a long track record and offers networking for all machines made in the past 10 or 12 years, but like the Amaya only sells Single Head Embroidery machines (1 machine means it has to be sold as 1 size fits all) but a Multi head will save you money(4 single heads=45-55k or a 4 head= 28-38)

Everyone has there own opinion and mine leans towards starting with a lower cost single head 8-12k and if your business picks up get another single head or 2-4-6 head
**Networking is a great I sure and every single manufacturer will offer it when customers really benefit from it enough to justify the cost$$ to the "Customers".(not as the only way to run there machine so they can force you to buy more software and or disguise there machine as a multi head)
More Software= More cost to customer and more profit to Manufacturer, more training needed, more things that can go wrong
Toyota could make a couple thousand dollars more per machine, if they cut cost by removing the machines "brain/CPU" and forced customers to buy more software just to run their machines.

If you think you will grow your business enough to need another machine then check out SWF, Tajima, and Bauradin.

Ask what is covered under there 5 year warranty(industry standard is only 2 years Electrical components & Labor, 5 years Parts)
SWF & Toyota are the only Manufacture's that offer 5 years on Parts, Labor, & Electrical components

** My family's embroidery business currently runs 2 Toyotas and 3 multi head SWF's. at one point there were many more Toyota's but there was not enough 1-5 piece orders to keep them working and the SWF Multi Head's 4-6 heads proved to be a better fit for large runs, but the single heads will always have a plenty of work.
**Our store manager ran 6 Amaya's on a network and says they are good machines that avg about 900 stitches a minute, but required more attention from the operators and higher skill level to keep them running smooth.

I have one of the original Amaya's and just recently bought 2 of the Amaya XT's.

Here is the skinny on the machine that to me makes the difference. The Amaya platform is software driven. If there is a problem with the way the machine works, most of the problems can be corrected with new software. When I bought my XT's I got the latest version of the Amaya OS and it solved several of the issues I had with the old machine. I didn't have to buy new parts to modernize the old one just used new software.

Now there are some things I can't do with the old machine that I can do with the XT's because of design updates on the machines. The XT's have a smaller cylindrical arm a different cap frames that enable it to sew in smaller places. However for the majority of what I embroider the old Amaya is just as good as the XT's because it uses the same software as the new machines.

I am looking forward to getting the newest new version of the OS(supposed to be on it's way) because it has some features that will solve some of the other tendancies of the XT's.

Long and short, the XT is a great machine, expensive but a great machine. One recommendation would be to talk to your sales rep and price out a factory refurbished unit. They are a little cheaper to start. That is what I got to start and it came with a 1-year warranty on parts and labor. However my new XT's come with 5-year parts & labor.