By boyblue on
Oct. 26, 2008
I was just wondering if anyone here has had experience with the Chinese machines.
We have a Feiya (same as Ricoma) 6 head that we've been pretty happy with but I'm curious as to how much different our experience would be if we had went with Tajima, Barudan or even SWF.
We imported our machine direct from China at one third the cost of a Tajima but now that we could pick up a used machine at a pretty good price, I'm wondering if it's worth the move.
Re: Anyone familiar with the Chinese machines, they're all based
We purchased a 15 needle Tajima 3 years ago. It has been working fine even thou we found out this year that all the needle bar ajustments etc... were not done from the factory. We've had ajustments and beginner problems with it. It was not until we recently purchase a 12 needle and 15 needle Meistergram (Consew) embroidery machine that I realised how great the Tajima is. We've had these two new machines (that the company imports from China) only 4 months and we've had nothing but trouble from one end of the spectrum to the other. Electrical problems, needle bars sticking, selenoids blowing, tension spring problems, onboard computer malfuctions, you name it. We've even had to send back a whole head on one machine back and the whole CPU unit under the machine to the company.
Now I wish I had 3 Tajima machines. Were working out the kinks with the Meistergrams, but its not the same. Also had abit of problems designing logos that work in both machines, thats seems to be working ok now too.
Sure the Meistergrams were 1/3 the cost, but going back, I'd still get Tajimas instead.
From what were told and what we have witnessed, the Meistergram are a replica of the older Tajima machines. The parts that are no longer patented or that are not patented, something like that... Like the needle bars are shorted because that was patented. The Tajima Machine has a bunch of sensors and fail safes that keep you from breaking it or keep you from messing up your embroidery, the Meistergram doesnt have nearly as much of these, therefore you are more prone to breaks from machine and human error.
That's my 2 cents, again its from personal experience with only these machines and I am by no means even close to being an expert in Machine Embroidery or repairing these, so an expert might have a better experience.