A Comparison Of Multi-Thread Industrial Embroidery Machines

As machine embroidery gains momentum in homes around the world, we have seen more and more multi-thread embroidery machines enter the market for home, studio and industrial use. However, most people may get confused between a single and multi-thread embroidery machine. Read this interesting post to find out about the core differences.

During the last few years, I have had the opportunity to review several. The multi-thread embroidery machines that I have personally seen and reviewed are:

• Janome MB4
• Brother Entrepreneur Pro 1000e
• Melco Bravo
• BERNINA E-16

Each one of these machines is capable of operating with anywhere from four threads to as many as 16. They are all computer compatible. Some have on board LCD screens.

Each one of the multi-thread embroidery machines that I reviewed has a large footprint that requires lots more floor space than any sewing machine made for home use and most machines manufactured specifically for industrial use with the exception of room size quilt frames.

I took the time to put together this brief table that appears to help make side by side comparisons of some of the most frequently asked questions about multi-thread embroidery machines. Hopefully this will make it a bit easier for people who are interested in adding one of these dedicated embroidery machines to their personal or professional sewing room inventories.

Conclusion

The single task, multi-thread embroidery machine is ideal for those machine embroidery enthusiasts who are so devoted to the craft that they see the value of having a machine this large and cumbersome in their homes and have the space to accommodate it, or the small business person who is ready to step up their production method in order to improve the efficiency of their fledgling enterprise. It is also a good option for the small embroidery studio or even the medium to large embroidery enterprise that also takes on those small, one of a kind embroidery jobs.

This is not a machine that can be easily set up and taken down when the space is needed for something else. Once you set it up, it will generally not be taken down unless it becomes necessary for the machine to be taken out for servicing. Most multi-thread embroidery machines are permanently mounted on cabinets or tables, often equipped with wheels or casters.

There is a limited market for multi-thread embroidery machines, especially for home use. Since beginning this site, I have reviewed only four multi thread embroidery machines for home use. The first one that I reviewed was the Brother Entrepreneur Pro 1000E, about four years ago. Since then, there have been additional innovations and additions to the highly specialized embroidery machines in this category.

If you or someone you know are in the market for a new multi-thread, single project embroidery machine, I encourage you to do some extensive research on your own to determine which machine is best for you and your specific needs.

Do you need a machine that is capable of working with as many as 16 threads, or would a four thread machine be able to handle the majority of your embroidery projects? If your embroidery work takes up less than 50% of your total sewing time, my advice is to postpone the investment in a multi-thread embroidery machine.

If, however, you are spending more than half your time on machine embroidery, you just might want to take a long hard look at the possibility of adding a multi-thread embroidery machine to your sewing room. The first thing you must do is to consider the space you have to work with. Is there really enough space in your sewing room to accommodate a machine of this size?

If not, is there anything you can move out of the sewing room to make space for a multi-thread embroidery machine? If the answer to these two questions is no, then you only option is to continue working with the machine embroidery system you already have in place until your circumstances change.

If, on the other hand, you do have the space to accommodate a large multi-thread embroidery machine and you spend more than half your time in the sewing room devoted to machine embroidery projects, then by all means, move forward with your search for a multi-tread embroidery machine. Not only do these specialized machines have the potential for saving you lots of time, they give you many, many more options and make working on large and small projects infinitely easier than a combination sewing and embroidery machine, or a small embroidery only machine. In addition, a dedicated embroidery machine will produce higher quality results than a machine that is capable of doing more than just embroidering.