T-Shirt Forums banner

redline embroidery machine

36K views 46 replies 25 participants last post by  absoluteprinting 
#1 ·
Hi,

Can anybody tell me if the brand Redline is a good brand? I am thinking to buy one but I am not sure if this is a good brand.

Thank you
 
#5 ·
I've never heard of it or seen it at ISS AC. I would want to know who makes it, is it a knock of another brand, warranty and service information and see one run my designs. Why are you choosing it over know brands? I checked their site and it looks like its an affordable compact machine. I would want to make sure it will hold up to working 8-12 hours daily for years. What is the resell value? Do you plan to purchase the Perla software they offer? I haven't heard of that either.
 
#7 ·
I've looked at Redline because I need to pick up a 2nd head or maybe even their 2-head machine. My concern is that the company/machine haven't been around long enough to establish a good track record. It's hard to say how well they'll hold up in a truly commercial environment, running 8-10 hours at least 5 days a week for years like a Tajima or Barudan machine will.

They have a couple of facebook groups, one for owners and one for lookers. I'm a member of both and they let me stick around the owners page because I give good advice and don't trash their machines even though I don't own one. They use Tajima hoops and I believe are at least partly made in Japan. They claim the machine is mostly metal, very little plastic and that they're easy to work on.
 
#9 ·
From what I understand, they have 1 technician who offers phone support. He is apparently very sharp and is able to walk you through almost any issue over the phone. If this is so, then it really is a money saver.

Last time I had a tech out, it cost me $250 and he was there less than 30 minutes to just give my machine a once over, set my mind at ease over a issue I thought I had, show me how to grease my machine, and pronounced it clean and in good shape.

Since I think the Redline a Tajima knock off, anyone who works on Tajima should be able to fix any problem that the Redline tech cannot walk you through over the phone.
 
#14 · (Edited)
It would be great if you could hear one run at a show. One criteria I used to initially compare different machine brands was how do they sound when running. If you can attend a show you'll discover some machines "clank" along while others hum. The ones that hum are the "built-to-last" brands where the mechanics work perfectly together so the machine lasts for a long time under heavy work conditions.
 
#15 ·
I am a Tech and work on these and many other Chinese brands. Redline sells the machine out of his house/garage and doesn't use techs. He wants people to be able to fix it on their own. My advice to you is to stay away from Chinese machines. There is only 1 or 2 Chinese machines I think are a good machine for the money. If you are interested in a new SWF shoot me a PM since I am now a distributor for Sunstar. I would take a Tajima, Barudan or SWF even a Happy before I ever thought about a Chinese machine
 
#33 · (Edited)
This is completely untrue. They are not ran out of their house/garage. And the man selling them IS a technician, has been since 1992. They have demonstration machines out of a house in Florida. The one in Texas is the distributor and that is where they come from.

And you might want to find out more about the brands you are promoting. Most these days are actually using parts and having their machines assembled in China.
 
#16 ·
The Redline is sold to the Distributor for $5995 by the way and the reseller marks it up to the $7200 to $7500 mark. Either way it is Chinese and only cost $3500 to make it and ship it to the USA. Any Chinese machine has Chinese metal and Chinese metal is not very good. There are very few Chinese factories who make a decent Chinese machine. I believe the Redline comes out of the Feiya plant which isn't a good plant.
 
#31 ·
This is completely untrue. The Feiya plant does not produce the Redline. Everything in the world is marked up, Redline just simply doesn't mark up as high as other companies.

And many machines, even the biggest brand names, have changed to having their machines or parts from their machines made in China.
 
#17 ·
I will add this. I am 34 and from 16 years of experience in this industry and working on 8 brands I see more Chinese machines that fail after 3 years. The motors are noisy and grind a good bit when changing colors. Parts are cheap but then again so is the machine. Most Chinese factories don't make consistent parts. I have ordered tension knobs for machines and seem to get a different one each time. Sometimes the reciprocators are 1 to 2mm off in the opening as well. I normally have take pics of the parts before I order them. I did a RiComa not too long ago that had 5 different variations of color change motors they did for that one year. The best Chinese machine in my opinion is the Highland. Me and some of my Tech buddies refer to Chinese machines as Hamsters. I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for and you shouldn't skimp on quality. Some of the Japanese companies like Tajima, Barudan and a few others have plants in China as well.
 
#18 ·
I have a Redline 1501 for 2 years and have yet to have a problem with it. This machine is a great beginner machine. The tech is always quick to answer my questions or troubleshooting on any problems I have. Their you tube videos are also very helpful. I prefer to fix things when I can than spend hundreds of dollars on a tech.
 
#19 ·
I saw a Redline work at Everything Applique Conference in Atlanta in April 2015. From what I've researched, and been told by the sales rep, Tajima repair techs quit working for them Tajima to developed a less expensive machine better fit for home embroiderers. The machine is made in China. But Tajima is made in Japan and has a factory in China as well. SWF is made in Korea and Happy is made in Japan. It is a lesser known startup, but all the customer reviews are very positive. Some, who have owned their machines for more than 5 years say they are very happy to be able to fix their own machines or call a Tech who can walk them through almost any problem. And that saves them money and down time in sending it off or taking it in to a dealer somewhere to fix. I have been waffling back and forth between a Happy and a Redline since the conference in April. I wonder if I should go with a well known brand just because it's well known, or save a little bit and give the start up a chance. From all I've read and heard from customers, there is very little to almost no complaints about the Redline. I think I may have talked myself into making a decision. Hope this info helps.
 
#20 ·
Tajima Techs did not quit. There was a lay off and change of ownership at Hirsch. In 2008 the market crashed and a lot of Techs were let go. Tajima is assembled in China and parts are Japanese. Is your sales rep that woman who advertises on Craigslist in Tennessee? She actually thinks this Redline is better then the Brother :confused: I work on Chinese machines and some of the better named brands like SWF, Happy, Brother, Melco, Barudan and Tajima and I can assure you those machines are worth the price difference.
 
#22 ·
Since i been in this business well silkscreen and vinyl I see kobe tshirts and lebron tshirts that cost $35 & $45 dollars and laugh cuz I know how much it really cost to make that tshirt. My next machine will be a embroidery machine eiter used or new. I just want good customer service and something I can fix if needed and im very tech minded.
 
#23 ·
A bit late response but still want to make a comment.

I own a few of these machines from the same factory, i saw the redline been assembled there.
Single head 15 needle and a 15 needle double head.
We also own brother pr60 (first machine).

The "Redline" is a similar machine like the tajima only with different electronics.
The electronics are made by the second largest electronic factory in China.
This manufacturer produces good quality machines compared to some other Chinese brands.
If the same design is embroidered on a Redline or Tajima you will not be able to tell which is done by which machine. (we tried)
The embroidery result is very good.
Definitly better than the Brother pr machines.

Tajima better than Redline?, probable yes, but how much better?
A Mercedes is probably a better car than Ford, you still can drive from A to B.
You still have to sell a lot of embroidered stuff to make up for the price difference.

Hope this helps when considering a Redline.
 
#25 ·
My thoughts exactly. From what I have seen thus far in my dealing with them is their customer support is non existent and one of the dealers selling the equipment is not very knowledgeable. Half of the people with the 1 post are probably trolls from her Facebook group who have purchased equipment from her.
 
#27 ·
Troll?, i am a shorty but....

Just tray to give a honest impression on these machines.
I cannot say anything about the redline company, i have nothing to do with them.

I had a few other brands from China Before and had to rebuild them myself to get it working correctly.

I just mentioned i have seen redline machines made in the same factory in China during my visit there.

We have a embroidery studio in Belgium, Europe and were so happy with the quality that we also start importing these machine under our own name. (no need to rebuild)

So i am talking about the product they are selling.

To say ALL Chinese machines are rubbish is bs.
 
#28 ·
There are a lot of good, solid embroidery machines out there. We've found that the biggest key to success for new embroiderers is TRAINING and that first year of support (you shouldn't need on site support, just good phone support). You're better off spending a little more for a machine that has more than 1 guy that can work on it, phone support, training.. Our Avance, Tajima, Barudan..I'm sure you can get some good recommendations here.
 
#29 ·
Yes I agree Mark,

We do a lot over whats app.
The times i had to visit a customer to fix something you can count on one hand and in most cases it was a operator error.
Even most contact with new users is in the first 2 weeks.
But we deliver the machine ourselves and give a few hours training on site, eliminating most questions.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top