Combo Embroidery Machine or Embroidery Only Machine?

When buying an embroidery machine, people are often surprised to discover the overwhelming number of choices available. One of the first choices is whether or not to buy a combo sewing/embroidery machine or to buy an embroidery only machine.

I recommend separate machines, if you have the space.

If your embroidery machine goes into the shop, you can still sew on your sewing machine. With a combo machine, when it goes into the shop, you lose the ability to both sew and embroider.

While you embroider, you can also sew at the same time if you have separate machines. With a combo machine, you can only do one type of activity at a time. Some projects require both sewing and embroidery, and it saves time making the item if you have separate machines. Most people sit and do other things while watching for thread changes on the embroidery machine. With separate machines, you can sew on a dress while the dress bodice is being embroidered. It is more efficient to have separate machines.

Embroidery machines are expensive. The service charge for an embroidery machine tends to be more than one for a sewing machine. So if your combo machine goes out, you will pay the highest service charge.

If you sew on your combo machine, you are more likely to mess up the timing than if you just embroider on the machine. Sewing over pins is one way to make the timing jump, requiring a service call to re-adjust the timing.

It can be cumbersome to change the embroidery arm and foot every time you want to swap between embroidering and sewing.

You will need a place to store the embroidery arm while sewing on a combo machine. Embroidery arms tend to be odd shaped and bulky. If you have an embroidery only machine, you usually leave the embroidery arm on the machine.

Embroidery machines are expensive. Vintage sewing machines tend to be durable and inexpensive. Embroidery machines often need annual service calls, but vintage sewing machines can often be self-serviced, as they are easy to clean. This makes it efficient to have separate machines, as you only need to service the one machine.

When wanting the most bang for your buck, you will find that there are more embroidery only machines than combo machines. More choices means that you have more machines at various price points. With combo machines, you may find that the machine of your dreams with the hoop size you desire does not fit your budget. There are more budget friendly larger hoop embroidery only machines than there are budget friendly larger hoop combo machines. Thus, you will have more machine choices (and more hoop size choices) at more price points if you look at embroidery only machines.

Multi-needle embroidery machines aren’t combo machines. If you want a multi-needle embroidery machine, then you will need to get a separate sewing machine. Some single needle home machines can cost as much (or more) than a commercial multi-needle embroidery machine. If you desire to have a multi-needle machine, then you will need a separate sewing machine.

When buying a combo machine, you are paying for both the embroidery part and the sewing part. I prefer to have an expensive embroidery machine and a durable vintage sewing machine. This way, I am not paying extra for sewing capabilities on the expensive embroidery machine.

Need additional help in choosing a machine? Read our article on Choosing the Best Embroidery Machine For You.

Confused on whether or not you should get a multi-needle embroidery machine? Read our article on Multi-needle versus Single needle machines – Which machine should you choose?.