To tuft fluffy carpets, you need a tufting machine - that's logical. But what are the different variants and options for tufting machines? In this blog, I'll cover the following topics to help you understand the tufting machine:

• What can the different tufting machines do? 
• What is the best tufting machine for beginners?
• Where is the best place to buy a tufting machine?

So, if you are thinking of buying a tufting machine for yourself or giving one as a gift, you've come to the right place!

It's important to mention at the outset that I've already written a blog about how a tufting machine works in principle. Tufting machines push the yarn through the tufting fabric and cut it, depending on the variant. When we have finished tufting, we glue the back of the carpet so that the yarn snippets can no longer fall out of the fabric. This blog assumes that you have this basic knowledge. 

So if you want to know more about how a tufting machine works, you can find the blog here: What is tufting and how does it work?

What can the different tufting machines do?

Basically, tufting machines can create two different types of pile. An open, soft and fluffy pile (cut pile) or a closed pile consisting of loops (loop pile).

What is the best tufting machine for beginners?

Here I will show you which machines are best suited if you want to start tufting. All of the machines listed here are also available in our online shop.

The AK-I Cut Pile and AK-II Loop Pile

For a long time, the only good tufting machines for beginners were those that tufted either cut pile or loop pile. These are the AK-I cut pile and the AK-II loop pile tufting machines. They are the classics among tufting machines and a bit cheaper than a combination machine. So if you only want to tuft one of the two pile variants anyway, this is absolutely sufficient. 

The AK-I (top) and the AK-II (bottom) are the most popular tufting machines for beginners.

The AK Duo

However, there is now also a great combi-tufting machine that can do both. The AK-Duo. With a simple conversion system, you can switch the tufting machine from cut to loop and the height of the pile is also easily adjustable. The AK-Duo is from the same manufacturer as the proven AK-I and AK-II.

The AK Duo can do both cut pile and loop pile.

The AK-V (Cut or Loop available)

The AK-V series is brand new on the market. It is also available as a cut or loop variant. Its basic functions are the same as those of the AK-I or the AK-II. But it has a few key advantages:

• Significantly quieter (70dB)
• 250g lighter
• Built-in lamp 
• Digital speed display

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This machine is great if you're tufting in your private home or somewhere else where noise is an issue. It might also be good if you have dogs or cats that don't like it too loud. The new AK-V is available in cut or loop versions and, at 70 decibels, is even quieter than a sewing machine.

As a beginner, you can't go wrong with the AK-I cut pile, the AK-II loop pile, the AK-duo short or the AK-V. Depending on your personal needs and budget, you can choose any of them and you won't go wrong.

Which tufting machine should you buy?

If you can answer the following questions for yourself, you will find the right tufting machine for you:

• Do you want to tuft cut pile or loop pile? (-> AK-I or AK-II)
• Do you want to be able to tuft both pile variants? (-> AK-Duo)
• Does the volume of the machine play a role? (-> AK-V)
• Do you get tired arms quickly? (-> AK-V)

We use all of the tufting machines listed in our tufting courses and are very satisfied. 

Where is the best place to buy a tufting machine?

Well, of course we have an online shop that sells everything and of course I'd love for you to buy the machine from us. But let's talk about what makes sense.

Basically, you should buy your tufting machine from a shop that also provides knowledge about tufting and where you can get help if you ever have a problem with your tufting machine. Reviews are certainly always a good help for this. 

Spare parts are also something you should think about when buying a tufting machine. Because if something breaks, you don't want to have to buy a new tufting machine right away. We get a lot of requests from tufters who didn't buy their machine from us. Unfortunately, there are now an extremely large number of cheap copies of the original AK series. Since the machines often differ slightly and the electronic parts are not compatible, it is difficult for us to say whether the spare parts really fit. 

Unfortunately, these cheap copies are a huge issue! Never, ever buy a machine with this little red button! You can't imagine how many mails we get from tufters who have technical problems with these machines from day one. There are plenty of other copies, but this is definitely the easiest to recognise. 

Beware of tufting machines with a red button. Source: reddit

So basically, it makes sense to buy from a trustworthy shop that can also supply spare parts and help you if you have a problem. I realise that the offers in large online shops are cheaper and tempting. But that's because the support is limited and the quality of the products is often not good. 

So buy from a shop that also provides knowledge, can deliver spare parts and seems trustworthy. It's worth it :)

You can find all the common spare parts for our machines in the spare parts category of our online shop. If you need a different spare part, just write to us. We can order every single part directly from the manufacturer. That's absolutely no problem! It's better to write too much than not to write. After all, the tufting machine should work and you should have fun with it!

Have a fluffy day! Jenni