Barudan Embroidery Machine Hoops and Used Machines: A Field Guide to Buying the Right Setup

The Three Scenarios I See All the Time

Some questions don't have one right answer. Equipment is one of them. If you're searching for 'barudan embroidery machine hoops,' 'used barudan embroidery machine for sale,' or maybe 'aveneer embroidery machine' or 'brither embroidery machine,' you are probably at a different point in the same journey: trying to figure out which machine setup you can actually live with.

I've been there. I've been running embroidery production for about 11 years, and I keep a running list of my own mistakes so the people I train don't have to repeat them. Twenty-three significant mistakes so far, totaling roughly $14,000 in wasted budget. That's not a flex. It's a warning.

Here are the three scenarios I see most. Figure out which one is yours before you order anything.

1. You run a production shop or plan to grow into one. You're looking at used Barudan machines and wondering which hoops to buy.
2. You're a single-head operator or a serious hobbyist. You might be comparing a Brother (sometimes typed 'brither') or an Aveneer because the price looks better than a Barudan.
3. You're not buying an embroidery machine yet. You're here because 'zig zag stitch sewing machine settings' is the only fix you can think of.

Scenario A: The Used Barudan Path

If you're shopping for a used barudan embroidery machine for sale, the machine is only half the purchase. The other half is hoops, needles, caps, and accessories. This is where I got burned.

In 2019, I bought a used 6-head Barudan from a dealer about 900 miles away. The listing said 'complete with hoops.' I didn't ask for photos of the hoops. When the truck arrived, the hoops were from a different Barudan series. They didn't fit the clamps. I had to order five correct sets. I want to say that cost around $1,600, but don't quote me on the exact number. It was enough to hurt.

That is the thing vendors won't tell you: 'hoops included' often means 'we'll throw in what we have on the shelf,' not 'these hoops match this head.' We both said 'flat hoops' and meant completely different products. My fault for not making the contract specific.

Now I use a pre-purchase checklist. Five minutes of verification beats five weeks of waiting for the right part.

For barudan embroidery machine hoops, you have two main choices: standard flat hoops and magnetic hoops. Standard hoops cost less. Magnetic hoops save time when you're repositioning fabric. The counterintuitive advice is this: don't buy the full magnetic set before the used machine is running. Buy one, test it on the actual head, then buy the rest. I know someone who bought a full set and needed adapter plates that took another three weeks. I should add that I almost did the same thing.

Magnetic hoops are not cheap. I've seen single magnetic hoops listed for over $200, but that was a specific quote, not a guarantee. Prices vary by seller and size. In production, though, most of my daily work goes through two or three flat hoop sizes. The rest sit in a cabinet. Start with the sizes you know you'll need, not the whole catalog.

When you inspect a used Barudan, bring a sample garment and ask to run a test stitch through two layers of fabric. If the machine is two states away, ask for a video of that exact test, with the machine running long enough to show the tension on a curve and on a straight line. If the seller won't do it, walk away. A machine is only as good as the last test you saw.

If you're buying a used machine online, you also need to understand the FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule. Put simply, if a seller promises a ship date and then misses it, they have to tell you and give you the option to cancel. I'm not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice, but it saved me once when a dealer held my deposit for two months. Verify current regulations at ftc.gov before you rely on it.

Used Barudan pricing changes fast. The last time I checked, 6-head machines were listed anywhere from $22,000 to $45,000 depending on age and hours. That was around late 2024. Verify current listings before you budget.

Scenario B: Single-Head and Small-Batch

If you typed 'aveneer embroidery machine' or 'brither embroidery machine,' you're probably in a different situation. You don't need a six-head production line. You need one head you can trust, with hoops you can afford.

Look, I'm not going to tell you Aveneer or Brother is 'bad.' I haven't run every model either of them makes. What I can tell you is that the hoop system and parts availability matter more than the sticker price. A machine is only as useful as its next available part.

Ask a local dealer or repair tech one question: 'How many days to get a hoop or a needle bar if it breaks?' If the answer is 'we can have it this week,' that's worth a lot. If the answer is 'order from overseas and wait three weeks,' that's not automatically a dealbreaker. It just means your downtime tolerance has to be higher.

Here's the thing: 'brither' is a common misspelling of Brother. Brother single-head machines are everywhere, and their hoops are easy to find. That's a real advantage for someone starting out. Aveneer is a different machine with a different ecosystem. I've been asked whether it's 'as good as a Barudan.' That's the wrong question. The right question is: 'What happens when the hoop breaks?' For a production shop, downtime kills. For a side business, a week of waiting might be fine.

What I mean is that the question 'which machine is better' misses the operational detail. You need to know whether you can get parts, hoops, and service without stopping your work. The fastest machine in the world is slow when it's waiting.

For single-head work, buy two sizes of hoops: one medium square hoop for everyday garments and one small hoop for sleeves or badges. Magnetic hoops can reduce re-hooping time on a single-head machine, but the same advice applies—buy one first and test it before you invest in the whole set.

Scenario C: Zig Zag Stitch Sewing Machine Settings

This next one might not be about embroidery machines at all. If 'zig zag stitch sewing machine settings' is what brought you here, there's a good chance you're sitting at a regular sewing machine trying to make an appliqué edge or a satin stitch. I did that for a year before I bought my first embroidery machine. It can work, but only for small pieces.

Here are the settings I use and teach now:

• Zig zag width: 2.0 to 3.5 mm for appliqué. If you're making satin-style letters, keep it closer to 1.5 to 2.0 mm.
• Zig zag length: 0.3 to 0.5 mm. If it looks like a row of dashes, your length is too long.
• Upper thread tension: start at 4, then test down to 3.5. Looser than straight stitch, but not so loose that the fabric puckers.
• Always test on the same fabric plus interfacing you'll use on the real piece.

The mistake I made was thinking a sewing machine could replace a single-head embroidery machine. It can't. I wasted fabric and time trying to do what a $2,000 machine could have done in minutes. A zig zag stitch is a tool, not a workaround. Use it for what it's good at—small, controlled edges—and know when to move up.

How to Tell Which Scenario You're In

If you're still not sure, answer these three questions.

1. How many finished pieces do you need per day? If it's more than 50 and repeat orders are normal, you're Scenario A.
2. Do you have room and support for a used industrial machine? If not, you're Scenario B. If yes, but you haven't proven you can fill its hours, you're still Scenario B for now.
3. Did you search for 'zig zag stitch sewing machine settings' because you're troubleshooting a current stitch problem? Then Scenario C.

There is no universal 'best' hoop or 'best' machine. There is only the one that fits your volume, your parts supply, and your patience for waiting.

Every mistake I listed cost me either time or money. The point isn't to avoid every mistake—you won't. The point is to make the mistake once, not three times. A five-minute check before buying hoops can save a five-week wait and a $1,600 surprise. That's prevention over cure, and it's the only equipment standard I still believe in.

Prices and availability are based on information I had as of late 2024. The used machine market changes quickly. Verify current prices, part numbers, and shipping terms before you commit.