Top 10 Best Tattoo Machines for Beginners Reviews 2020 [Buying Guide]

Guys today I am going to review 10 Best Tattoo Machines for Beginners.

Are you a tattoo lover or do you want to venture into the tattoo business?

Are you simply looking to start doing tattoos on your body just to show them off to your friends and family members?

We do have lots of machines which have different features, convenient, professional and of different prices to choose from.

The machines do vary from each other in various terms. You will always get excellent tattoos if you invest in a quality tattoo machine.

We did carry out in-depth research on over 40 tattoo machines, consulted tattoo experts and previous tattoo machine users and came up with ten machines which we found great and able to help you get the best result.

We have also looked at some of the most important things to consider when shopping for the best tattoo machine for beginners.

Review of Best Tattoo Machines for Beginners

Lets Start!

1. Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit 2 Machine Review

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The Dragonhawk is one of the most popular machines that are devoted o coming up with totally different machines that are capable of meeting the wants of several prospects.

This machine is considered to be one of the best in its wide range of merchandise.

It comes full of features and has tattoo needles, inks, grips, foot pedals, etc that helps it offer the best tattoos ever.

The inks used in this machine are made in a way that guarantees security whenever they are used on the human skins.

We do have two machines for lining and shading. The spring is highly elastic and anti fatigued thereby guaranteeing long-lasting utility.

The materials used in building this machine are products of premium composite materials that ensure sturdiness.

The digital energy it offers does come with foot pedal and a clip twine that presents activation or fast footage or present correct changes.

With a clean and constant energy output, it is possible for one to improve the reliability and effectiveness of the machine.

Pros

• It presents fast and correct activation

• Makes the tattooing method simpler

• It embodies 2 machines for lining and shading

Cons

• Its ink might be of a low quality

2. Dragonhawk Tattoo Kit 2pcs Coil Tattoo Machine Reviews

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The Dragonhawk Tattoo Kit 2pcs Coil Tattoo Machine is excellent for beginners.

This is why it comes in the second position in our list of best tattoo machines for beginners.

This machine comprises all the things you could need to enable you to start learning how to create your first ever tattoo.

It is easy to use and maintain a machine that can be used by all people both starters and professionals.

Having a power supply and ink that are of extremely cheap quality, the 2 pcs coils are where the gold lies in this machine.

You will get a 6 top quality coil tattoo machine that comprises 3 shaders and 3 liners which will offer you the best platform to grow into a professional tattoo maker.

Pros

• It is an extremely affordable machine

• Comes with all things that will enable you to get started

• It is of an incredible and great value

• The best option for starters

• The machine is of top quality

• It is durable and of great performance

Cons

• The power supply and ink are not of the best quality

3. Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit 4 Tattoo Machines Review

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The Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit 4 Tattoo Machine is the perfect choice for any newbie and the skilled tattoo artist.

It resembles the product we just reviewed although it is filled with important equipment that helps you in beginning your tattooing enterprise.

One great thing about this machine is that its items have been designed, well adjusted, and examined to offer you the best possible quality.

You will have to use and modify the machine in order to meet your needs.

This product has been made from steel chrome which ensures it is of high efficiency in the long run. It has clear soldering that ensures optimum and proper management.

Its ideas and needles have been properly sterilized thereby enhancing security on the human skin.

This machine also comes with copper oils and metal body that might resist rust and tear. It also comes with a big carry bag for easier transportation.

Pros

• It is easily accessible in four commonplace tunings

• It is clean, vibrant and offers consistent results

• Made up of copper coils and metal body

• Comes with a carrying case for easier transportation

Cons

• It will trigger infections and scarring in certain instances

4. Dragonhawk Mast Rotary Tattoo Machine Reviews

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The Dragonhawk Mast Rotary Tattoo Machine is pen styled and you can use it for lining and shading.

The machines’ kit comes with everything that you will need apart from the ink.

It is among the best tattoo machines for beginners and most professionals will also benefit from it a great deal.

One great quality about this tattoo machine is that it is lightweight. When you are tattooing, you will have a feeling of just holding the ink pen instead of the entire tattooing machine.

In case you are a coil tattoo machine user, you will need some time to get used to this rotary pen machine.

One main disadvantage that comes with using this tattoo machine is that after 12 months of using it, it will start heating up.

This means you will not be in a position of using it consistently for longer periods of time.

Pros

• It is extremely affordable

• Its replacement parts are easy to find and cheap

• It is quiet

• It is lightweight and easy to use

• Has lots of items which are included in the kit

Cons

• You have to buy ink separately since it’s not included with the kit

• It slips on hand hence one needs to use a grip tape

5. Solong Tattoo Kit 4 Pro Tattoo Machine Reviews

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If you are interested in a cheap but highly effective tattoo machine for a beginner, then the Solong Tattoo Kit 4 Pro Tattoo Machine TK459 should be your choice.

When compared to the other tattoo machines on the list, this machine comes with important equipment that helps one is starting their tattooing enterprise.

All its items have been rigorously designed, examined, and adjusted thereby guaranteeing the best quality.

All one has to do when using the machine is to modify it so as to meet their needs.

All the ideas and needles have been sterilized to help enhance security on the human skin.

This machine also comprises of copper coils and metal bodies that might resist tear and put on in addition to the different frequent issues.

It is also made of chrome steel that ensures higher efficiency and has clear soldering which helps in ensuring optimum result.

Pros

• Comes with an easy to understand user manual

• It is a product of premium supplies and professional grade

• It is an excellent machine for liner and shader

• The inks do include optimistic colors that ensure reliability

Cons

• You will need to oil it after use to prevent overheating

6. Dragonhawk Cartridge Pen Rotary Tattoo Machine Review

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Dragonhawk Cartridge Pen Rotary machine comes in the shape of a fat and big pen that helps in easing your movement and grip whenever you are performing your tattooing work.

This machine works with all the common needles and tubes and it does have a completely unique kit that comes with needles, power supply, and other accessories.

This pen will provide one with different voltage settings. In most cases, an 8V-6V voltage level is preferred for lining while a voltage of 7V-8V is preferred for the shading.

This machine is perfect for both shading and lining together with colored tattoos. Using it is very easy and it is also easy to assemble.

Its lightweight feature makes it perfect for working on tattoos for a pretty long time without getting tired.

It is also known to be a quitter when compared to most of the tattoo machines in the market.

Pros

• It is of affordable price

• It is perfect for shading, lining, and coloring

• Little vibrating and smooth running

• Kit comes with all the basics you need

Cons

• Its power supply is not of a good quality

• Can easily get hot after 45 minutes when used consistently

7. ITATOO Complete Tattoo Kit for Beginners 1 Pro Tattoo Machine Review

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Are you a novice tattoo artist and in need of a tattoo machine that will help polish up your skills before you start working on your client?

Think of no other than ITATOO Complete Tattoo Kit for Beginners 1 Pro tattoo machine.

This tattoo machine is capable of serving you for several years. It is also cost-effective hence in case you do mess up a few of its supplies; you won’t ground your business.

It also comes with a well-detailed instruction manual together with a practice skin.

This kit comes with a case that has keys that help in ensuring safe transportation and storage. All the items that come with the kit are durable and of high quality.

With this kit, you will get two ready guns that can last for a pretty long time.

It comes with a completely realistic practice skin while its premium tattoo supplies are invaluable.

Pros

• It comes with a heavy-duty storage case

• It has a well detailed instructional DVD

• Comes with premium tattoo supplies

• Has a realistic practice skin

Cons

• It is quite challenging to assemble

8. Dragonhawk Mast Pen Rotary Tattoo Machine Review

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Are you in need of a quiet and lightweight machine?

Although it is difficult for most people to believe, it does work very quietly when it is at high power.

It does have an option where you can adjust the needle from 3.5 mm-2.8 mm.

This is a great plus for versatility. It is possible to make use of this technique for any style.

This pen tattoo does bring the feeling of you holding a writing pen in your hand.

This is all due to the clutch emulation. This machine comprises of an aluminum frame and the engine is Japanese made.

Its body length is 11.7 cm while the machine lightness is determined by the 120g weight.

Pros

• Its 120 grams lightweight makes it great for working with on long hours

• It comes with a very powerful Japanese engine

• Its aluminum body cools fast making it possible to take breaks in order to clean the needle

• One feels week vibration or no noise at all

Cons

• Controlling the needle is a bit difficult since it is too long

• Its cartridges are loosely held and get pushed out easily

9. Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit with Case Machine Review

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The Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit with Case Machine is among the most affordable kits for beginners currently available in the market.

This kit consists of everything one might need in order to get started.

However, you need to keep in mind that there are products that have been included in the kit but they are not of the highest quality.

However, the ink of this tattoo machine is not that good. In fact, it is highly advisable that one purchases a separate high-quality ink when buying this machine.

The deal is much worth the product when it comes to the price.

Pros

• This is an affordable machine

• The kit is delivered fast without any shipping charges

• It comes with all the things you need in order to get started

• The kit comes with both the shader and liner machines

• It works perfectly with some slight vibration

• It is very lightweight hence easy to move with

• Comes with a practice skin for the beginners to use

Cons

• Its ink is of poor quality and you will have to buy ink separately

• The machines are not of top quality although they are great for starter

10. Solong Tattoo Complete Starter Tattoo Kit 1 Pro Machine Guns Review

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The Solong Tattoo Complete Starter Tattoo Kit 1 Pro Machine is a budget starter kit which comprises of a single-coil tattoo machine that carries out both lining and shading.

Its most outstanding feature is its digital power supply that has a foot pedal which makes it easy to change.

It also comes with 14 tattoo inks that help in practicing and one grip, tips, twenty needles, and 100 ink cups.

All this gives you a dynamic powerhouse that ensures a ready to go shader and liner machine that will last for several years.

However, the only downfall of the Solong Tattoo Complete Starter Tattoo Kit 1 Pro Machine is with ink.

Apart from having poor quality ink, this kit is one of the highest qualities currently available in the market and one amazing thing is that it is also the cheapest in the market.

It comes with a user manual that is easy to understand and will teach you how to use the machine well.

It also comes with one-year warranty service and free replacement service that helps in easing frustration in case of a problem.

Pros

• Comes with one year warranty

• It is affordable

• The kit comes with everything that makes one get started

Cons

• Ink is of poor quality

Types of Tattoo Machines

Before you consider purchasing a tattoo machine, it is important that you know that we do have two tattoo type machines currently available in the market.

The first type is referred to as the coil tattoo machine while the second one is the rotary tattoo machine.

Before you make any purchase, it is important that you first analyze the features of the machines.

Coil Tattoo Machine

The coil tattoo machine is known to use a coil where current passes and helps in driving the armature bar where the needles have been attached.

The needles will inject and thereafter retract on the customer’s flesh.

The coil machine will thereafter produce lots of sound and vibrate frequently.

In case you ever happened to walk into any tattoo store, all the noise that comes from the inside is in most cases from the coil tattoo machine.

Generally, the coil machines do have 1, 2, or 3 coils inside them. However, the standard coils machine does have 2 coils in it where the current passes in order for the tattoo machine to work.

The two coils will help in making the machine somehow heavy due to metal abundance. This will lead to a much heavier tattoo machine thereby making it a bit difficult to use for long hours.

The coil tattoo machine does hit hard on the skin of the customers although they are not that error-prone making it suitable for beginners.

It is possible for one to easily tune them and have them adjusted to fit into your requirements.

One major drawback of the coil tattoo machines is that they can never be used for shading or lining simultaneously.

This coil tattoo machine is also excellent when it comes to building grays’ and it is very effective when using the bigger needles.

Pros

• There are minimal chances for error

• It is excellent to build greys

• It is very effective with the large needles

• Shedding is very easy when using this machine

Cons

• It is much heavier when compared to the rotary

• This machine is much noisy and vibrates a lot

• They do hit the skin much harder

• It is difficult to use them at the same time for shading and lining

Rotary Tattoo Machine

The rotary tattoo machine makes use of the small electric motor which is attached to the needles directly. The motor assists in moving the needles up and down.

One great thing that comes with using the rotary machines is that they are a very quiet machine and do vibrate less when compared to the old coil tattoo machines.

They are also much smoother and faster when they are compared to the coil machines.

One thing any user will be impressed with when using this machine is that they are easy to use and lightweight making them possible to be used for longer hours.

One plus point of this tattoo machine is that they do hit the customers’ skin much softer than the coil tattoo machines.

However, the rotary tattoo machines are very fast and are more error-prone when compared to the coil tattoo machines.

Any expert can use this tattoo machine to help in coming up with top quality tattoos on the customers’ skin much faster.

However, when a beginner uses this tattoo machine, there are chances that he might end up with lots of errors because they are too fast.

Pros

• They are less vibrating and extremely quiet

• Handling them is much easier and they are also lightweight

• They do require less maintenance

• Hit soft on the skin and are smooth

• These are good for lining and have a faster needle movement

Cons

• The error margin is bigger due to its quickness

• It cannot be tuned or adjusted like the coil machine

• It is not that effective with the large needles

Differences between the Rotary and the Coil Tattoo Machine

We do have some major differences between the rotary tattoo machines and the coil tattoo machines which one needs to consider helping them determine the best tattoo machine they can use.

Below are some of the main differences between the two tattoo machines

Chances of Error

The coil tattoo machines are less prone to error when compared to the rotary tattoo machines. This is due to coil tattoo machines’ slow speed and the rotary machine’s fast speed.

Vibration and Noise

Coil machines are known to produce lots of noise and they vibrate a lot. However, when we have a look at the rotary tattoo machine, they are known to produce less sound.

Hitting the Skin

Coil tattoo machines do hit the skins hard. This hurts the customers’ skin more. If we have a look at the rotary tattoo machine, they do hit the skin much softer and smoothly run across the customers’ skin surface.

Weight

The coil tattoo machine is much heavier which makes them difficult to carry than the rotary tattoo machines which are lightweight thereby easy to carry.

Buying Guide for the Best Tattoo Machines for Beginners

Are you new to tattoo machines and have no idea what to look for when buying one?

You don’t have been getting worried as we have covered the important things you need to look for when shopping for one.

Below are the important factors to consider when buying the best tattoo machine for beginners.

Know the Types

We do have four different tattoo machine types that are currently available in the market. Each of them does have its function and features.

It is important that you are aware of all the tattoo machine types before you make any purchase.

Knowing the details of each type will make it possible for you to distinguish which suits your requirement and type of work best. Below is a brief description of the tattoo machine types.

Coil Tattoo Machine

The coil tattoo machines are perfect for those who are new to the tattoo world. They are also cheap hence one does not have to dig deep into their pockets.

Rotary Tattoo Machine

The rotary tattoo machine runs on the electric motors and is lightweight when compared to the coil tattoo machines.

They are smooth and much faster and very soft on the skin. The starters can also use this tattoo machine without any problem.

Pneumatic Tattoo Machine

The pneumatic machines are quite expensive since they are very luxurious. They are mainly meant for experts and professional people who have been making tattoos for some time.

Liner Tattoo Machine

The liner tattoo machines are great for starters and very affordable. However, they are meant for the small liner tattoos which are much easy to make.

Purchase from a Reliable Dealer

It does not matter if you want to make an online or offline purchase. It is highly advisable that you purchase a tattoo machine from a reliable and certified dealer to ensure that you do not end up with a substandard or wrong machine.

Take your time and read through reviews and dealer ratings before you make any order. Only place an order on a dealer who has positive reviews and high ratings.

Determine and Go for the Right size and shape

Another important thing that you need to put into consideration is getting a tattoo machine that is right for you. Do not go for a bigger machine since you are a starter and you will only be wasting your money.

Ensure that you know the shape and size you need. Feel free to consult and seek experts’ opinion.

Go for the best quality possible

The tattoo machines are expensive. It is advisable that you ensure whatever you will purchase is of top quality since you will be spending lots of cash on it.

Do focus on the type of material used and the build quality. Ensure you also check on its durability.

You can decide to purchase a tattoo machine made of iron, copper, or brass since you can rely on them whenever it comes to long term usage.

Carry out in-depth research for the Best Tattoo Machines for Beginners

Before you make any purchase, it is appropriate that you carry out thorough research concerning the price together with other aspects.

In order to get the best tattoo machine, never rely on suggestions from friends but take your time and carry out in-depth research.

Make a price comparison from different online stores and check the rating and reviews of the machine.

Also check the features that will come with the machine you are about to purchase. Never compromise on quality by trying to go for a cheaper product.

Basic Tattoo Techniques

We do have a number of techniques for beginners to help them start out in tattooing after purchasing their tattoo machines.

Below are some of the most important basics that will help any beginner achieve his or her tattooing goals.

Important Things to Know before starting out

We do have a number of risks that come with tattooing which are important for any person to know before they start out.

First, one needs to ensure all the tattooing equipment are well sterilized. It is also possible to select the right speed during the tattooing process or the customer will be subjected to lots of pain.

Ensure you prepare the Tattoo

Before you start making the tattoo, you will need to put a high quality ink on your tattoo machine.

In most cases, the ink that does come with the tattoo is never of good quality. Buying ink separately will help get things work well.

You can then start preparing your tattoo when you have all the equipment’s.

Learn to do several designs

Take your time and check for a number of great designs on the internet trying them on practice skin.

Since you are a beginner, always try out new designs on fake skin and not on your customers.

After you have learned the new design, you can now do it on your customer.

Prepare the skin area on the customers’ body

Ensure that the person who you will be tattooing has not taken any alcohol for at least one day or any painkillers.

Thereafter, prepare a particular area where the tattoo will be placed. Shave the area using a fresh blade as it will make it easier for you to do the tattoo.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Tattoo Machines for Beginners

Q: Is it advisable to purchase a tattoo machine online?

Ans: Yes, you can always get one at a better price. All you have to do is read through the reviews plus the rating of the supplier before you make an order.

Ensure you make price comparison about the product on a number of sites and only purchase from a reputable supplier.

Q: Can a beginner go for a rotary tattoo machine?

Ans: Yes, the rotary machines are also a great option for the starters since the coil tattoo machines are usually heavy hence difficult to operate.

Q: Are their high error chances when using the rotary tattoo machines?

Ans: When we make a comparison about the rotary tattoo machines with the coil tattoo machines, there are many more chances of an error in the rotary machines since they do work faster which is excellent for the experts and not good for those who are just starting off.

Conclusion

When shopping for a tattoo machine for beginners, it is advisable that you always determine what budget you have and the requirements before you make your shortlist.

It is also important that you know what your needs are before you go for any machine.

You will only be in a position to get the best tattoo machines for a beginners when you do this and understand the buying guide.