Tattoo Machines Cost Big Bucks - Or do They?

Is a tattoo machine that costs $49.00 in a catalog just as good as a $500.00 one that you can only purchase if you work in a real studio?

The short answer: Yes and No.
The long answer... where do I start?

Tattoo machines, or tattoo guns (depending on who you apprenticed under) are the devices that put the ink in the skin. A needle hooks up to them in some fashion and they are usually run by coils, magnets, and magic. The device is actually really simple and does not take a PHD in Electro-Magnetic Physics or Engineering to grasp the concept.

So how can a cheap machine be like an expensive machine?
It is all about how you tune the machine.
A machine that is made of higher grade materials (especially the coils and the springs) will make it easier to tune. If you paint then you understand the difference between cheap and higher grade oils. If you drive a car then you know the difference between a Honda Civic and a Jaguar XK. Both of those cars will get from point A to point B, by the way. It is the same concept with tattoo machines. My first tattoo machines were cheap ones from Superior, and I didn't know about upper class machines like Pulse or Eikon or Hand mades (custom irons). Once I got decent

with my Superior machines, I graduated to a set of Micky Sharpz and Dany Fowler Time Machines. I really can not say a bad thing about any of the machines I have used.

Now that I am comfortable with my gear I rely on my Superior machines more than any other machines. I have replaced the coils and the springs, but the frame is still superior. I love the weight and the vise grip is tried and true old school style. When you apprentice under an artist in a tattoo studio, check out all the different machines used by all the different artists in the studio. You will notice that there is a big difference not only in quality, but the weight and balance as well. You will also see that the power supply makes a world of difference.
What power supply is the best? There is no "Best" power supply or Machine. You have to use what YOU like and what YOU can get the job done with. Check out the Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo - there is a whole chapter in there where I go over all my gear and why I use the stuff I use.

You will always shave new machines coming out, and you can see on the top artist's forums or the big conventions like Hell City. This is a professional trade it requires that you stay on top of the new technology (yes I said technology) that is constantly being introduced into the market.

You don't have to do a proper tattoo apprenticeship, but you will spend years researching and trying to figure out what makes a Cheap Priced tattoo Machine top notch.
A lot of these things come from experience, and I can honestly say that a majority of PROFESSIONAL tattoo artists do not know their machines they way they should.
You have a select class of tattoo artists who will consider themselves tattoo machine builders. The have the "Secrets" to the coil wraps and the harmonic balance of the metals and the geometry... but It is the author's opinion that every tattoo artist should be able to differentiate between a good tattoo machine and a poorly crafted one (as it applies to their specific style of tattoo).

So get out there and start researching and talking to your fellow apprentice's (is that the plural for apprentice? probably not..)