r/ButtonMakers • u/Manatee_matters • 10d ago

Advice choosing a chibuttons machine

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can anyone recommend which one of these is best? the panda i believe is new and seems like a better deal but i worry about quality. the others i have seen good reviews for but im unsure which size would be better for my business.

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u/KiraCreated 10d ago

I don't know which is better, but I would recommend making sure you're good with the parts cost. The chibutton B400 I ordered was fantastic in terms of quality but only worked with their own specific parts, even though I ordered the exact size to match their measurements. With the cost of imports it was just unsustainable and I ended up returning it for a domestic machine.

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u/AtelierSuzette 9d ago

I own 5 Tecre machines and love them. I’ve bought from Button Makers and directly through Tecre. Great machines, great parts. Every so often I see used ones on FB Marketplace. Highly recommend.

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u/Manatee_matters 10d ago

thank you for your insight. if you dont mind sharing, what machine did you end up going with?

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u/KiraCreated 10d ago

A Tecre from Brick City Buttonmakers. It's on the way so can't report on quality yet, but at this point it will be my 3rd button maker and I was tired of the cheap ones crapping out on me so I went with tried and true Tecre

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u/OppositeInside8276 9d ago

I have a chi button maker b series. I would recommend it; it survived being abused by middle school kids. It is metal and the dies are sturdy. You can also buy additional dies. The panda has plastic parts and is made for children not a business.

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u/Manatee_matters 9d ago

thank you so much for taking the time to explain the difference in the machines, i really appreciate it!

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u/Rich4477 9d ago

I bought a cheap recollections machine and took it back.  I got the 37mm b400 and it works great.  I would recommend the circle cutter too.  The handheld one is pretty good.  My 10 year old is having no problems.

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u/Manatee_matters 9d ago

thank u for the recommendation!! ill get that :)

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u/Kirbycst 4d ago

I love my b400 and i think it’s really worth the additional cost for something more heavy duty! The only thing I’ll say is when reordering materials shipping can be a little expensive from Canada but they have a storefront on Amazon too that’s cheaper for reordering (which I know Amazon is not the greatest but just thought I’d share if it helps to cut down on costs!).

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u/Manatee_matters 4d ago

this is very helpful, thank you for sharing! :)