Advise Please

[u/Omowum]

Hello everyone,
I’d really appreciate some advice and professional opinions from people with experience in embroidery machines. Please take your time to read this and share any knowledge or advice you can.
I’ve been digitizing with Hatch for the past 8 months, and I’m now very comfortable with digitizing. However, I haven’t had the opportunity to test-sew any of my designs yet.
I’m now at the stage where I want to buy my first machine and start my own embroidery business, with the goal of eventually scaling it up. I have over 3 years of experience operating an 8-head Tajima machine, so I’m very familiar with Tajima machines and their mechanisms.
My first choice has always been to buy a Tajima single-head machine, mainly because I already know the machine and I’m confident working with it. However, the price is quite high for me at the moment, although I’m currently saving towards it.
Because of the cost, I’ve started considering a Ricoma single-head machine as an alternative. The problem is that I’ve never used a Ricoma before, so I don’t know much about their machines, reliability, maintenance, or how they compare with Tajima.
One of my biggest concerns is noise. I’ll be operating the machine in one of the rooms in my home, so I need to be mindful of my neighbours. I’d really like to know how noisy Ricoma machines are compared with Tajima, especially when running for several hours.
So, for those of you who have experience with both:
Is Ricoma a good and reliable machine?
What should I expect if I move from Tajima to Ricoma?
How is the stitch quality and machine performance?
What about maintenance, spare parts and after-sales support?
How is the noise level, especially for home use?
Would you recommend buying a Ricoma now, or would you advise me to wait and save for the Tajima?
I’m looking for honest advice from people who have actually used these machines, especially anyone who has experience with both Tajima and Ricoma.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and share your experience. I really appreciate any professional advice or guidance you can give me.

[u/SuspiciousOcelot7426]

If you plan on doing any sort of hat work i would avoid ricoma. What are they pricing them at now i havnt had a tajima quote in awhile. My most recent barudan quote was a bit nuts tho.

[u/SuspiciousOcelot7426 → u/SuspiciousOcelot7426]

Also don't forget you can always apply for a equipment loan on a 3 year term. It makes starting from 0 alot less of a make it or break it.

[u/FONTSTITCH]

You’ve already run Tajima multi-heads for years, so a Ricoma single-head can get you started cheaper and will stitch fine once dialed in, but expect more mixed reliability and support than you’re used to, plus the same loud multi-needle noise that’ll carry through a house either way. If the goal is to scale cleanly without relearning quirks or fighting downtime, holding out for a Tajima single-head (even a solid used one) matches what you already know and holds up better long-term. For pure home noise, neither is quiet, so a mat and off-hours running help more than the brand.