Buying a Tattoo Gun

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A tattoo gun is the most important and key piece of tattoo equipment. This purchase is your biggest investment and you should do your research and not rush into a purchase. Whether you are a rookie and looking for your first machine to begin practicing, or you are an experienced artist looking to upgrade and want more knowledge for this next purchase - I can help with some knowledge before you buy. Purchasing a tattoo gun is a big investment and the machine can be costly.

The first thing you need to know before purchasing a tattoo gun is the type of material or metal the is made of. Tattoo guns should be made of some type of good high quality metal . This will keep them from breaking frequently and will hold up over time. Tattoo guns are traditionally made of conductive materials such as iron (conducts better than brass), brass (the most popular) or aluminum (bad conductor). These are the preferred metals.

The second item or option to consider about purchasing a tattoo gun is what size and variety of gun to purchase. Tattoo guns are usually divided in 2 types - “lining” or “shading”. Some stores will carry a machine that is strictly built for lining or just shading. Another style of machine can be adjusted to be a liner or a shader with manual adjustments. These versatile machines are usually more expensive and probably be purchased only when you have been shown or taught by an experienced artist how to adjust the machine to be one or the other. It needs to be tuned often to switch between the 2 functions.

If you are new to the art of tattooing, you should consider purchasing a tattoo gun in a kit. These kits come with a machine for each - tuning isn't necessary - except for maintenance care.

If you have the option of handling the machine before purchasing - take advantage. Judge the weight and feel in your hands. Some are heavier than others which can be an advantage to offset the vibration of the machine but a heavier machine requires strength in the hands.

Coils (electro-magnets) come in various sizes. The more wraps a coil has, the more power it needs, and also the more power it can handle. The 3 common types of coils - 8 wrap, 10 wrap, and 12 wrap. 8 wrap is the weakest and some artists like them for outlining. 10 wrap coils are the most commonly used and are good for lining or shading or coloring. 12 wrap coils are good for hard hitting work and are good for coloring. If you are able to buy multiple machines, you may want to try the various options in coil size.

Your choice in machine style is partly based on your style and personal choices. Everyone has their own opinion on what is best for them and you'll probably purchase guns that you will regret later. As in everything in life, experience is the best teacher.

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This site was last updated 10/20/08