What’s the difference between all these types of tufting guns and, perhaps more importantly, who offers them? In this blog, you’ll read about the different types and it can serve as a guide for your purchase. First, I’ll explain which types are available on the market and then what the difference is between various suppliers.
AK-V tufting gun
The AK-V is the newest type on the market. That’s why it’s a bit more expensive than the other types. But you get some nice extras in return. Besides being able to use it as loop pile and cut pile, the machine is much quieter, much lighter, feels better in the hand, and the speed can be set digitally. As an extra, there’s a light on the front. But the biggest advantage is that the machine runs very smoothly and doesn’t buck much on the fabric. This means you don’t need to apply much pressure to the fabric.
AK-1 Cut pile tufting gun
The AK-1 tufting gun is the most common and most used tufting gun there is. It’s a cut pile machine. This means that the machine cuts the thread before moving to the next stitch with each stitch. This gives you a carpet effect with “rods” of wool. This machine is easy for beginners to learn to use because you can insert the machine into the fabric at any desired spot and remove it at any desired moment without extra actions. The rods are on average 1.5cm. The height of these can be adjusted somewhat, but this is generally not recommended with the AK-1 machine. It requires considerable technical knowledge, it takes at least 15 minutes to adjust, and if you make a mistake, your machine may work less or not at all. The machine is available in many different colors, but the most common is dark blue.
Protective guard
Important for every(!) machine is that it has a protective guard around the gear. Machines that don’t have this are an outdated version and require some extra safety measures. For example, your hair can get caught in the gear, but also the wool you’re using.
AK-2 Loop pile tufting gun
The AK-2 tufting gun is a gun that makes loops instead of rods. A very nice instrument to add different textures to your work. The machine requires a bit more work during use. Because this machine makes loops, it doesn’t cut the thread itself, which means you have to cut the thread yourself after each row you tuft. If you didn’t do this, you would pull out all the loops of that row as soon as you remove the tufting machine from the fabric. So this is an extra action that can take some getting used to at first, but you can make very beautiful projects with it.
AK DUO tufting gun
The AK duo tufting gun is a tufting machine that combines cut pile and loop pile. It’s important to note that it’s not just a matter of flipping a switch. Some technical knowledge is also nice to have here, as the machine will need to be converted. You need to remove the scissors and place a different needle. These actions are less intense than changing the pile height of the wool, but still, it should be kept in mind that if you make mistakes in the conversion, the machine may work less or not at all.
The KRD types are different machines with different purposes. The KRD-1 is an outdated type. The KRD-2 is a type that can combine loop and cut pile. It’s a more powerful machine and it can tuft higher rods and loops. This also involves the necessary conversion work. The machine is also much louder and heavier due to the extra power it needs to provide. This machine is not recommended for beginners. The KRD-3 (picture) is a machine in which cut and loop pile are also combined, this one is built very compact and safe because many parts are inside the housing. With this machine, the pile height cannot be adjusted and it is 1.5cm.
High Pile tufting gun
The high pile tufting gun or high pile tufting machine is a machine that has recently come onto the market. Where you previously needed a compressor for high pile tufting, this is not necessary with this machine. With this machine, you can really add a lot of relief to your work. There are now 3 sizes on the market. For high pile tufting, usually the largest is offered. This can tuft 3.5 or 4.5cm rods. It’s important to know that this machine is a bit larger, heavier, and louder. All of this is because the tufting gun has to do heavier work, of course.
If you want to learn more about creating relief in your work, you can find information about it in this blog: Adding relief / height differences to your tufting work / rug / carpet – workshop | tufting | tufting gun | tuften | tuftgun | Funky Studio | Shrinky dink | shrink plastic | uv resin
As always, if you have any questions after reading this blog, please ask them below or contact me through the contact form.
