The dragonfly replica

***Alie K*** · 11-11-2011, 03:19 AM

Originally Posted by JohnnyChaos

well this forum already promotes the Stealth with it's user group and buttons... isn't that just a swiss knockoff? but no one seems to mind.

I wouldn't say that the use of a Stealth is promoted (or encouraged, really). There are just a lot of people who have them, and if using them for a week until they break gets them to their computers to buy a 'better' machine, I wouldn't call that terrible. It IS one of the more popular 'starter' machines/intro to rotary machines.

I ordered a coil from Ebay, they threw in a stealth, I tried it, and now I have a drawer full of 'nice' machines. Sure, it's better to start off with something other than a Chinese made crap machine, but not everyone wants to invest a chunk of change into a gamble that many of their peers might make fun of them for. (You wouldn't believe the flak I caught when I bought my first few rotaries a few years ago) If you've never used a rotary, and none of your peers uses one, and they are all so different, you might give up if you have trouble with it, get rid of it, and then there would be no forum to go to late at night when you can't sleep and just want to find out some info on that odd machine you took a photo of at the last convention.

The only reason I keep my 'Stealth' button is for the occasional email I get asking for tips on it. I find it to be a nice public service to be able to say, "Yeah, I tried one for a little while, now I've found WAY better machines - try these instead!"

**The Limey** · 11-11-2011, 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by punkangel

I put this thread up to make artists aware, the fact that copies and rip offs are available so therefore avoidable.
Personally i would not buy one, whether it be good or bad. it is a copy, that would be manufactured for profit and NOT for quality, OK it may be lighter, it may have a maxon all singing all dancing power unit. BUT it has not had the cost and input of design, trial and quality ( it's like me putting top sharpz coils armature bar and springs in a Chinese Tdial and saying "it's better than the real thing"). This particular machine is now being sold buy many sellers without the maxon "It is a copy"! an that means replica (Copy)
I know that there comes a point when all things have the same basic movement and principles. and one or another wins out on design, weight and technical preference, but if you want your own built machine to be credited to you, then it surely should not look like another? even down to the needle glide device, spring tensioning, tube vice ect .
I for one appreciate the thought, foresight and investment, that builders on this forum or not, put into their machines, is paramount,
and foremost in quality, and design!

well that is my twopeneth worth anyhow if i am wrong, then i stand corrected and apologise for the post, but think i would like to know what is good and what is not out there, and for the record I would never buy from ebay

My only issue is that you don't need to be a member to read this so all we've actually ended up doing is giving these Chinese rip offs free advertising in a section that can be read by Joe public.

***Alie K*** · 11-11-2011, 03:35 AM

Originally Posted by The Limey

My only issue is that you don't need to be a member to read this so all we've actually ended up doing is giving these Chinese rip offs free advertising in a section that can be read by Joe public.

It DOES help a little with SEO, but maybe I'll have a chat with the admin to see how he feels about making the mystery machines thread 'hidden' from the public, since there have been a lot of questions regarding what end up being ripoffs in here.

**Joe Hinkle** · 11-11-2011, 06:01 AM

Most tattooers have drawers full of coil machines that they may have used a week or less, that is how I looked at it when I purchased my first rotary. I looked into my drawer and saw the money I had wasted on many top shelf builder's coils, that I have used on only a handful of tattoos, and realized I had made much worse investments before. I was also afraid that a cheap rotary would have only detered me from sticking with trying anything more expensive if it weren't performing for me in the ways I expected.

**slicksteel** · 11-11-2011, 11:08 AM

I don't think the stealth is that bad of a machine-sure it is a knockoff but I feel one of the better made ones out there.I hav seen amazing work done with them.

**OwlsDen** · 11-11-2011, 11:19 AM

yeah, and i have seen people do great work with junk drawer machines cobbled together with whatever parts they had lying around. I have a stealth, it's ok. I have used it once. I do not know if i will use it again. I was able to take an interest in having better rotaries from it, and it did run pretty quiet at first. I would rather have the swiss.. I bet that machine is 10x better.

**slicksteel** · 11-11-2011, 11:27 AM

I had the swiss.It was by far not worth the way over priced tag.To me it was worth about 250.00 brand new.The thing is they made there invested money back and a large profit so now its time to lower the price to a reasonable amount. I think in the end it does not matter what you do the tattoo with as long as the tattoo can be done in a safe & clean way with proper healing.