Best Starter Tattoo Guns Reviews & Buying Guide 2023
Are you a beginner who is looking for a tattoo gun? Don’t worry!!! We are here for you to choose the best starter tattoo guns as per your suitability. We’ll let you know some key features you need to look for whenever you are buying a tattoo machine.
The best tattoo guns have high-quality design, easy operation, and can run for a long time.
Besides this, it should be good at lining and shading and can inject ink into the dermis layer of the skin.
So, we have picked out some of the best tattoo guns for starters or beginners according to our criteria for observing a tattoo machine. Some of these are given below:
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | RATING | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
|
BEST OVERALL
|
Dragonhawk Tattoo Kit Mast Pen Rotary Tattoo Machine
|
9.2
|
Check on Amazon |
|
PREMIUM PICK
|
Stigma Complete Rotary Tattoo Kit
|
8.6
|
Check on Amazon |
|
BUDGET PICK
|
SPEKTRA XION
|
6.6
|
Check on Amazon |
below is the list of the Best Starter Tattoo Guns 2023
Dragonhawk Mast Pen Rotary Tattoo machine (Overall best)
Specifications:
- Brand: Dragonhawk
- Dimensions:Net Weight: 82g, Stroke: 3.5mm, Voltage 4.5-20V, Speed: 900rpm
- Color: Black
Dragonhawk Mast Pen Rotary Tattoo Machine is a high-quality tattoo machine that is very stable to operate and affordable as well. It can be used by beginners as well as experienced artists. It’s easy to handle and light in weight. Dragonhawk’s needles are also adjustable, and you can operate this machine at various voltage ranges depending upon your requirement for lining and shading. Dragonhawk is durable too because of the aluminum material so its performance is long-lasting that can help you make perfect tattoos. This high-quality piece of equipment is important to attain precision. It is acknowledged that both coiled and rotary tattoo machines may create tattoos; however, a rotary tattoo machine like Dragonhawk Mast Pen Rotary Tattoo Machine is highly appreciated.
- Adjustable needles
- Good for beginners
- Affordable price
- Well-tuned
- Injects ink consistently
- Quiet to operate
- Does not dissipate heat
- Adjustable voltage range
- Gets loud and vibrates if it operates for a long time
- Need to buy grip tape because the pen slips through your hands
- Can overheat if it runs for an indefinite time
Customer Review
I have to say, I was not expecting this machine to be as good as it is considering the price. I have more expensive rotary pens as compared to this machine. Time will tell if it holds up, but frankly, if it lasted a year I’d be satisfied and would be happy to buy another. I have a quick hand and even at a lower voltage than I usually use, this thing throws excellent lines. I was surprised how well it packed color, but I haven’t used any big magnums or anything yet (no trouble with a 7round mag). All in all, for the price you can’t go wrong.
FK Irons Spektra Rotary Machine(the Most Powerful Tattoo Machine)
Specifications:
- Brand: FK IRONS
- Colour:Black
FK Iron Spektra rotary machine is another best rotary machine. It works efficiently with adjustable needles. You aren’t supposed to spend money on its maintenance as well. It is convenient to handle and has a firm grip so it is very unlikely to cause damage to your skin. It is suitable for both the starters and the experienced ones. FK Iron Spektra rotary machine has a high-quality aluminum design that allows artists to make incredible designs. The Pen is easily adjusted for needle switching mid-session and renders low vibration as well.
- Best for beginners
- Light, ergonomic aluminum design
- Powerful MAXON Swiss motor
- Durable and long-lasting
- Easy-to-use
- Great for various needlework
- Minimal skin damage
- Quite expensive
Customer Review
If you love this brand and want to find out if the benefits are worth the investment, I suggest you buy this machine. With a patented drive mechanism to boot, the FK Iron Spektra Tattoo Machine is very unique in motor operations. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the FK Iron Spektra Tattoo Machine, which went on to be retained in the improved model, was the zero need for lubrication. It might not be the most comfortable machine for beginners due to its size. Maybe, this could also be an advantage for you if getting to feel a heavy machine.
Solong Tattoo Pen Kit Rotary Tattoo Gun Machine
Specifications:
- Brand:Solong Tattoo
- Dimensions: 8.27 x 5.51 x 5.91 inches; 2.2 Pounds
- Colour:Black
If you are a well-experienced tattooist and you want to speed -up and improve your lining and shading, then the Solong tattoo kit is the only alternative for you. With solid brass binding and accommodation of 10 wrap coils along with a 47uf capacitor, it is the best for lining and shading. The liner and shader are separate from each other, so you can buy either of these, as per your requirement. Even though the coil has a dull hit, you can replace it with a stronger one.
- Affordable and easy to use
- Lightweight
- Excellent design
- More shades are included
- Long-lasting material <
- No carrying case
- Ink quality is not up to the mark
- Poor quality jack sockets
Stigma Complete Rotary Tattoo Kit
Specifications:
- Brand:STIGMA
- Dimensions: 7.09 x 3.7 x 2.99 inches; 1.12 Pounds
- Colour:Grey
In this tattoo machine, one coil tattoo machine is for line, and the other is for shading. The red container is for the liner machine, while the blue one is for the shader. It packs the ink well and hits smoothly with little recoil. It operates so softly and flawlessly that you scarcely notice it doing anything on your skin. With a sturdy manganese steel construction and imported copper wires, it boasts high conductivity and is resistant to everyday wear and abuse. Stigma Tattoo Machine can adjust the needle. It allows low noise and can work for a long time. There are 20 PCS stigma tattoo cartridges, high-quality RCA connector cords, a digital power supply, and 100 pcs disposable covers.
- The length of the needle can be adjusted
- High-quality copper wire
- Good conductivity
- High-speed stability
- Overheats at more than 12 V
Dragonhawk Coil Machines Tattoo Kit(best coil tattoo machine)
Specifications:
- Brand:DRAGONHAWK
- Dimensions:10.2 x 9.92 x 3.78 inches; 4.14 Pounds
- Colour:Golden and Dark Red
It is unique in the way that it comes in two forms, one for shading and the other for lining; with 10 wrap coils for the shader machine and 8 wrap coils for the lining. To operate the shader machine, you have to adjust the voltage around 115-127 Hz, and the liner one operates at 140-150 Hz. Having a solid brass frame, the Dragonhawk coil keeps the vibrations down, to form perfect lines. The coils, however, may dissipate the heat.
- Affordable price
- Lightweight and Easy to use
- Easy to repair
- Compact design
- Complete tattoo kit
- Include accessories such as stencil transfer paper
- Bad ink quality
- No user guide
- Sometimes Coils Overheat
Customer Review
The machine is great! I’m far from a professional tattoo artist, but I’ve done 6 tattoos with this kit and all of them came out great! I didn’t use the ink that came in the kit. It’s too watered down. And the case was the reason I chose this kit over a different one, but the case is terrible. If you’re looking at this one just for the case – don’t. It’s not even big enough to fit all of the supplies in.
SPEKTRA XION
Specifications:
- Brand:FK IRONS
- Dimensions:4.52 x 1.29 x 1.19 inches; 4.64 Ounces
- Colour:Black
The Spektra Xion is a lightweight that tattoo artists can use for long sessions. It’s an ergonomic, pen-style rotary tattoo machine that allows for optimal usability. Spektra Rotary has equipped the Xion with a specially designed 6W motor bolt that provides maximum torque for the entire tattoo session, ensuring optimal cartridge performance. Moreover, its needles are also adjustable, allowing tattooists to adjust stroke length; If you prefer a bigger grip, check out the Spektra Xion Gorilla, which combines his standard Xion body with his 40mm larger Gorilla grip.
- Lightweight
- Ergonomic design
- Adjustable needle length High durability and good conductivity
- Easy to lift
- Produces less fatigue
- Not good for shading and lining
Customer Review
I’ve had this machine for almost 3 months now and I love it. I like the coil set I got on Amazon too but this one is so lightweight. I’ve done a lot of tattoos using this and I used it through an entire 2 1/2 hour piece with no issues. Going to buy another one so I don’t have to keep stopping and changing the needles out.
ATOMUS Tattoo Pen Style Cartridge Machine Gun
Specifications:
- Brand:ATOMUS
- Dimensions: 4.09 x 3.54 x 1.34 inches; 4.23 Ounces
- Colour:Black
The ATOMUS Tattoo Coil Machine Gun has superb construction and style. There are numerous tattoo items are created, produced, and sold under its name. It is strong and reliable in performance due to the copper rod and high-quality iron frame. It can do your task quickly and effortlessly with a rotating speed of up to 3600 R/M (5V 60hz). It is often used for extended periods without heating. It produces a steady output with 8 coil wraps and is an excellent coil tattoo gun to start with for novices.
- High-quality design
- Good for starters
- Lightweight
- Easy to use
- Loud noise and high vibrations
- Can’t operate at 5-6 volts
Customer Review
I bought this one just to have a backup just in case. So far it has surpassed any expectations I may have had. It is a great little machine. Runs smooth, and haven’t had any trouble with heat build-up or vibration. I don’t think you’re going wrong buying this machine.
Dragonhawk Extreme Rotary Tattoo Machine
Specifications:
- Brand: DragonHawk
- Dimensions:7.09 x 5.35 x 3.39 inches; 12.63 Ounces
- Colour:Golden
This tattoo machine, which weighs around 135g, is made from a solid block of pure brass. It has an RCA connection and a powerful Japanese motor, which increases torque with less voltage. This machine could be used for shading, lining, and large area coloring. The stroke/needle length is between 2.5-4.2mm. It has a spring and armature bar set-up that ensures a more Stable frequency and a stronger rebound. It produces no noise during the operation and does tattooing at a smooth pace.
- Adjustable stroke length – 2.5mm to 4.2mm stroke length
- Clockwise twist to reduce the stroke and vice versa
- Ergonomic design
- Long-term use and durability due to the brass material
- Suitable for shading, lining, and coloring large areas
- Suitable for standard and cartridge needles
- Might not be suitable for large grouping needles
- No room for tension rubber band placement
- The lining may not be perfect as observed by some artists
Customer Review
I have used so many styles of rotary and have kept 3. A Hawk pen, a Thomas hybrid, and now this one. This machine is like butter! It is very smooth, light, and has low vibration. Only had it a week so we’ll Dr about the life but so far very pleased.
Pirate Face Grinder Tattoo Kit
Specifications:
- Brand: Pirate Face Tattoo
- Dimensions:13.07 x 11.46 x 5.35 inches; 8.97 Pounds
- Colour:3 colour available
This tattoo machine is also a good alternative for beginners. It helps you create excellent tattoos. Here, the whole kit comes with four coil machines that can provide you with lining, shading, coloring, etc. This machine is wrapped in 10 coils so that reliable power can be supplied easily for long sessions and without causing damage to the skin. In addition, Pirate Face Grinder Tattoo Kit is compatible with stories along with disposable tips.
- Great for beginners as well as professional
- 4 Tattoo Machine Gun – 10 coil / Includes FREE 240-page Tattoo Instructional Book & DVD COMBO
- Easy to operate and excellent lining and shading
- Disposable grips and adjustable needles
- Includes ALL Supplies – Carrying Case, Needles, Power, Ink Cups, Grips, Gloves, Directions, etc
- Produces noise and vibration during the operation
Customer Review
I enjoy giving myself tattoos and I’m fairly new at tattooing. My main issue with the product is that the gun is always fickle and doesn’t always want to work when I’m in the middle of tattooing myself. The cord that connects to the gun is junky and at an awkward angle, you lose power. Not sure if it’s the best for beginners.
Pirate Face Grinder Tattoo Kit
Specifications:
- Brand:Rehab Ink
- Dimensions: 10.31 x 10 x 6.42 inches; 3.65 Pounds
- Colour:Black
Rehab Ink Complete Tattoo machine is an affordable tattoo machine for beginners. It has ten-wrapped coils to ensure that you can have the best lining and shading. Moreover, there are seven different inks used in this machine, along with ink caps. Rehab Ink Complete Tattoo machine also provided gloves and cleaning supplies to allow an artist to practice safe hygiene habits from the start. It is easy to operate and the needles are adjustable in various sizes.
- Affordable price
- Excellent for beginners
- Good for lining and shading
- Easy to operate
- Adjustable needles
- Sometimes produces noise and vibration during the operation
Customer Review
If you got this to learn how to tattoo a little bit on your own, I think this would be a good box for you. It comes with everything you need to get started, but I wouldn’t recommend using this if you are planning to give yourself a tattoo. It doesn’t come with instructions on how to use it, and for some reason, my gun doesn’t keep a constant speed, so I have to go and clean everything over so that it’ll keep going at a continuous speed. The ink isn’t the best; I’d recommend buying an ink separate from this. The stencil works okay, and it comes with a variety of needles. It works pretty well for your money and for learning for beginners.
how to choose the best tattoo guns for beginners 2023
A beginner should keep in view the following key features whenever buying a tattoo gun.
- Easy to operate: Since you are a beginner, you should be concentrated on buying such tattoo machine which is easy to operate and has a firm grip to perform superb lining, shading, and coloring.
- Weight: This is also an important element to account for whenever you’re buying a tattoo gun. The heavier the tattoo gun the better the punching, and as a result, the more ink injects into the dermis layer of skin rendering your tattoo permanent. However, you should rely on using lighter tattoo guns in the beginning; once you get used to the lighter guns then you can come towards the heavier ones for better performances.
- Reliability: Perhaps another important feature of a tattoo machine. A machine must have a reliable and sustainable operation. It needs not to get stuck in the middle of tattoo sessions.
- Versatility: We would prefer a tattoo gun that can perform various functions exceptionally well. Instead of performing just one task, the tattoo gun should have the capability of multitasking, which is indispensable for a beginner, because of not being used to operating numerous machines.
- Price: A beginner should buy cheap to medium price tattoo machines which can efficiently get his work done.
As far as the best tattoo machine for a beginner is concerned, we’d select for you the Solong Rotary tattoo machine because it has the best features among all the tattoo guns.
Conclusion
We have discussed some of the tattoo guns that beginner tattoo artists should buy. We pointed out that features like design, price, durability, reliability, and versatility are important to keep into consideration. The best tattoo machine outperforms other machines in these features. In addition to this, we also choose for you the best tattoo gun until now, which is none other than Solong Rotary Tattoo Machine since it is observed that this tattoo gun has a high-quality design, long life, and ability to perform multiple functions at an affordable price. That’s why we thought that this would be the best choice for beginner tattoo artists to start their journey in tattooing.