Chances are if you are looking for a rotary tattoo machine kit then you are a beginner. A rotary tattoo machine is a good choice for a beginners first machine. It takes a lot of the technical complexities out of the picture and allows the artist to hone their skills as an artist.
Now while it is always recommended that you seek an apprenticeship before you purchase any kind of tattoo equipment, a lot of us just aren’t that patient and want to get to practicing as soon as possible.
That is where rotary tattoo machine kits come in. They give you a good idea of everything that you will need to tattoo, and generally some educational tools as well for you to study to help you master your craft.
Most tattoo machine kits all have a few fatal flaws, whether they be, bad machines, dull needles, bad ink, etc.. but I have here the two best rotary tattoo machine kits out there.
They are the Dragonhawk Rotary Tattoo Kit and the Hildbrandt Rotary Tattoo Kit. The Hildbrandt tattoo kit is an anomaly that stands head and shoulders above the competition. The Dragonhawk tattoo kit is a “you get what you pay for kit,” but is the perfect kit for a beginner to practice with. We have the full reviews for your below!​
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Best Rotary Tattoo Machine Kits
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Hildbrandt Rotary Tattoo Machine Kit | • Pros: Complete educational resource, high-quality equipment • Cons: Dull needles | CHECK PRICE |
 | Wormhole Rotary Tattoo Machine Kit for Beginners | • Used for outline and shades • Make tattoo work efficient | CHECK PRICE |
1. Hildbrandt Rotary Tattoo Kit
This is the best rotary machine kit there is. In it comes everything you will need to start practicing your tattoos! The educational value in this kit is literally as good as it gets. You are also provided with two excellent tattoo machines and great inks that will have you well on your way to becoming a master tattoo artist.
​What Does The Kit Include?
- Hildbrandt Beretta Rotary Shader
- Hildbrandt Silencer Rotary Liner
- The Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoos
- Hildbrandt Tattoo Training DVD
- Tattoo Equipment & Supplies Crash Course 101
- Holy Flash 6000 tattoo flash archive CD
- Hildbrandt Spartan Power Supply
- RCA conversion kit
- Radiant Colors ½ oz Turbo Black
- Pre-sterilized disposable tube grips x 15
- Stainless steel tubes x 7
- Iron foot pedal
- Practice skin x 1
- Hildbrandt premium tattoo needles x 50
- Latex gloves x 5
- Clip cord
- O rings pack
- Grommets pack
- Machine adjustment spanner
- Aluminum grip with tube x 2
- Tattoo tubes cleaning brush set
- Stainless steel autoclave able ink cup holder
- Assorted ink cups pack
- Rubber bands pack
- Skin Scribe Pen
- Squeeze bottle / Ink bottle
- Transfer paper x 3
- 7% Hildbrandt VIP Membership Card
What Makes This Hildbrandt Kit The Best?
You not only gain access to teachmetotattoo.com, which features tons of video tutorials, guides, and forums where you can talk to, and learn from, other artists, but you also get two other great reference tools: The Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo, as well as a training DVD. If you are struggling to find an apprenticeship, then these educational materials will help you get a head start while you wait.
Most kits you buy are filled with, let’s be honest, less than quality materials. This rotary tattoo machine kit is different in that respect; there’s actually some great stuff in here!
First off, the machines are great. In this kit you get two high-quality rotary tattoo machines: The Hildbrandt Beretta and the Hildbrandt Silencer. Both of these are a little different than your run of the mill rotary tattoo machines, they both have an armature bar driven
The power supply and Inks are also really great. The ink is made by Radiant, which is loved by a lot of tattoo artists. The ink colors stay true and are easy to work with.
Plus, the Hildbrandt VIP Membership Card gets nets you 7% off at Hildbrandt for life! How great is that?
What Needs Improvement?
There are some downsides to this kit, like there are to any kit. This kits downside is that’s that some of the products are just not up to grade. For instance, you should probably upgrade to better tubes, and the ​transfer paper isn’t all that great.
One thing you should do with almost any kit is, only use the needles for practicing on things other than human skin, i.e. fruit or practice skin. The needles just aren’t sharp enough to tattoo on the skin, well you can do it, but it will be at the price of your client’s happiness and comfort!
This Kit Overall
This is a great rotary tattoo kit for beginners and intermediate tattoo artist, even pros can utilize a lot of what this rotary kit has to offer. You’re going to get top of the line educational material, great machines, a good power supply, and ink.
2. Wormhole Rotary Tattoo Machine Kit for Beginners
A Wormhole is not a name that needs any introduction whatsoever in the tattoo industry. Not only does Wormhole offer some of the finest solutions in the tattoo industry, but they are also available at pocket-friendly prices. And that is precisely the case with Wormhole Rotary Tattoo machine kits for beginners as well. Designed for, as evident by the name, beginners, professionals can also use the Wormhole Rotary Tattoo machine kit.
​What Comes With The Kit?
- Tattoo Pen
- Power Supply
- Tattoo clip cord
- Tattoo foot pedal
- 20 tattoo cartridge needles
- 40 tattoo ink caps with base
- 20 tattoo ink bottles
- 2 tattoo practice skin
- 5 transfer tattoo paper
- Tattoo gloves
- Tattoo grip bandage
- Tattoo kit user manual
What Makes This Kit Great For Beginners?
As pretty apparent from the offerings available in the kit, it has everything that one might need to get started. But on top of all that, it is a pretty affordable offering as well for one to get their hands on. The tattoo pen has a comfortable, ergonomic, and lightweight design with optimal maneuverability. In addition, the tattoo pen machine is compatible with all kinds of cartridge needles and is perfect for outlining and shading purposes.
The drawbacks of Wormhole Rotary Tattoo machine kits
While the Wormhole Rotary Tattoo machine kit is excellent to be used by beginners, it leaves a lot to be desired if one is looking for a professional usage machine. Its weight (359g) is a bit on the heavier side as well.
This Kit Overall
If you have just started practicing tattoo skills, you will find this Wormhole Rotary Tattoo machine kit highly useful. The machine is budget-friendly and comes with compatible cartridge needles. Whether you want to practice shading or outlining, it is recommended to start with this machine and upgrade the ink and needles as needed.
​Summary
When looking for a good tattoo machine kit to buy, you need to make sure that you will have everything you need to at least practice with. Usually, you will have to swap out equipment like the needles and ink for higher quality stuff before you can tattoo clients, but you want these kits to come out of the box ready to start practicing your skills.
Also, a lot of education sources by themselves are really expensive, so the kits that come with them included should always be first on your list. For instance, the book The Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo is considered to be the best source for tattoo theory, and something all tattoo artists should read. So if you’re struggling between two kits and one comes with this source, you should always lean towards the kit that will help you master your craft.
Both of these rotary tattoo kits will help you start chasing your dream of becoming a tattoo artist, but the high-quality equipment, but the educational resources that it provides you with are the next best thing to an apprenticeship from a professional tattoo artist.
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