On paper the EM-1010 is a lot of machine: ten needles, a 12.2×8.3-inch field, a colour touchscreen and a price that doesn't just undercut comparable Brother units — it undercuts Brother's entry multi-needle by more than half. That value is real, and it's why Ricoma has won a big share of first-time commercial buyers. The nuance the spec sheet won't tell you is the support model — and for a machine your income depends on, that's the spec that matters most.
We re-checked every price in the table below against live listings on 30 July 2026, and the gap is wider than our own earlier figures suggested. A ten-needle Ricoma is cheaper than a six-needle Brother by roughly $8,000, and cheaper than Brother's current ten-needle by roughly $19,000. Whatever else is true about dealer networks and resale, that is the number a startup has to reckon with first.
How it compares
| Machine | Field | Built-ins | Price (axis $4,000–25,000) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricoma EM-1010 our pick for value · 10-needle | 12.2×8.3 in | 200 | $4,830–5,499 | 8.1/10 |
| Brother PR680W the Brother alternative · 6-needle | 8×12 in | 60 | $12,999–13,629 | 8.7/10 |
| Brother PR1060W Brother’s current 10-needle | 8×14 in | 1280 | checking | 8.5/10 |
| Brother PR1055X discontinued 10-needle · was Brother’s flagship | 8×14 in | 140 | $20,799 | 8.5/10 |
3 of 4 prices traced to a live listing, most recent check 4 Sep 2026. Rows without a live source read "checking" rather than showing a band. Sources cited below.
Where it wins, where it loses
Prices and owner reports, sourced
Every price above traces to one of these listings, checked on the date shown. The owner card summarises what people in that community actually say — follow the links and check us.
Listed at $4,830.00, in stock, against a $9,660.00 list price — a live dealer listing at roughly half list. Checked 30 July 2026.
View the listing →Ricoma’s own July sale price is from $5,499 against a $8,999 regular price, with Core and Ultra bundles at $5,499 and $8,499. Confirms 10 needles and a 12.2×8.3-inch field. Checked 30 July 2026.
View the listing →The 6-needle Brother PR680W lists at $12,999.99 (MSRP $16,719.99) — so the 10-needle Ricoma is not "six-needle money", it is well under half of it. Checked 30 July 2026.
View the listing →Ricoma owners consistently highlight the value and rate the included training and responsive support highly, especially for first-time commercial buyers. The counter-view: Brother’s dealer network is larger, so local servicing and resale are easier — Ricoma support is centralised, great when it’s good, but you rely on the company rather than a nearby dealer.
Read the thread →Common questions
Are Ricoma embroidery machines any good?
Yes — we score the EM-1010 8.1/10. The value is not marginal: ten needles and a 12.2×8.3-inch field for less than half what a six-needle Brother costs, with well-reviewed onboarding for first-time commercial buyers. The trade-off is a smaller dealer network, so servicing and resale lean on the company rather than a local shop.
Ricoma vs Brother multi-needle — which is better for a small business?
On price it is not close: a 10-needle EM-1010 lands around $4,830–$5,499 against $12,999 for a 6-needle Brother PR680W. Brother’s current 10-needle, the PR1060W, has no published price anywhere we can check as of 4 September 2026: Brother lists none and its dealers quote in store only. The last published figure was $24,199.99 in July 2026, about five times the Ricoma. Buy Brother only if a local dealer, easy servicing and stronger resale are worth paying two to five times the price for. For most startups, they are not.
How much does a Ricoma embroidery machine cost?
The 10-needle EM-1010 sits at roughly $4,830–$5,499 depending on bundle and promotion (checked 30 July 2026), against a $8,999–$9,660 list price. That is roughly a fifth of what Brother’s current 10-needle PR1060W cost when a dealer last published a figure ($24,199.99, July 2026). No dealer publishes one today, so we no longer show a price band for it.
Can Ricoma machines embroider caps?
Yes — Ricoma multi-needle machines support cap drivers and cylinder frames, and caps are one of the most common reasons buyers choose a multi-needle Ricoma as their first commercial machine.