Ask five suppliers to price the same machine and you will get five numbers spread across a factor of three. That is not because four of them are trying to rob you. It is because “automatic packaging machine” describes everything from a 6,000 dollar sachet machine to a 200,000 dollar servo line with a weigher, a metal detector, and a case packer bolted to the end.
So here is the honest version of the price question, with ranges you can plan a budget against and the specific features that move the number.
First, check what the quote actually includes
Before comparing a single figure, put both quotes side by side and mark four things: is the price ex-works, FOB, or CIF, is the weigher or filler included, is installation and training included, and are spare parts and tooling included.
A 22,000 dollar FOB quote with a weigher and a spare jaw set can be cheaper than an 18,000 dollar ex-works quote without either. We have seen buyers celebrate a 15 percent saving that disappeared the moment freight and a missing checkweigher were added back in.
Ballpark ranges by machine type
These are 2026 figures for machines built in China, ex-works, before freight and duty. Treat them as planning numbers, not quotations. European and Japanese equivalents typically run 1.8 to 3 times higher.
| Machine | Entry level | Industrial / servo |
|---|---|---|
| VFFS, basic (no weigher) | 9,000 to 18,000 USD | 25,000 to 45,000 USD |
| VFFS with multihead weigher | 28,000 to 45,000 USD | 55,000 to 95,000 USD |
| Flow wrapper, mechanical | 11,000 to 20,000 USD | 22,000 to 35,000 USD |
| Flow wrapper, full servo | 25,000 to 40,000 USD | 45,000 to 80,000 USD |
| Dual lane flow wrapper | 50,000 to 70,000 USD | 75,000 to 110,000 USD |
| Premade pouch machine, 4 station | 18,000 to 32,000 USD | 45,000 to 90,000 USD |
| Chamber vacuum sealer | 2,500 to 6,000 USD | 8,000 to 20,000 USD |
| Thermoforming vacuum packer | 28,000 to 50,000 USD | 60,000 to 120,000 USD |
| Cartoning machine | 22,000 to 40,000 USD | 50,000 to 90,000 USD |
| Filling machine, single head | 6,000 to 15,000 USD | 20,000 to 50,000 USD |
Seven things that move the price more than the brand
Servo count. A mechanical wrapper with one motor and a cam shaft costs a third of the same frame with five servos. The servos buy you changeover speed, gentler handling, and diagnostics.
The weighing system. On a snack line the weigher can cost more than the bagging machine. A linear weigher at 8,000 dollars and a 14-head multihead at 35,000 dollars do not belong in the same comparison.
Stainless and IP rating. 304 stainless with IP65 washdown construction adds 20 to 35 percent over painted carbon steel. 316 adds more again, and you only need it if you run chlorinated sanitisers daily.
A custom forming shoulder or bag size. Standard bag widths come cheap. A non-standard gusset or a shaped pouch needs a new former, and that is a 1,500 to 4,000 dollar line item with a four-week lead time.
Registration and print control. Printing a date, a lot code, or a full-colour eye-marked film adds hardware, and the control software to keep it aligned at 100 bags a minute is not free.
Safety category. Interlocked guards, a safety relay, and a Category 3 stop circuit are cheap in the factory and expensive to retrofit. Buyers who plan to export to the EU or supply a major retailer should not let this be the line item that gets cut.
Documentation depth. A manual in your language, a full electrical schematic, a PLC backup, and a witnessed FAT all cost the seller working hours. Sellers who give them away are usually charging for them somewhere else.
The 20 percent nobody budgets for
The machine is not the project. On a typical single-machine install, plan for these on top of the purchase price:
- Sea freight and insurance: 1,500 to 5,000 dollars depending on container and route
- Import duty and clearance: 0 to 12 percent of the declared value depending on country and HS code
- Rigging and positioning on site: 300 to 1,500 dollars
- Compressed air dryer and filters, if you do not have one: 800 to 2,500 dollars
- Voltage stabiliser or transformer: 500 to 3,000 dollars
- Initial spare parts: 2 to 4 percent of the machine price
- Film trials and packaging material for commissioning: 500 to 2,000 dollars
- Operator training time, including the productivity you lose while learning
None of that is anyone’s fault. It is just what a machine costs to make bags in your building rather than in a video.
How to compare two quotes without getting fooled
Convert both to cost per 1,000 finished bags, at your real production volume over three years. That means machine price, plus film at each machine’s actual waste rate, plus the labour each machine needs, plus a maintenance allowance of roughly 2 percent of the machine value per year.
Then add the intangibles in a separate column: changeover time, spare parts lead time, and whether the seller has anyone who can answer a technical question in your time zone. Those three have a habit of deciding which machine survives year five. Our total cost of ownership guide walks through the full calculation.
When the cheap machine is the expensive one
A buyer once saved 7,000 dollars on a basic VFFS for a potato chip line. The machine could not hold registration above 55 bags a minute, the film waste sat at 9 percent, and the jaw heater failed twice in the first year. At their volume, the film waste alone cost more than the saving in five months.
That is the normal shape of this mistake. It is almost never a dramatic breakdown. It is a small, permanent tax on every bag.
Where we would spend first
If the budget is fixed and something has to give, spend in this order: the weighing or filling system, the sealing system, the servo package, then the stainless steel. A beautiful frame around an unstable weigher produces expensive, consistent-looking waste.
And before you commit to a number, read how to size a machine to your production capacity, because buying 30 percent more speed than you can feed is the most common way to spend money you never recover.
Frequently asked questions
Why is one VFFS 9,000 dollars and another 90,000?
Different machine class. The 9,000 dollar unit is a basic intermittent machine with a volumetric cup filler and a painted frame. The 90,000 dollar unit has servo film feed, a 14-head weigher, stainless washdown construction, and a validated control system. They share a shape, not a category.
Is a used machine really cheaper?
Sometimes, but add 15 to 25 percent for refurbishment, transport, and the spare parts you will need for an obsolete model. If the machine is more than eight years old, check whether the PLC and HMI are still supported before you pay anything.
How much should I budget for spare parts in year one?
Two to four percent of the machine value is a reasonable starting point, weighted towards jaw covers, PTFE tape, knives, sensors, and one spare drive if the machine is critical to your output.
Do prices include the film?
No. Film is a separate and ongoing cost, and it is often bigger than the machine payment over three years. Ask the seller to quote machine and film separately so you can see which one you are really buying.