Cigarette machines and injectors: how to fill your own cigarettes
Guide · Making your own cigarettes
A cigarette machine doesn't roll tobacco in paper. It fills it into a ready-made filter tube, and the result looks just like a cigarette from the pack. Whether it works cleanly depends mostly on the right tube and the right tobacco. Here you'll learn how manual and electric cigarette injectors work, how to fill tubes step by step and what helps when things go wrong.
In short
- The principle: The machine portions the tobacco, compresses it and pushes it into an empty tube with a filter. No paper, no gluing.
- Two types: Manual injectors work with a slider or a lever. Electric injectors fill tubes at the push of a button.
- The tobacco decides: Electric injectors need loose, dry, short-cut tobacco.
- Important: Filling your own isn't healthier. It still produces tar and carbon monoxide, and nicotine is addictive.
What is a cigarette machine and how does it work?
A cigarette machine, also called a cigarette injector, tube filler or injector machine, fills an empty cigarette tube with filter with tobacco. The tobacco is portioned in a chamber or channel, gently compressed and pushed through a nozzle, often called the spoon, into the tube fitted on the end.
Unlike rolling, there's nothing to lick or stick, because the tube already comes with paper and filter.
Cigarette machine, injector, rolling machine: the terms
In shops these terms often get mixed up:
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cigarette machine, cigarette injector, tube filling machine | The same device. It fills tobacco into ready-made filter tubes. |
| Hand injector | A small manual handheld device for single tubes. |
| Injector | The common name for electric cigarette machines. |
| Rolling machine | Rolls tobacco in cigarette paper. No tube is used. |
| Cigarette vending machine | A machine that sells cigarettes. It has nothing to do with filling tubes. |
Manual injector: slider and lever
Manual cigarette injectors work without power: you move the tobacco into the tube by hand. Two designs are common:
- Handheld model with slider: You spread the tobacco in a narrow channel, close the lid and push the slider forward. The tobacco travels into the tube, then you pull the slider back.
- Tabletop model with lever: A lever compresses the tobacco in a chamber and then presses it into the tube.
In Swiss shops you'll find devices such as the Gizeh Silver Tip Boy, the OCB Tube Machine Inject Easyslide or the OCB Mikro Matic. The names are for orientation only and are not a recommendation.
A manual device suits you if you fill tubes now and then. It takes a little practice until every tube is filled equally firmly.
Electric injector: when it's worth it
An electric injector draws the tobacco into the tube with an auger or spiral, or pushes it in with an electrically driven slider. It's simple to use: choose the density you want, fill the tobacco into the hopper, fit a tube on the nozzle and press start.
One well-known model range is Powermatic. According to the Powermatic 3 Plus manual, the device is intended for private, non-commercial use. If you fill a lot of tubes in one go, you benefit from the speed and the even density. In return, electric injectors are more demanding about the tobacco.
Manual or electric?
| Feature | Manual injector | Electric injector |
|---|---|---|
| Operation | Slider or lever | Push of a button |
| Speed | One tube after another, with some handwork | Faster, good for lots of tubes in one go |
| Power | Not needed | Needed |
| Demands on the tobacco | More forgiving | High: loose, dry, short-cut |
Filling your own cigarettes step by step
These steps follow common manufacturer instructions:
- Prepare the tobacco. Fluff the tobacco up loosely and break up any clumps with your fingers.
- Set up the machine. Place the device on a flat surface. If it's electric, switch it on and choose the density.
- Add the tobacco. Fill the tobacco into the hopper or chamber and spread it evenly without pressing it down.
- Fit the tube. Slide an empty tube onto the nozzle as far as it will go. The filter points outwards.
- Fill. Operate the slider or lever, or press start. Hold the tube lightly in place as you do.
- Remove and check the tube. Carefully pull off the filled tube and check that the tobacco reaches the filter.
Which tobacco for a cigarette injector?
For tubes you use MYO tobacco, short for "make your own". A special form of it is volume tobacco, often sold as HVT for "high volume tobacco". It takes up more space and fills tubes loosely. Fine-cut tobacco for rolling, also called RYO, is finer and denser by comparison.
Manufacturer specifications are especially strict for electric injectors. The Powermatic 3 Plus manual, for example, states that the device is only suitable for volume tobacco. Rolling tobacco, fine-cut or pipe tobacco are not suitable according to the manual. The tobacco should have less than 12 % relative humidity and a cut length under 20 mm. These values apply to this device and not automatically to every machine. The Powermatic 2 Plus FAQ also says: if the tobacco doesn't reach the filter, it's probably too moist.
Manual devices with a slider are more forgiving, but loose, not too moist tobacco helps here too. Try a new tobacco with a few tubes first before you use up a whole pack.
Tobacco compared
| Feature | MYO tobacco / volume tobacco (HVT) | Fine-cut (RYO) |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | Coarser and looser than rolling tobacco | Fine and dense |
| Made for | Tubes and injectors | Rolling with paper |
| In electric injectors | Volume tobacco intended according to manufacturer specifications; test other MYO tobacco first | Not suitable according to manufacturer specifications |
At Heimat, the cut for filling tubes is called Heimat MYO. It comes as Hell and Dunkel in a 250 g pack, both made from Swiss tobacco and free from humectants, additives and flavourings. Because there are no humectants, the tobacco dries out faster; more on that in the tips. You'll find the full range under MYO tobacco.
Choosing the right cigarette tubes
Cigarette tubes are a paper tube with a ready-made filter. The standard is 8 mm in diameter and around 84 to 85 mm long. The main differences lie in the filter length:
| Tube | Filter | Filling section | Diameter | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Size | 15 mm | 69 mm | 8 mm | The most common standard format. |
| Extra or Extra Filter | 25 mm | 59 mm | 8 mm | Longer filter, less tobacco per tube. |
| Slim | Depends on the manufacturer | Depends on the manufacturer | 5 to 6 mm | Up to 100 mm long. Needs a matching slim machine or nozzle. |
- Tube and nozzle have to match. An 8 mm tube belongs on an 8 mm nozzle.
- Always slide it on all the way. If the tube only sits halfway, it easily buckles or tears during filling.
- Keep them dry. Store tubes in their box so they don't get crushed or absorb moisture.
Filling or rolling: which suits you?
The difference is in the material: tube or paper.
Filling
- Ready-made filter tubes instead of paper
- Consistent result that looks like a factory-made cigarette
- Needs a machine and tubes
Rolling
- Papers and filter tips of your choice
- You decide the thickness and amount
- Takes a little practice
- Works without a device, almost anywhere
The tobacco differs too: MYO tobacco is cut coarser, rolling tobacco finer and denser. For rolling, there's Heimat tobacco in a fine cut:
Is filling your own cigarettes cheaper? Do the maths yourself
Whether and how much you save depends on your own numbers. One reason for price differences is tobacco tax: in Switzerland, factory-made cigarettes are taxed per piece. Fine-cut tobacco, which the FOCBS describes as cigarette tobacco for rolling your own, is taxed by weight instead, that is per kilogram. On top of that comes a share of the retail price in each case. The legal basis is the Tobacco Taxation Act (TStG).
- Grams per tube: Density and tube type make a big difference. An Extra Filter tube holds less tobacco than a King Size tube.
- Waste: Torn tubes and dried-out tobacco count too.
- Tubes and machine: Both come on top of the tobacco costs.
Weigh a few filled tubes and work out the average. Divide the weight of the pack by the grams per tube and you'll know how many tubes a pack makes. Compare that number with the cost of tobacco, tubes and machine.
Tips for evenly filled cigarettes
| Problem | Possible cause | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Tobacco doesn't reach the filter | Tobacco too moist, or residue in the mechanism and nozzle | Let the tobacco dry a little, clean the mechanism and nozzle |
| Tobacco doesn't feed through | Tobacco too sticky or cut too long | Loosen the tobacco, shorten long strands, check the moisture |
| Machine jams | Tobacco has got stuck in the chamber | Switch the device off and clear the chamber; on the Powermatic 3 Plus, use the cleaning pin as the manual describes |
| Tube tears or creases | Often not fitted all the way, wrong tube size or density too high | Slide the tube on all the way, choose the right size, lower the density |
Causes and solutions based on common manufacturer instructions for cigarette injectors.
Care: Remove tobacco residue from the chamber and nozzle regularly, whether your device is manual or electric. Your device's manual explains how to clean it. For the Powermatic 3 Plus, the manual names a cleaning pin for this.
Storage: Keep the tobacco pack well sealed, cool and dark. Tobacco that's too dry crumbles, tobacco that's too moist clogs the machine. Only take out as much tobacco as you're about to use.
Swiss MYO tobacco from Heimat
The machine decides the shape, the tobacco decides the taste. Heimat tobacco grows in eight Swiss cantons: Aargau, Bern, Fribourg, Jura, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Vaud and Zurich.
The journey of Heimat tobacco
Swiss farmers grow Virginia and Burley, GMO-free from the seed onwards.
The leaves are harvested by hand and dried in barns until they take on their golden or brown colour.
In Payerne the tobacco matures under controlled heat, and harshness fades.
Cut to a family recipe and processed with Swiss mountain spring water. No humectants, no flavourings.
How the current harvest was grown and processed is shown on our page Field-fresh Swiss tobacco 2026.
What makes Heimat tobacco different
- 100 % Swiss Burley and Virginia
- No additives, humectants or flavourings
- GMO-free from seed to tobacco
- Traceable right back to the field
- Made to a family recipe, cut in our own manufactory
Which Heimat tobacco suits you?
Heimat MYO Hell. Swiss Virginia to the fore, mild and golden.
Heimat MYO Dunkel. Coarser cut, nutty, built on Swiss Burley.
Heimat RYO Hell or Dunkel. The fine cut for rolling.
MYO tobacco All Heimat rolling tobaccos
No smoke, no tobacco
Heimat Nicotine Pouches
For moments when smoking isn't possible, such as on the train or at the office, there are Heimat Nicotine Pouches. They contain no tobacco and produce no smoke.
- Swiss Made, triple lab-tested
- Tobacco-free, no colourings
- 15 mg nicotine per pouch, precisely dosed
- Four flavours: Menthol Ice, Wild Cherry, Frosty Berry, Fresh Lemon
Nicotine pouches also contain nicotine and are addictive. At 15 mg per pouch, they are meant for adults who are used to nicotine.
Discover pouchesWhat's inside?If you'd like to give up tobacco and nicotine altogether, you'll find an alternative in our nicotine-free cigarettes and the nicotine-free herbal blend. More guides: How much nicotine is in a cigarette?, Tobacco without additives, American Spirit and Ordering tobacco on invoice.
Frequently asked questions about cigarette machines
How does a cigarette machine work?
A cigarette machine portions tobacco in a chamber or channel, gently compresses it and pushes it through a nozzle into an empty tube with a filter. This works manually with a slider or lever, or electrically at the push of a button.
Which tobacco is best for a cigarette injector?
MYO tobacco works best. A special form of it is volume tobacco, which takes up more space and fills tubes loosely. According to manufacturer specifications, electric injectors need dry, short-cut volume tobacco. Test a new tobacco with a few tubes first.
What's the difference between MYO tobacco and rolling tobacco?
The difference is mainly in the cut. MYO tobacco is coarser and looser and fills tubes evenly. Rolling tobacco is finer and denser and holds together well in thin cigarette paper.
Can you use MYO tobacco for rolling too?
Yes, that's possible. Because MYO tobacco is cut coarser, though, it holds together less well in thin paper than fine-cut.
Is an electric cigarette injector worth it?
That depends on how often you fill tubes. If you fill a lot of tubes in one go, you'll appreciate the speed and even density. For occasional filling, a manual device is enough.
Which tubes are suitable for filling?
The standard is tubes with an 8 mm diameter. King Size tubes have a 15 mm filter, Extra Filter tubes a 25 mm filter and hold less tobacco. Slim tubes at 5 to 6 mm need a matching machine or nozzle.
What if the MYO tobacco is too dry or too moist?
Leave tobacco that's too moist open to dry a little before putting it in the machine. Tobacco that's too dry crumbles and feeds through less well. So keep the pack well sealed, cool and dark, and only take out as much as you're about to use.
Health warning: Smoking kills. Self-filled cigarettes are no healthier than factory-made ones. Tobacco and nicotine pouches contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Tobacco products may only be sold to people aged 18 and over in Switzerland (Tobacco Products Act, since 1 October 2024). Powermatic, Gizeh, OCB and other brands mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. This page is for information only and is not affiliated with these manufacturers. More in our risk information.