Sewing machine

[iahunter08]

Ok have a question on machines i currently have a 830 record and a singer 201 but am looking to step up to a commercial machine what does everyone recommend, needle fed? Or just standard walking foot. Started sewing hammocks and sil tarps but have found things that just leace me wanting a lottle more power in a machine in those thicker cordura and webbing areas. Whats everyone got or suggest

 

[Beendare]

My advice; go to a dedicated sewing shop and tell them what you want to do. They let me try a bunch of different machines...and since i didn't know a thing about sewing they ended up helping me a bunch.

for example; if you are doing a bunch of flat felled seams there are double needle machines that kick butt. i ended up with a simple single needle
demo Juki.

 

[Colby Jack]

When I upgrade, it will be to a Consew or Sailrite walking foot machine. They are bomber and small. Don’t require a yuge table.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

For hobby pack making you can do a lot with a robust domestic machine and worst case you give the wheel some help through thick stuff. I did a heck of a lot of projects on one and still use it for various tasks.

I also now have a straight stitch top/bottom feed walking foot (not compound feed) on a servo with needle positioning. The top/bottom feed works pretty well but does leave a little on the table that I expect a compound feed would address (at a cost and complexity to the machine and its timing). Its a larger and heavier footprint. It will punch through some thick stuff without help no question there but also takes practice to learn the feel for it. The pedal control takes some learning versus a domestic machine, the 0-100% span is much shorter so in complex areas I need to back off the servo further (I don't run it anywhere near full speed) to avoid overshooting, the needle positioning also takes learning there because if you don't let off in time it completes another revolution and might go one stitch beyond where you wanted to stop if you are set for needle down but its a nice feature for spinning a work piece around quickly too. Takes a little bit to get used to the using a knee lift for the pressure foot after being used to reaching behind your machine to lift the feed up, also need to make sure you aren't pushing the foot pedal while using the knee lift and vice versa. In the end its all just machine familiarity.

Large bobbins are quite nice but an occasional project I don't know that it matters that much. Unless you have an independent bobbin winder the ones on the machine run off the machine while its sewing, it doesn't disengage so you are running it empty to wind a bobbin if you aren't actually sewing. If you are actively sewing you can wind bobbins off a second thread spool and you never need to unthread the machine but again on small scale/projects that doesn't likely matter much.

 

[iahunter08]

Was kind of looking at a juki 1541s

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

I just upgraded to a juki. I like mine but juki are typically one trick ponies. Sewing sil or other light fabrics doesn't require a walking foot and often makes it harder. Powering through heavy stuff it can be helpful though. You'd need to do a lot of sewing to make the 1541 worth it.

Live2hunt custom shelters

 

[Aculous]

+1 I screwed up and got a Rex which is a chinese juki or consew knockoff and I have a cast iron boat anchor at the moment because it can only do a straight stitch and is good enough for leather but can't go slow enough. The ability to do a bunch of different stitches and run the machine super slow is really important I think.

 

[Beendare]

I just upgraded to a juki. I like mine but juki are typically one trick ponies. Sewing sil or other light fabrics doesn't require a walking foot and often makes it harder. Powering through heavy stuff it can be helpful though. You'd need to do a lot of sewing to make the 1541 worth it.

I would agree with that comment. I own the juki 2010 and don't bother using the walking foot

....it sews sil just fine without the WF. 3 layers of web- no problem. The WF on mine works fine but is noisy/annoying.

I do think a guy can do just about anything with the light fabrics on an old singer...but it helps to have experience to wring the performance out of those. I don't have that experience....so the juki makes it easier for me.