Advice needed for a sewing machine

[rtoner]

I realize you are trying to save a few bucks but going cheap in the long run will bite you. I have learned this the hard way from hammers to electronic gear. If you want something that lasts and can get through the hard stuff then the Sailrite is the machine for you. No, I have no connections with Sailrite except being an owner.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Attachment 168480Attachment 168481

Both Pfaff 130... [emoji15]

Newer versions of the "new" one have needle up/down stop and a drop down dual feed foot which is very nice to have for slippery stuff like sails.
NO home machine that I have seen will be able to punch through the corners of a cruising sail.

Another good basic machine is this one:
They are everywhere for cheap.

[philiosophy]

OK, first of all you get what you pay for. I bought a new Toyota 325 from a dealer in Texas who used to sell Sailrites before they took all the dealerships away. He then sold the Chinese generic version of the Sailrite. Since I was in Ecuadore and able to do many things on the Toyota but not all the things I wanted to do I asked him if the generic version was as good as a Sailrite. He said not even close. So I suffered with the Toyota until I finally arrived in New Zealand where I was able to find an Origional Sailrite based on the Singer S200. This is a monster but boy will it sew through heavy material. I paid 600 nz for it and its 20 years old. You get what you pay for. If you are always using new cloth and up to four layers maybe a bit more fine buy a good old solid metal Phaff, Singer, or the &avorite of many cruisers the Bernina. When sewing old stiff cloth and going over a seam or other heavy duty situations you need the Sailrite. Don’t do what I did and buy three machines before I finally bought the sailrite. Just depends on what you are doing.

[toddster8]

Last time I looked, most of those "generic" machines of the same design used by Sailrite had disappeared from the usual places on-line. Or their prices were greatly increased. I wonder if there was some kind of shake-up of the industry in China?

[Jim Cate]

FWiW:

For the amateur sailmaker/canvas worker, most semi industrial machines and many all metal home machines will sew through the requisite layers of material... that is not IMO the critical factor. What is important is the throat area! Stuffing big rolls of dacron or whatever through a small aperture and maintaining control of stitch line and length is damn hard to accomplish and has always been the limiting factor in what I could successfully sew. The walking foot helps in this, but can't overcome all perils.

So, don't get too caught up in the shiny details, but get a machine that gives you room to work!

And BTW, the Sailrite (which we have and enjoy) is not all that well endowed with throat area

Jim

[thunderhoof]

Look up Rex sewing machines. Their RX-607Z is the same as Sailrite uses for their machine. The Sailrite machine is somewhat improved in the drive area but otherwise seems identical. About $285 online. I added a base, a wood box with sewing machine hinges, that fits just fine and added a magnetic LED sewing light. I believe several others market this exact machine. Works fine except necessary to tighten the clutch in the center of the handwheel when sewing very heavy material. BTW, the Sailrite instruction manual can be used with the REX.

[Nanamuk]

We have been using a 50's vintage Singer 500K (or maybe it is a 519K?) - uses discs to get all kinds on different stitch patterns. Bought it in NZ in '83 - was 220v so put a hand crank on it. Will sew anything from silk to leather. Uses standard Singer needles. Easy to work on if ever needed as it is bare bones simple, well engineered and robustly built. I could row out to the boat and get the exact model No. if you are interested. Takes 2 of us to sew big stuff like the main - one to feed and one to crank but the wife can do all the Sumbrella tarps, weather cloths, etc on her own.

[Nanamuk]

Our Singer is a 319K -see on www.singer.co.uk
Cheers Rob

[somanyboats]

I have a phaff 130 , works great. I have sewn many layers of sunbrella and have done repairs on our sails.
Sewing machine needles are available for all machines.
you will need to check a web site for your machine.
If it is a machine for home use ,all standard machines use the same needle.
For example 80/12 is for clothes, 90/10 is a bigger needle 100/8 is bigger etc.
Sharp, universal, knits, are telling you the shape of the needle tip.
I use a sharp for boat sewing.

Morris is another machine option.
It's a commercial machine made for home use.
Sewing machines made with metal parts from 1900 -1950's all do well and parts are still made for them.

[Emouchet]

I am using that Omega:
Omega WF24ZZLN with monster wheel - Walking-foot.com
It is about the same frame as the Sailrite, but longer neck. Sailrite changed a few part in it to make it more reliable.
I have made my Bimini, dodger and laizybag with it. Gone through a large 2000m spool of Tenera thread, and still going strong.

Only trouble is that you need to tune up the machine from time to time. It takes some time to get some know how.

[ronstory]

Interesting. Looks really similar to the New-tech 607ZL which run $380 on e-bay, but without the super wheel ... and handle.

https://goldstartool.com/new-tech-60...g-machine.html

[sailingunity]

Originally Posted by ronstory

Interesting. Looks really similar to the New-tech 607ZL which run $380 on e-bay, but without the super wheel ... and handle.

https://goldstartool.com/new-tech-60...g-machine.html

Do you have this one?

[ronstory]

No, still researching. While the most reviews on-line are the REX 607Z, but the standard REX has the smaller throat. This seem to be the same castings but with a throat of 9" versus a 7".

[senormechanico]

Emouchet,

Although I've never seen one in he flesh, that looks like a good choice.

Steve

[JimsCAL]

Originally Posted by Franziska

@Foufou

You got a model number on the Singer by any chance?
Does it have Zigzag and a moving leg?

Thanks Fran

My wife recently got one of these for home use. Her's is a model 4432. There are others (4411, 4423, etc.) that are the same basic machine with different features. Note it is NOT a commercial machine but a home machine with a larger motor and metal internal frame. Lots of YouTube videos showing it easily sewing through multiple layers of denim.

Note also it is NOT the machine senormechanico described.