How not to "save a buck"

[JPA Cate]

Boy, you got that right, Wottie, I hate to think what my 1/2" breaker bar could do to anything at all 1/4" --- especially if I were angry!

Some day, get me to tell you about the breaker bar and the thief. You will see my foolishness rampant!

Ann

[Celestialsailor]

I'd buy a used Juki or some other "real"commercial duty machine before I'd buy a Sail rite machine. People do not use them that much while sailing. Hence, last for years. But if you decided canvas work was fun and even profitable for you and wanted to pursue it while cruising, you would find they would require maintenance. I bought a used Pfaff 230 zig-zag for $75 and it is German and tough as nails. You just have to ask around.

[sailormed]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

I suspect all of us know that the Chinese can/will build to whatever spec they're given.

The spec are not all. I heard the story of a dredging company in Europe that had 2 dredges build to the same spec. One was build in a country close to europe, the other one in China. Same specs, same inspectors, same acceptance tests, etc...
After 2 years of operating both barges they could compare operational availability figures. One barge stood at 94%, the other at 72%. You may guess where that barge was made, with the same specs!

[bletso]

I am glad I bought the Fein Multimaster instead of one of the knock offs. My buddy bought the Harbor freight model and let's just say after five minutes of use you feel like are arms go numb. There is a reason everyone copied theirs when the patent ran out, but the devil's in the details. I bought Milwaukee portables and like them far better than Makitas. I have had to change brush sets on both so you get an idea how much they are used. Makita is nice but their batteries are not as good.

Wrenches and sockets are purchased by feel and never retail but rummaging around flea markets. There definitely are two classes of tool needs based on disposability if dropped versus how often you will use said tool.

[GJori]

Originally Posted by GJori

I totally agree with above posting. I have used Singer (201) for everything on my boat (sails, upholstery and Bimini etc.). It is a steel machine that never fails. If you can live without zigzag stitching Old steel Singer is your cheapo good tool you have been dreaming.
Saved at least $600. And that is a lot of beer for me...

And just to prove that I am not alone on my old 1950 Singer admiration there is an article about similar machine used by sailors on BWSailors magazine. It seams that there may be $avings for sewing needs

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by sailormed

The spec are not all. I heard the story of a dredging company in Europe that had 2 dredges build to the same spec. One was build in a country close to europe, the other one in China. Same specs, same inspectors, same acceptance tests, etc...
After 2 years of operating both barges they could compare operational availability figures. One barge stood at 94%, the other at 72%. You may guess where that barge was made, with the same specs!

I have no doubt that this is true, but I also know when the fabrication company I worked for wanted to move production back to the US it took years of on the site training by Chinese machinists to get American workers up to the same quality control we were producing overseas. But the average Americans machinist was actually cheaper than what we were paying the average Chinese.

But we were ina very high QC market (aerospace/air transport) so we took major steps to ensure our parts weren't farmed out while the manufacturer shipped it out to lower qulity sub shops. We had one of the lowest FAA parts reject rates thanks in part to Chinese manufacturing and high quality fabrication.

[Privleoplag]

will this end up being one of those "pay it twice" deals? youtube reviews were good, I bit the hook: DC 120V 600A Volt Current Ah Power Combo Meter Charge Discharge Battery Monitor | eBay

as far as chinese.. I have a few chinese kengs rifles.. very good. They can make good stuff.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by GJori

And just to prove that I am not alone on my old 1950 Singer admiration there is an article about similar machine used by sailors on BWSailors magazine. It seams that there may be $avings for sewing needs

Singer Featherweights are a well made machine, but small, slow and rather gutless power wise.
They have a loyal and almost cult like following among quilters.
Don't bother buying a white colored one. They're nowhere near the quality of the black ones.

BTW in the first photo in that article, I saw that the lady missed the last thread guide at the top of the needle.

Steve
Sewing Machine Greenbank, WA - S & J Sewing Machine Services

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by bletso

I am glad I bought the Fein Multimaster instead of one of the knock offs. My buddy bought the Harbor freight model and let's just say after five minutes of use you feel like are arms go numb. There is a reason everyone copied theirs when the patent ran out, but the devil's in the details. I bought Milwaukee portables and like them far better than Makitas. I have had to change brush sets on both so you get an idea how much they are used. Makita is nice but their batteries are not as good.

Wrenches and sockets are purchased by feel and never retail but rummaging around flea markets. There definitely are two classes of tool needs based on disposability if dropped versus how often you will use said tool.

That is because you know what your doing, people like me that have no idea but may learn, buy a Sailrite cause its supposed to be what they need.
I have one, don't even know how to thread the thing, much less sew something, but figure I'm teachable.
I am however a better than average mechanic, and know and understand the value of Snap On tools, and can tell you that a beginner may not need them, may not appreciate their quality, but if they have them I am sure they will not let them down. Did they spend more than they needed to? Likely yes, but they didn't bust anything, to include their knuckles and so long as they care for them, they will never have to buy another set

[Dr. Strangelove]

The biggest thing with saving money on tools is having the experience to know where it's appropriate to use a cheapo/maybe not the exactly right tool and where you can damage something or hurt yourself.

A friend of mine owns a car repair shop and sneers at my "Crapsman" (his term) sockets and wrenches. He'll only buy Snap-On. Get a couple of beers in him, though, and he will begrudgingly admit my tools are fine for my occasional shade-tree mechanic work.

I bought an 18v cordless drill/driver from Harbor Freight yesterday for $19.99. It seems OK for what it is, I plan to use it around for hanging blinds and the like. If I was building a deck or something, I'd buy a "real" one, but this one suits my needs as long as I don't try to make it do something it's not made to do.

I buy pro-level stuff when it makes a difference and cheap stuff when it doesn't. It helps to have the experience to know when you need the good stuff.

[SuW]

If a sewing machine is breaking threads there is a reason for it. Usually the needle is hitting some part with the thread in between so it is abraded.

See if you can check the way that the needle drags the thread down and how the gib hook spins around. Use a flashlight and magnifier and lift the machine up while you rotate by hand. You might be able to see the problem, the needle may be bent, the timing may be off.

Also closely inspect all the internal parts of the machine that you can see, I once had a cracked shaft in the bottom of a machine that just altered the timing a tiny bit, only in reverse. Took a while to find that (on a previous older Sailrite).

Always change the needle, first thing you do. Sometimes the needle is just bent a bit. Expect to change needles regularly, like every few hours. If you have a horrible crunch, a bird's nest knot or unexpectedly drag the fabric when the needle is partway through it, you can expect the needle to get bent. Sometimes the spring clip on the retaining ring of the bobbin case gets loosened or chipped and, as the thread gets pulled past that, any snags will tear the thread. You might need to remove the ring unscrew the clip and file off any irregularities with a small file.

I bought a gently used older Sailrite LSZ1 and have upgraded it over the years. Also bought attachments for binding. A table stand. Spare parts etc. Their instructions for maintaining the machine are good, but may be hard to follow; so read them a few times and call/text them if you don't understand.

I know several well-off sailors who have bought brand-new Sailrites just because they have their (rightly) deserved reputation, quite a few of them own them as a sort of totem - they'll get around to using them one day when all the other stuff is done. Sigh :-)

I've used mine to do all new canvas, all interior and cockpit cushions, sail repairs and lots of other projects (my mother's outdoor awning, for example). I think it is a fine machine for an amateur. The most limitations it has is just getting very thick parts of sails physically under the foot. Those parts have to be done by hand.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by SuW

I know several well-off sailors who have bought brand-new Sailrites just because they have their (rightly) deserved reputation, quite a few of them own them as a sort of totem - they'll get around to using them one day when all the other stuff is done. Sigh :-)

And on that note, if there are any such “totems" sitting around in British Columbia or Ontario right now, I would love to discuss buying it off you. PM me now!

[JPA Cate]

Mike, if you can find a good old metal sewing machine that does zig zag and straight, and has a walking foot, and has a walking foot, I think you can save a lot over a Sail Rite. My gripe with my SailRite is that I don't like how hard it is to oil it properly, the stitch length adjustment mechanism on mine, it is not calibrated and is difficult to use, and was way better on my old Pfaff; and I don't think there is any more room in the throat of the machine. I'm sure there are some good old machines available in Canada.

Ann

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Stumble

I have no doubt that this is true, but I also know when the fabrication company I worked for wanted to move production back to the US it took years of on the site training by Chinese machinists to get American workers up to the same quality control we were producing overseas. But the average Americans machinist was actually cheaper than what we were paying the average Chinese.

But we were ina very high QC market (aerospace/air transport) so we took major steps to ensure our parts weren't farmed out while the manufacturer shipped it out to lower qulity sub shops. We had one of the lowest FAA parts reject rates thanks in part to Chinese manufacturing and high quality fabrication.

Sorry...Toolmaker for 38 years, working in disc drive, Plastic Injection, Nano Technology and finally Aerospace. Your statement that American Machinist getting up to quality with China is absolute BS. I'm sure you're not a Machinist but rather someone who sits in meetings eating up that misinformation. If there was any truth to that comparison, those American Machinist were absolutely useless to begin with. You never need to look at anything past Home depot to realize the US has been fed poor quality from China for so long, it has become the norm.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Sorry...Toolmaker for 38 years, working in disc drive, Plastic Injection, Nano Technology and finally Aerospace. Your statement that American Machinist getting up to quality with China is absolute BS. I'm sure you're not a Machinist but rather someone who sits in meetings eating up that misinformation. If there was any truth to that comparison, those American Machinist were absolutely useless to begin with. You never need to look at anything past Home depot to realize the US has been fed poor quality from China for so long, it has become the norm.

Our QC rejection rates for the American plant were about double what the rejection rates we're for the Chinese factory. The mill stock was exactly the same, the designs were exactly the same, but the Americans couldn't build to the same tolerances.

I am not sure how tons of rejected parts in a recycling bin could be considered misinformation but ok.

And if you think Lowes or Home depot is the standard by which I rate a countries output quality you are wrong. They don't even sell good tools, let alone great ones. Yes there is a lot of low quality crap imported from China, because the vendor ordered low quality crap. But if you order high quality goods they are as capable as anyone.