Sailrite ultrafeed weight

[Sea Dreaming]

If you read my post "how not to save a buck" you know I bought a Sailrite ultrafeed look alike.
After purchase I added Sailrite monster wheel. This puppy is heavy! If I upgrade to the real Sailrite the case they add brings the weight up to 56lbs. That's half my weight!

My guy can lift it for me but I like to be as independent as possible. Has anyone tried a soft case with wheels for their machine? At least I could roll it out of storage!

The storage place for the machine has tie downs, so it won't roll around and possibly be damaged or damage anything else.

Does anyone have any other ideas about how I might deal with the weight issue?

[JPA Cate]

No. Any all metal machine will be heavy. You could keep the Monster wheel with some of the rest of your sewing kit, though, it'll fit in a plastic tub. along with other sewing stuff.

Jim has always had to be the one to lift our sewing machines out of and back into their lockers.

My old Pfaff, we used as a step for getting up into the forepeak.

I think you'll find most roller bags too lightly constructed to be much use for the sewing machine, and you'll still have to get it to where you're going to use it. The SailRite case is quite sturdy.




Ann

[SuW]

You have my sympathy! These machines are really heavy, they more or less have to be. I can lift mine on my own (although I am old, I am fit) but sometimes it's a real grunt.

I did get hold of a lightweight Singer machine which I use for jobs that don't need the punch of the Sailrite, but you miss the long stitch length, the big needles and heavy thread.

[seashine]

I find those halyard/winch thingies useful 😉 6:1 block and tackle through overhead hatch etc. I tie a cradle around the machine and hoist, while someone else angles it into it's locker... Rearranged the boat to store it this way after a shoulder reconstruction meant only one hand allowed to heave ☺

[Sea Dreaming]

Seashine! I made a joke about doing that very thing, but maybe I should really try it out! The issue for me is lifting the machine onto my table but there is a hatch right above.

Ann, I loolked into the rolling case idea. There is one out there that can hold 100 lbs. But I am too cheap to buy it! And I don't actually have room for the sail rite case. So I am keeping the plastic case I have but I may be able to add wheels to it.

[Suijin]

No soft case is going to be effective; either the machine itself will get damaged, or it will do damage to whatever it hits. And wrangling it out of the case and up onto the table is not going to be much easier than with the hard case.

All I can suggest is that you take the wheel off to make it lighter. In fact, for many sewing tasks, you probably don't need the monster wheel at all.

Another option is to use items around the boat to make moveable steps; you can probably lift the machine to your waist, I bet it's getting it up that last 12" to the table that is the killer. If you can "deadlift" the machine, then step up on a step stool, you might be in a position to swing it onto the table.

[SuW]

I guess it's not reasonable to have one of these in a boat
500 lb Hydraulic Lift Cart | Princess Auto

It's a Canadian supplier but places like Harbor Freight must sell them. There's one that lifts 500 lbs up to 50 inches.

[KiminAK]

Oooh, would my back love one of those!

[Sea Dreaming]

If I could find one of those lift carts the size of a toaster!