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  1. #1
    Senior Member BigTurtle's Avatar
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    my sewing machines hate me and has passed on

    my trusty industrial maching has died and is beyond repair. so i pulled out the portable one last night and it broke on me as well so now im left to hand sewing to finish my projects. so now i have to wait till next week to find a new sewing machine.
    anyone have a favorite and why.
    also i need one with the capability of sewing thick fabric/straps and be able to use thick heavyduty thread.
    thanks
    BT
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    How did your industrial machine die beyond repair? That might make a difference in suggesting what machines might be best for you. If you use a machine that hard then a home machine will _not_ meet your needs. Particularly a new cheap one.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  3. #3
    Senior Member BigTurtle's Avatar
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    well i was trying to sew two straps together and the machine kept knotting up under the straps and breaking needles and finally bent the rods that the needle ties into and the portable one is just a piece and wont even push the needle throught the straps so i kinda took my frustration out on it so needless to say it in many many pieces and i felt slightly better lol but now my fingers hurt cause i had to hand sew for about 6 hours last night and ive got another 3-4 hours i have to sew by thursday night lol. wish me luck.
    BT
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  4. #4
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Sounds like your best bet would be an industrial machine. A home machine is not likely to be able to take that kind of use for long. One of the issues with a home machine, especially now, is the motors are not suited for that kind of use.

    The other option you might look into is one of the really old Singer models. Some of them are being used as industrial machines in developing nations. The problem is they are becoming increasingly rare.

    I might also recommend a treadle but for some issues unique to them. First, parts are becoming impossible to find for some. They are much slower than an industrial and the belt can slip under particularly hard or thick loads.

    I would encourage you to look in the industrial market. I know very little about what is available in that area of the market.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

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  5. #5
    Senior Member Rat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigTurtle View Post
    well i was trying to sew two straps together and the machine kept knotting up under the straps and breaking needles and finally bent the rods that the needle ties into and the portable one is just a piece and wont even push the needle throught the straps so i kinda took my frustration out on it so needless to say it in many many pieces and i felt slightly better lol but now my fingers hurt cause i had to hand sew for about 6 hours last night and ive got another 3-4 hours i have to sew by thursday night lol. wish me luck.
    Maybe they were punishing you for the lack of punctuation...

    If your industrial machine was acting up that badly I am willing to bet it wasn't the double straps but something else not quite right with the machine. Anyway, you are likely to get about a thousand different answers to your question.

    I have only ever sewn on one industrial machine; a Consew, so that is my favorite.
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  6. #6
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    If you want a new machine and have the money for an industrial then I would recommend a Juki if you want an older then a singer from pre 1950 are about indestructible. For a bit less than the juki you can get a tacsew walking foot. I have not used these but there are a bunch of gear makers using these. Good luck. I have two industrials singer 107 and singer 400 and one home machine which is a singer 66 when I upgrade to a walking foot it will either be a juki or the tacsew.

  7. #7
    Senior Member G.L.P.'s Avatar
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    i have a Kenmore 12 stitch that has served me well ..but i use my Necchi most of the time.
    it's a sweet machine
    It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold

  8. #8
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
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    As long at is ALL metal, cast iron, brass, and steel, (or with cast-aluminum upper housing), it will have no problem with a size 18 (and maybe) a 20 needle and Tex70 thread. Those would include most of the Kenmores though the 1970s and most of the Class 15 machines from Japan. Also, many Singer home machines sold through the 1970s, as long as they were expensive then and there was nothing but metal in the drive train.

    The motors are 100-130 watt rated, but it is trivial to hang larger motors on many that already suspend them from brackets. I'm not supposed to be able handle bonded Tex90 thread with those, but for short duty cycles, like for polyester straps, those machines and an early Necchi, too, seem not to struggle at all. No broken needles. No overheated motors.

    You refer to bring out a "portable". Well all of those machines I'm referring to were portable, in their day, with carrying cases sold for many. 30-40lb portable.

    Just to be clear: I'm referring to a duty cycle that is at most what you can be done by a skilled tailor. All bets off if you expect the feed dogs to drag, unassisted, heavy canvas or dozens of yards of lighter canvas all day.

    Put it another way: Look at what Sailrite, a capable company, is selling for $800- $1100. http://search.sailrite.com/category/...arm-big-n-tall Machines with the same build strength from 1940-1975 are at your thrift store for < $50.

  9. #9
    Member wildewudu's Avatar
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    What's your model of industrial sewing machine?

    Depending on your model I'd be more inclined to spend the $$ to fix the industrial machine. If I understood correctly, you got bird nesting on the bottom thread and the needle bar somehow got bent?

    A new needle bar shouldn't be more than $10 and it sounds like you need to check your timing and watch your tension adjustment when sewing through thicker materials.

    You might be able to get away with using the home machine if you used the handwheel to drive the needle rather than relying on the motor, unless you messed up the timing on that one too!

    Between the two, the industrials are easier to work on and I find the parts a bit cheaper. I just finished repairing an old Yamata GC8500 that I saved from its previous owner who had somehow managed to snap off every arm on the thread lifter assembly, crack the presser bar, cracked the oil pan (?!), and snapped the needle lifter lever in two. With owner's manual in hand it was cheaper to fix this industrial myself than it was to have my home machine tuned up and certainly cheaper than having to buy a whole new machine.

    Best of luck!

  10. #10
    Senior Member Pag's Avatar
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    Well if you drive cams and bearings were still intact I'd just recommend fixing the industrial. If it's more cathartic to get a different one, this is supposed to be fun. I have a few general favorites for candidates.

    If you're doing mostly heavy stuff you should probably look for a consew 206, juki lu-563, Adler 120, or if you find a good deal on a different walking foot.

    If you occasionally sew heavy stuff you could look at the juki ddl 5550 or 8700.
    --If a cow laughs hard, does milk come out its nose?

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