Sailrite Sewing Machines

[ianc1200]

Just to share it's becomming impossible to get Sailrite spares. Solent Sewing - who I bought my machine from - seems to have dropped Sailrite again. There is a European supplier in Italy, but short on spares. Sailrite won't ship to UK/Europe for orders less than $200. The Worker B 240V version is no longer available.

 

[Puffin10032]

That's a shame. I don't own a Sailrite but they're great machines. I don't know why Solent stopped importing them. Perhaps the number sold wasn't worth the hassle?

 

[Martin_J]

I think any industrial sewing machine repair person should be able to match (and source) parts from other machines.

Take the Consew CP206RL for example... Same basic parts... and the screenshot below even mentions their zig zag model number...

 

[Martin_J]

And I have this machine on board.. Apart from being the long arm model, it looks the same, goes by yet another name and appears to share all the same internal components..

 

[ianc1200]

I bought my machine about 2017, and feel very let down. I should be able to get repaired but would strongly suggest - hindsight is a great thiing - a second hand industrial model with plenty of spares available in the UK would have been a much better purchase. Believe people have tried using motors from the Solent Sew and/or Chinese clones without success to repair 240V Sailrites.

 

[PCUK]

Solent Sew don't stock the machines anymore as Sailrite no longer produce 240v models. That's no reason not to support them for spares though! As said Sailrite machines are based on the generic Chinese machine that is used as the basis for many machines. Don't forget you can order Sailrite spares from Solent Sew when they have their regular Sailrite order.

 

[garymalmgren]

Don't forget you can order Sailrite spares from Solent Sew when they have their regular Sailrite order.

And when would that be?
Once or twice a year?

 

[Graham376]

That's a shame. I don't own a Sailrite but they're great machines. I don't know why Solent stopped importing them. Perhaps the number sold wasn't worth the hassle?

I suspect low sales thanks to posts here and elsewhere about identical cheaper machines direct from China may have been the cause. Thankfully, I've not needed repair spares so far but I'm sure they can be sourced elsewhere when the need arises.

 

[geem]

I bought my machine about 2017, and feel very let down. I should be able to get repaired but would strongly suggest - hindsight is a great thiing - a second hand industrial model with plenty of spares available in the UK would have been a much better purchase. Believe people have tried using motors from the Solent Sew and/or Chinese clones without success to repair 240V Sailrites.

We borrowed a sailrite from friends to do some sewing on our sprayhood. And couple of years ago. We assumed the Sailrite would be better for heavy canvas work. At the end of the day, my wife wasn't impressed. Our friends offer to sell it to us and a much reduced price. My wife declined. Too heavy. Too big. Not enough benefit over our ancient Singer, even at a very knocked down price. We rarely need zigzag and we have a domestic machine for that. We keep our machines onboard and we simply could not stow the Sailrite

 

[Puffin10032]

I suspect low sales thanks to posts here and elsewhere about identical cheaper machines direct from China may have been the cause. Thankfully, I've not needed repair spares so far but I'm sure they can be sourced elsewhere when the need arises.

I think many people would find it hard to justify the price of a Sailrite for a bit of occasional repair work when these clones are available at a fraction of the price. Quality is very variable of course. You might get a good one or you might get a dog

As for spares for the Sailrite, really they should last a very, very long time and the bobbins and bobbin cases (the things like to have a stash of) are standard class 15 so are readily available .

 

[fredrussell]

. Not enough benefit over our ancient Singer, even at a very knocked down price.

Amen to that! My completely original SEVENTY year old Singer 201k is the most profoundly well engineered piece of machinery I’ve ever owned. Zigzag? Nope. but it’ll do the most perfect straight stitch through many layers of fabric, endlessly. Mine cost £50 on eBay.

…apologies for thread (!) drift.

 

[geem]

Amen to that! My completely original SEVENTY year old Singer 201k is the most profoundly well engineered piece of machinery I’ve ever owned. Zigzag? Nope. but it’ll do the most perfect straight stitch through many layers of fabric, endlessly. Mine cost £50 on eBay.

…apologies for thread (!) drift.

I recently managed to find the aluminium version of our cast iron 201k for £25. Work perfectly and slightly easier to lug about. We will leave our 70 year old one at home for our next trip

 

[Roberto]

I think any industrial sewing machine repair person should be able to match (and source) parts from other machines.

FWIW, I needed an odd part of the shaft mechanism of my Sailrite, I went to such place, the shop guy took the part, disappeared into their used machines workshop and out he came with a very similar piece ''file a little here and there and it will fit'', which it did

 

[PCUK]

Don't forget you can order Sailrite spares from Solent Sew when they have their regular Sailrite order.

And when would that be?
Once or twice a year?

Regularly is all I can say but it seems to be quite often. Certainly more than once a year. Why not call them?

 

[ianc1200]

Regularly is all I can say but it seems to be quite often. Certainly more than once a year. Why not call them?

Perhaps calling them is a good idea, but they have not responded to my email sent two weeks ago and put "Sailrite" into their search option and it says no results.

As noted previously, people have tried using the clone motor etc without success.

 

[PCUK]

I've never had a problem contacting them by Email or'phone. My Chinese nameless version is now fitted with a Reads Sailmaker motor and pedal from EBay and a heavy flywheel from Temu and runs really slowly when required. Parts are available from many Chinese based outlets.

 

[ianc1200]

In fact a very helpful lady on phone from Solent Sew, she'll look into what they've still got, what they can get, but will be ordering (once a year order) in August.

Considering the Worker B in 110V using a building site transformer.

 

[dgadee]

The problem with small but tough machines is the lack of space to manipulate material. I understand going small for onboard but buying an industrial walking foot machine made everything so much easier. If I need zig zag I still have the domestic machine, but two lines of straight stitch must be as good?

And sails really need 3 step.

 

[fredrussell]

The problem with small but tough machines is the lack of space to manipulate material…

Very true this. I believe the Chinese walking foot ‘domestics’ are available in a longer size.

 

[Martin_J]

Very true this. I believe the Chinese walking foot ‘domestics’ are available in a longer size.

The photo of mine in post #4 shows the long arm version.

And if you thought the standard Sailrite was heavy, this long arm version is even heavier!

To save weight, I do carry it in a bag I made myself with strong webbing handles (where the webbing goes so the way under), and I don't even need to remove from the bag to use it...