Sewing machine

[john_morris_uk]

Iirc, sailright machines are rebadged Chinese made ones with good marketing

F

Thread 'SAILRITE CLONE'

3 Apr 2020

For several year now, I have been repairing canvas on my boat with a Singer 201K machine. It can be coaxed to cope with all but heavy sewing, but coaxed is the operative word.
Reading posts here at various times, I decided to investigate a 'proper' canvas sewing machine.
First up was a Sailrite, which I used for a few days about five years ago, and was very impressed. However, looking at the costs landed in UK, these worked out at $1095, plus $185 for shipping. On top of that add 20% VAT and import duty at 1.5% gives a total of $1559, which a couple of weeks ago was £1350 which was way...

• fearmhuir
• Replies: 89
• Forum: Practical Boat Owner's Reader to Reader

• 

Not quite true.

Like many things (cars, bikes toasters .. you name it) components of Sailrite sewing machines are sourced from many places (including China). The machines are assembled and tuned in USA.

Claiming that a Sailrite machine is a rebadged Chinese product simply isn’t true.

I don’t actually care one way or another as the Chinese can make some very high quality products. (But you pay appropriately for them…!)

(IIRC The crane that assembled HMS Queen Elizabeth & HMS Prince of Wales was made in China.)

 

[Puffin10032]

I've a Singer 20u43, a semi industrial sewing machine on an industrial table with a powerful motor. It was too fast - 3000 stitches per minute! I reduced the speed by changing the pulleys. It does straight and zig-zag and can sew through several layers of sailcloth. I have repaired sails, renewing uv strip and new canvas spray hoods etc. Spares easily available. I also have a Singer 320k free arm domestic m/c which is excellent for small sail repairs and canvas work. Does straight, zig-zag & triple zig-zag. 319k m/c similar but not free arm or triple zig-zag(uses DB1 industrial needles as original 206x13 difficult to get) Hope this helps.

The best thing to do with a 20U is replace the clutch-drive motor with a servo motor. It'll give you far greater control and is a fraction of the weight.

 

[Puffin10032]

Not quite true.

Like many things (cars, bikes toasters .. you name it) components of Sailrite sewing machines are sourced from many places (including China). The machines are assembled and tuned in USA.

Claiming that a Sailrite machine is a rebadged Chinese product simply isn’t true.

Spot on.

The whole history of Sailrite's machines is on their web site. These "clones" I believe are based on the old design produced by a factory that Sailrite no longer uses because the QA was so bad. Over the years there have been people on here who've bought one and it's been fine and others who have received a total dog. It's very much a case of caveat emptor.