Sewing machines

[Peter]

Any good recommendations for a heavy duty sewing machine. Able to cope with general canves work ie spray hood type material etc, and maybe up to sails. Looking for models/tyes and where to get them from, new or secondhand.

Thanks

Peter

 

[Csail]

We bought a Singer 307 G2, its very old but great for what you need. Have a search on ebay or somewhere.

 

[ean_p]

we went Pfaff....loads of models ....try e-bay

 

[DJE]

Got one of these a couple of years ago. No regrets.

 

[sarabande]

If you are very lucky, you will find a Reads Sailmaker on the forum, or eBay. They feature a manual and motor drive, and it's possible to change the motor to 12 or 24 v with a bit of an effort.

 

[lw395]

I looked into buying a proper industrial machine about 4yrs ago. Secondhand from 300quid, but becuase they tend to have a knee-operated lift, you need a proper bench for it, which is too much space for me. There is a dealer in Waterlooville, Hampshire, bit distant for you!
I bought an old Jones domestic machine, have used it for lots of covers, webbing (dinghy toestraps etc), it will cope with sewing webbing loops onto hems of heavy pvc material (the stuff they make curtain sides for trucks from) but I do break the odd needle! My first project was a sail coat for a 39ft boat.
I tend to take actual sail repairs to a local sailmaker, it always seems pretty good value in the scheme of things. It's not just the skill and practice he has, but a big table to get the sail flat.
For covers, with a domestic machine, you will find 'jeans' (denim) needles are about the best, it will restrict the size of thread you can use, so UV weakens the thread more quickly. My sail coat needed re-stitching after about 4yrs on top where the sun got it. There may be better threads available, look for good advise re thread size vs needles if you go this route.
Hope that is of interest.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I use an old Pfaff 437-706 / 02 with an Efke Variostop motor. Great if you can find one.

This gives me a variable Zig-Zag lockstitch width from zero (straight stitch) up to 6 mm wide.

I would suggest that the machine that you buy is equipped with a top and bottom trimmer that trims both threads when you press the pedal with your heel.

If you intend to do a lot of sailmaking, however, it would be better if you were to look for a machine that does triple-step zig-zag and which has a deeper throat. They are not cheap and not very common on the second-hand market.

 

[PetiteFleur]

You really need an industrial or semi-industrial machine. I use a Singer 20U** made in various guises, depending on the size of Zigzag. It does both straight & zigzag so is ideal. You need to use bonded polyester thread of the correct thickness, ordinary sewing thread is too weak. Make sure its set up for domestic electrics. Try ebay - see:- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SINGER-20U-INDUSTR...id=p3286.c0.m14

 

[doug748]

I assume you are considering a quality domestic machine rather than a full blown industrial job. First you will not need zig zag unless you are going to tackle sails, though it is useful for general round the home use. In that case, any of the traditional cast iron "museum pieces" will perform miracles. They really will chomp their way through most things, look for ..... Jones, Singer, Frister & Rossman, amonst others.
However you may have a higher budget and require an electric machine. I used a Husqvarna Viking for many years and it was excellent, I particularly liked the slow speed gear which allowed the novice to plod along with very close control. Lots of these were sold into schools so you may be able to pick one up secondhand if you shop with care. I understand the current Emerald range is a good bet but have no direct experience.
If you are considering new, a machine I like the look of is the Bernina 1008, though it is pricy at over £400. As has already been pointed out Phaff do a quality range, at a price! Much easier to justify the outlay if you have a partner who might share the machine for domestic duties.
It is a shame that we have no tame sewing machine mechanic on the forum to tell us what is best, however one thing is pretty certain..... a sub £150 modern lightweight, electronic machine is likely to be money wasted.
Do let us know how you get on, I think a robust sewing machine is one of the most useful things a practical boat owner can have to hand.

 

[Seagreen]

Being an ex-pro sailmaker/covermaker, i want for a Sailrite LSZ-1 as i wanted versatility over time. I wanted to be able to make anything. Not that i've tested it fully yet, but the Sailrite- a bit fiddly and could be better adapted for the UK- seems to fit the bill.
i loved my old singer, which could 'sew a cow to a wall', but didn't do zig zag. the sailrite does all that and is transportable. but, don't use is with the handle in - damn near broke my fingers on it.

 

[stars1]

Any good recommendations for a heavy duty sewing machine. Able to cope with general canves work ie spray hood type material etc, and maybe up to sails. Looking for models/tyes and where to get them from, new or secondhand.

Thanks

Peter

If you don't mind the price and need a very good sewing machine, then I suggest Pfaff sewing machine for you. It may cost you $450.00 for this item. And I also had a Singer that was from the fifties and I used it all through highschool, even though I could use only one stitch. The attachments were really a hassle.