Sewing Machine Recommendations

Nako

Nako

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OK... after seeing what others here are doing and making, I've got the bug to sew some larger gear projects. I'm thinking of some light, camo tarps, a canvas rucksack and a modified Whelen Lean-To. The fabrics will range from cotton/poly twill to light canvas and maybe light leather.

My question is; What kind of sewing machine should I be looking for?
 
A vintage machine will probably be more economical than a well built modern machine. I've always known Singer to make good machines, I'm not a real expert, I'm sure others will be along soon.
 
Nako said:
OK... after seeing what others here are doing and making, I've got the bug to sew some larger gear projects. I'm thinking of some light, camo tarps, a canvas rucksack and a modified Whelen Lean-To. The fabrics will range from cotton/poly twill to light canvas and maybe light leather.

My question is; What kind of sewing machine should I be looking for?
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The #1 thing you want to demand is all metal gears in the machine. Most of the better brands, will have them. Make sure your sales person understands that. Even some of the older used ones in good shape may have them. Don't accept anything else. Also, you don't need all the bells and whistles like programmed stitches and such. Keep it simple and rugged. Make sure they understand what you're going to do with the machine. A lot of things can be done with a regular machine if you are careful. There will be a level where a commercial machine would be wiser. If you can part with the bucks, a used one of those should give years of service.
 
Assuming you can get by with a good and maybe older used top brand machine,,, Singer, etc

For a tounge in cheek approach, just to see what happens, run a "Wanted" ad on your local Craigslist with a reply back by email only,, no phone number at first.

Word the want ad about like you have stated your intentions of use here and I'll bet you'l come up with a good machine at the right price. At least afair price.

Require a demo from the seller to make sure it runs good before closing the deal.
Carry along some material,,, canvas and your chosen thread, etc for the seller to demo with.
 
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aint no expert either but i got an old sears and been slowly figuring it out on varios scraps of fabric, i folded a cheapo grocery type cotton bag 3 times and she went through it no problem...Mine has got medal gears with one belt...so if ya spot some older sears machines there definately up there in quality and parts are easy to get for even the older ones i got a link (for parts) a fellow member gave me but cant locate it i will keep tryin
 
Probably the best thing to start with is a singer 15-91. Mine was made before my mother was born, like 1949 or something. I usually use a tacsew 111-155, which is basically a copy of the singer industrial machine of the same model #. The 15-91 is a fine machine, capable of a lot of work, but its no industrial. I sew in fairly heavy materials, 1000d cordura, milspec webbing and the like. I started on the 15-91 and until I started having tension issues it worked really well for me but once I switched to the walking foot industrial it really expanded my capacity. I paid 50 bucks or something for the 15-91 (the woman clearly didn't know what she had, it should have gone for at least a hundred) and about a grand for the tacsew, so the cost difference is pretty obvious.

Definitely bring samples of anything you intend to sew and don't fall for the trick people have of calling a machine "industrial" when its clearly not. Stay away from anything that's plastic. Old iron is best, and will last longer.
 
My wife says get a JUKI. It's an industrial machine that only does a straight stitch but does it exceedingly well. You can pick them up used from $500 and up. She also mentioned the metal gears like the other guys did, and she says a mechanical machine is more reliable than an electronic machine. She agrees with the bells and whistles statement too. Hope this helps!
 
i have a 15-91 also . i see them on cl for 50 to 100 $ . in my area i haven't had it real long time but so far its pretty awesome ! born on Dec 5 , 1934 . works great . keep it clean & oiled & greased . gear drive no belt .

most definitely try before you buy. plan on a good cleaning & lube job . the bigy for mine was cleaning the old grease out of the gear drive & putting new in . the old stuff was hard and brownish black , not good.

any way i hope this helps.
 
Canadian Woodsman said:
My wife says get a JUKI. It's an industrial machine that only does a straight stitch but does it exceedingly well. You can pick them up used from $500 and up. She also mentioned the metal gears like the other guys did, and she says a mechanical machine is more reliable than an electronic machine. She agrees with the bells and whistles statement too. Hope this helps!
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My mom has a Juki industrial machine, I've used it once just to see what it's like to stitch on an industrial machine. Man it's fast, I was uncomfortable with it being so quick, it would take some getting used to. Don't forget if you are shopping for an industrial machine you'll need a dedicated bench, they can't be set on your kitchen table like a consumer machine can.
 
used machine like others have said- metal gears and cams- look for older White's (made in Japan) Pfaff, Necchi, Berina, Juki and Husky/Huskavarna. I made the mistake of buying a new Husky for several hundred and I have found several $10.00 machines at the thrift store that do as good as the new one.
 
I found a '57 Ambassador sewing machine at a local thrift store with all metal gearing and worked out a deal with the owner to test the machine on the canvas material i was going to use. If you can find an older machine and work out a similar deal that could possible be your best bet...
 
+1 for the old Singer 15. They are good 'light duty' machines.

Consider a heavier and more universal Singer 211 class. They turn up now and then. The can be tweaked to do everything from medium weight garment sewing to heavy leather work by changing the feed components, needles, and thread.

211u166.jpg


Either way, be sure the seller is offering the table, stand, and motor. If they list the 'head' only, you'll have a lot of extra purchasing to do.
 
I gotta say get a treadle machine like a singer 66 or 127/128. I have a 127 and 128 and can't find a problem with them. They are bombproof, do not require electricity, and can sew through leather like it's nothing.

I got mine at goodwill for 15 bucks for a head only, and then the whole shebang on craigslist for 50 buck, treadle cabinet and all.

A local antique store has a beautiful cabinet with a good condition head for 220 or so, but it was on sale for 175 over the last weekend.
 
If you go the budget 15-91 route there are a million videos on Youtube about it.
Here is one that a lady demos hers and does a pretty good job of showing how tough the 15-91 sews heavy stuff.

http://youtu.be/DdK6Gxajo5g

I inherited a 15-91 from my mother when she passed away back in 98 but haven't done anything with it.

About a year ago I drug it out and cleaned it up and out and re oiled it and played around a little but didn't get on a project.
This thread is renewing my hankering to get it back out and try a few leather projects from the old couch I skinned and processed back then.

Off topic:
I have so many projects going on I don't know which way to turn. I bought most of what I need today to start off a five, maybe ten, gallon batch of homemade grape wine.
I have two gallons of seafood gumbo on the stove simmering right now to make up a pot for a few months supply of good gumbo.
Now I 'm wanting to break out the old Singer and couch leather again.
Being a new retiree takes some getting use to and really is hell sometimes.
 
Viking is a good machine

The older Viking sewing machines can do a good job. They are rugged. Such as the models 6010, 6020, 6030, 6440, 6460, 6570. They have a high and low gearing and go slow enough that you have some control.

The Ray Jardine site has some suggestions on sewing machines. He and his wife Jenny sell lightweight gear kits for backpack, tarps, tarp tents, quilts most along the line of silicon nylon material. This is a very interesting web site.

I have a Viking 6570 and it sews silnylon well and have also sew thick layers of denim.
 
You can find OLD commerical Sewing Machines if you look Hard ,, find a mechcanical one if you have the money and want the best there is its a tippmen BOSS ,, just go to google and type in ""LEATHER SEWING MACHINE "" . and go to the images ,, I found one years ago and it sews anything from cotton t-shirt material to HEAVY HEAVY , tarp and leather ..Ebay , Craiglist , Flea Markets , and Week End Auctions .I listed them from the WORSE to the Best ( my opinion).
 
+1 on the all metal gears. Get one that can handle as least 4 layers of denim without jamming, and that you can use a hefty needle and thread. If you intend to do a HUGE amount of sewing, you might want to look into a commercial weight machine. Tandy leather sells one that is made for sewing leather. That would work also on thick and multi layered cloth.

All it needs to be able to do is straight stitching with adjustable stitch length... Zig-zag and all those decorative stitches are not necessary for what you are doing. Get one that can handle "button" or "carpet" weight thread.

If you want to go old school, look for vintage one that uses a foot pedal instead of a motor. Those are rock solid, and don't need electricity to run. Takes some learning process, but properly maintained will work in any situation. Electrics are much easier to use though.

I have an old Foleys sewing machine, which I think may have been made for them by Singer. It's beefy enough to Sew rolled hems on my blue jeans, and some light leather (like motorcycle chaps). It can't handle heavier stuff, like MC saddle bags, and that kind of thing. I have to hand sew those.
 
I'll definitely be looking at used machines... at yard sales and resale shops; new stuff (especially commercial machines) is way out of my price range. I'll also be looking into sewing lessons, assuming that they still have those at the various shops.

What kind of thread? You mean I can't just use waxed dental floss? :3: Seriously, I don't have a clue what kinds of thread to use. Maybe I should take those lessons before I start looking for a machine.
 
Alot of thrift stores have them sitting in the back, Donated ones and such. MOst prices range from free to $40.00. I got a 70's Kenmore for loading up a couch and loveseat for the owner of the store for free. It came in a nice old wooden box and a folding table. Seen on ebay going for $250.00.Not alot of folks want to sew anymore. Why your their look around I get all kinds of cheap stuff, Recently got a Stanley 16" camp axe made in 1953 for $2.00 was painted and handle was in bad shape. 1 hour later and $5.43 new Hickory handle I got a mean machine with Awesome steele for a steal...
 
I sew with #69 bonded nylon thread and size 20 needles. I buy the thread by the pound, which is about 18 bucks for a big giant cone of thread. These cones have to be seen to be believed. The needles I get by the hundred, and thats about 24 dollars for a hundred. These are industrial class needles though. Needles for the 15-91 I think I was paying 3 or 4 bucks for 5 needles. And I was using coats and clark upholstery thread, which I understand is about size #69. But I was getting less than an ounce for about 5 bucks.

I'm going to be upgrading to a juki 1541 sooner or later, but 1800 bucks is a big nut to crack right now.
 
i bought needles for my 15-91 for 10.50 for 50 , shiping & all . found them on ebay. 3 or 4 buks for 5 seems really high to me.

i never really thought about buying thread by the pound , thats a good idea.
 
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I'll second the recommendation for the Singer 211 mentioned earlier. I've included a picture of mine. I bought it about 10 years ago for $700 on eBay. It is a used industrial machine, but came with a new motor and the table.

It is a walking-foot, walking-needle sewing machine that will sew through just about anything that you can fit under its foot. I've sewn through 4 layers of fabric, 3 inches of open-cell foam, and two layers of 1-inch nylon strapping all at the same time and the machine doesn't even struggle one bit.

As for the speed of the machine, it was pretty fast when I first got it and I was afraid that it was going to chew my fingers off if I wasn't careful. I'm pretty sure it is designed for people who are sewing for a living and are getting paid by the mile of stitching. I slowed it down by changing out the v-belt pulley on the motor drive shaft for a larger diameter one and using a longer v-belt. The machine is clutch driven from a 1/2 hp motor, so you can control the speed by determining how much you push your foot into the pedal, but it is nice to limit the top speed to something that is manageable.

I originally chose this machine because it was made in Japan and had the solid metal gears mentioned in an earlier post.

For thread, I use Tek 70 nylon in lots of different colors.

The other thing that I really like about this machine is that it has a knee lever that raises the foot, so that you can keep your hands engaged wrangling whatever you are working on into position.
 

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