Sewing Machine Suggestions

[Tejas]

You might be limited by the space underneath the arm. Three step zig-zag should be nice for sail repair. If you get one, please check back in with your experience.

If you would willing to wait and track craigslist everyday, a Sailrite machine might become available. In the past year I've seen two that seemed little used and well kitted for about half price new and that disappeared practically overnight. If you have an iPad, there is app -- craigslist pro -- that makes it easy to track items in a selected wider area.

H

 

[onecoolair]

How much time and money do you want to waste?

I don't see the sailrites monster wheel or walking foot...... Beside the sailrite being more reliable,better built, better tech support, and and available monster wheel which gives you a much more smoother operation and control at the much needed slower speeds that will be needed most of the time when you are doing the heavier stuff. How much time and money do you want to waste? Been there done that ! Wasted a lot of time trying to get projects done and then it turning out looking like crap. Plus the many repairs having to take the cheaper machine to a sewing machine expert every week I tried to use it. Would have saved a bunch of extra money,time and frustration, if I had just done the sailrite first. With the sailrite I can repair and do any maintenance myself using the very comprehensive and thero parts and repair manual.....Any questions just call sailrite and they will send you any needed parts and supplies plus answer any much needed to know questions.

 

[Sam Salter]

Tom,
Look in your in box or call me 403-851-1064
sam

 

[Chris Patterson]

Wow. Welting, piping, and walking foot. Shoot, I would like to have it.

The only option that I'd like to see on a machine is a switchable reverse, as apposed to holding it down manually. But if I needed a new machine, I like that one..

 

[RonRock]

Appreciate the input. And I do agree that the Sailrite is probably the best. But unless I want to wait for a deal on a used one, then get lucky enough to be the one to catch that deal. I'll be looking at the LSZ-1 @ $899.00 plus shipping. The LS-1 don't have zig zag. I have done a bit more research and found the Toyota @ 249.99. A huge difference in price to a guy that has never sewn before.

I have not read many complaints (only one so far, and it was about the light position) about the Toyota STF39. And read nothing about their service. Any input on this?

I do have reservations about the opening in the arm area. I can see where that could be troublesome. What does experience say about this? Is that a deal breaker? Anything comparable?

 

[Tejas]

Fabric management can be a real hassle even with 10"x4" on a typical industrial machine. If it can't be gotten through the machine, it can't be sewed.

Consider a project that requires first making a blank by sewing two 46" pieces of Sunbrella together. Making the seam is easy -- put the two pieces together and sew the seam with both pieces to the left of the the foot. Now open up the seam and top sew. Somehow the 46" on one side has to be rolled up and passed under the arm.

That's about as easy as fabric management can be.

 

[Tejas]

You might want to try to get the Toyota STF39 specifications to make comparisons. For example, to avoid pucker Sailrite recommends a stitch length of 6 - 9 mm, which seems to be a good recommendation.

The following link is to a Sailrite sewing machine comparison guide. You could make a column for various machines for comparison. You might want to add rows, such as motor amps as an indication of power.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...6ICIAw&usg=AFQjCNFY7RBXQvSaUpuPvLHunEye7xmySA

 

[RonRock]

I was on the Sailrite forum. I will say that they are very good at customer service from what I read there. Matt seemed to be right on top of things in the forum, and stepped right up to help. Very impressive.

 

[Tejas]

The Sailrite forum in general and Matt in particular is very helpful even for folks with other than Sailrite sewing machines. The forum is mostly a Q&A forum. A better search on the forum would be nice to have. I think I've read posts there that later I couldn't find again.

 

[Sumner]

I was on the Sailrite forum. I will say that they are very good at customer service from what I read there. Matt seemed to be right on top of things in the forum, and stepped right up to help. Very impressive.

I had some issues with the machine last fall with the foot feed. They sent me the link to this video....

http://www.sailrite.com/Setting-Foot-Height-Range-of-Motion-Video

.... and I was able to resolve the whole issue. I've also adjusted other timing on the machine with the other videos. If the video works take the time to look at some of it. The machine worked fine for a year or two before the food feed got out of adjustment. The point is that sooner or later if you use a machine it is going to probably need adjustment and/or parts. Without that video I could of never got the feed right. I should of done it actually after I bought the machine as it is now better than it was brand new and you can get more material under it.

I'd still buy a used older Singer 99...

http://blog.sew-classic.com/2008/11/06/singer-99-sewing-machine-review.aspx

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l2736&_nkw=singer+99

...over any new plastic machine. We liked ours so much we kept it and still use it for some projects. You can get parts for it and the service manual and it is not extremely difficult to service yourself. It doesn't have the walking foot or zigzag, but we have only used zigzag a couple times and then didn't have to. They sewed sails and other projects before zigzag. Also the walking foot makes it easier to sew and sew more consistent stitches but there again the Singer sewed a lot of projects for us in sunbrella without it. The material still feeds,

Sum

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[Chris Patterson]

I've a couple of thoughts on this in general. If you are planning to build a sail from scratch, you're probably not going to get the roll to fit under that arm on that Toyota. However, having never sewn before, take the advice and buy a cheaper used machine, and make a few projects, and see if after that effort, a heroin addiction seems less painful. I enjoy it myself, but it does present its aggravations, and trying to learn, if you are more or less easily frustrated, it will be a lot nicer to see a hundred dollar machine gathering dust in a closet, than a thousand plus dollar machine. Who knows, you may take to it quickly, and really like it, then upgrade. It's easier than downgrading.
But building a proper sail is another whole dimension to sewing. As easy as Don Casey may make it seem, well, good luck on that. I took home ec. in high school, (I know, what a wienie, right?), and have been sewing on and off for 30 plus years since. I can sew about anything I need on a boat. But if I wanted a sail, I'd buy it. Hell, everybody on every street corner is fixing sails. Even to build a sail properly takes a room bigger than 25 by 25 feet, depending on the size of your boat.
So get a decent little machine, and build a few curtains and cushions and see how you like it. Then, call Sailrite..
Just an opinion man, not trying to be mean or discouraging in the least.

 

[stephen Penny]

We have a Sailrite sewing machine to fabricate replacement and new canvas, plastic windows, window screens, interior cushions, and repair sails.

 

[Ross]

I quite agree with Chris. There are many things to make with a sewing machine. Cloth and canvas bags are a good start. Broad seaming a sail is less than half of the work, the rest is mostly hand work and hand sewing. I made battened hammocks for storage in the Vee berth (they don't sag).

 

[Tejas]

Following up on Sumner, the Singer 99 seems to have a good reputation. I have a hand-crank Singer 66 that I use for projects with my five-year old grandson. Here is a link to service information for the 99, 66, 15 and 201. Since the manual is published by a charity, a donation might be appropriate for those of us who use or download the manual.

http://www.tfsr.org/publications/technical_information/sewing_machine_manual/

 

[Sail123]

Craig's List

I ran an ad for an industrial sewing machine, and a widow gave one to me. Her husband sewed, and she had no use for it.

Sewing is something, most people today, no longer do. Many thrift stores refuse them because they can't give them away.

You need one overnight, call an 800 number and spend big bucks. Little plastic ok? Save some on the discount names. Want a great sewing machine, for little or nothing, run a wanted ad in Craig's List, and go fishing. Took me one week.

Every grandma had a wonderful HD sewingmachine their grandkids don't know how to use, and could care less about. Those 50's machines were built like a MAC TRUCK ! And they come with solid wood cabinets most of the time that the machine folds down into, to keep it clean. These machine cabinets could be built into larger sailboats and the cabinet could be used as a table when not in use

Garage sales also have them at about every other driveway.

If you think maybe you would like to sew, get a free or near free machine, or several, and try them out before you plunk down a whole paycheck down on one.

 

[RonRock]

That is a good idea. I'll run an add right now and see what pops up.

OK, stupid question. What section did you run the add? It seems like there are several choices that could work, but I want the best chance of a result. I guessed "for sale Household Items, by owner"

 

[Sail123]

That is a good idea. I'll run an add right now and see what pops up.

OK, stupid question. What section did you run the add? It seems like there are several choices that could work, but I want the best chance of a result. I guessed "for sale Household Items, by owner"

Which place is best is an unknown. There is a wanted section, but is that the best place? ??

We should all run a CL ad looking for a sewingmachine to see what we find. I just ran another one.

 

[Tejas]

As for which section(s), search for "sewing machine" in "all for sale / wanted," and the response will list the sewing machines for sale / wanted and the section -- you might be amazed at how many sections will be represented. Some folks list the same item in more than one section.

 

[Sail123]

I got a hit in an hour, an industrial machine on a stand, with a Dayton motor that looks BIG. $275. I will pass it on to you guys. Long drive to Nebraska for most of you.

http://grandisland.craigslist.org/for/3444406843.html

 

[RonRock]

For me Nebraska is just across the river. Grand Island, NE is a bit too far. It's a bit over 3 hours drive each way. I did a search on Craiglist for sewing machines, and as expected returned many results. I did not think to look at what categories they were coming from. My "search" abilities are less than stellar.

It's tough to be a sail boater in Iowa.