Can anyone recommend a sewing machine for sewing heavy duty fabrics?

Question

Wondering if I should get a commercial machine or if I just need something special for the machine I have (Kenmore). I make purses out of Japanese obi fabrics and the thickness is really taking a toll on my machine. When I add in the lining, interfacing and trim it is pretty tricky to get it all under the presser foot.

Answer 1

An industrial machine would be best if you do heavy sewing a lot, like it is your business. Home sewing machines are not meant to do consistant heavy sewing. I have an older Kenmore from the 70s and it was never the same after I re-upolstered the bench seat of my PU.

Otherwise, the right size needle, new (sharp ones), would probably help. Clean out lint frequently and oil about every 6 hours of sewing time.

If you don't want to get an industrial machine, consider getting an older machine with metal gears (60s and older), like a Singer 401 or 500 if you need zig-zag or fancy stitches, or 15-91 or 201 if you only need straight stitch. They are usually tough and with a good cleaning are ready to keep going and going.

Answer 2

I love my Pfaff "classic home" sewing machine. The classic line is always changing, but they are heavy duty machines made for a variety of sewing tasks, rather than fancy embroidery. It has a very heavy duty motor and the idt "walking foot" which you can disengage. It sews many layers of heavy fabrics quickly but can also be used for delicate fabrics and has a free arm . There are dozens of presser feet available and you can also lower the feed dog for free motion sewing. I use my machine every day, sometimes for hours on end and it is a dream. It is much quieter than my old singer. I purchased the mechanical model ( rather than electronic) just because I have always used a mechanical machine but I have heard the electronic is just as reliable. If you buy from an authorized dealer the support is fantastic. I can't say enough good things about my Pfaff.

Answer 3

Husqvarna Viking has 2 series of sewing machines- Designer and Sapphire series- with a sensor system. This link will take you to their page that explains it for you.

http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/us/435.htm

Basically what it is is no matter how thick your fabric the presser foot will glide over, or adjust its sewing height, to accomodate the fabric. And the motor is strong enough to go through several layers of denim at once without straining the machine at all. Its a very nice feature that I like a lot.

Here are some links to help as well-
Husqvarna Viking home page-
www.husqvarnaviking.com

This page has links to their sewing machines- http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/us/363.htm

This link will take you to a page where you can find a viking dealer new you. http://direct.where2getit.com/cwc/apps/w2gi.php?template=search&client=viking

Lisa
list owner

Answer 4

Pfaff makes a good machine called Jeans and Satin that can handle the extra thick material. It sounds like you are ready to graduate from that Kenmore hobby machine!

Answer 5

I'd suggest buying an industrial sewing machine. They can handle the thicker fabrics.

Answer 6

Why not take up Sandy's kind offer. Pfaffs are pretty good machines. Why not find out how much it costs to ship it? I bet it won't be anywhere near as much as £100. You'd have to wait for it to come of course. Have you tried to see how much it would cost to get yours repaired? It may only need a new motor and there are little shops out there who still do repairs

Answer 7

There are many diffrent needle sizes try one thats for heavy duty fabrics. Example jeans and for quilting. You don't need to go and buy another machine all you need is a size 16 for heavy weight fabrics, canvas, woolens, quilted fabrics, deniums and or size 18 needle it's for heavy woolens, upholstery, leathers and vinyl. These are your standard sharp needles.
I hope this helps.

Answer 8

you might want to get a machine made for leather, you need to ask at specialty sewing machine stores.

Answer 9

get a serger any brand will do