tom4099

Most people will look at a Janome or Juki for a sewing machine. Usually people only look at a Sailright industrial(700$) for canvas and upholstery and leather etc. They are precise and durable.
Would it be way off to consider a Sailright for a general machine and quilter because its cheaper and rugged and have a cheap second machine for really light stuff(300$).The Sailright seems in destructable and has what looks to be a perfect stitch.

CanoePam

I think a lot of people are just spooked by industrials. This is the Sailright that sits on a table with the exposed oil pan like most of industrials, right? You have to be careful of speed control on an industrial too; they are designed to go FAST! They are very heavy too, and hard to take in for service. Then again, they are designed for owner maintenance if you feel comfortable with it.

I like industrials for for some things, have used one at a friend's house (she does piece work for a small manufacturer), and I have seriously looked at them. However I like to do slow stitching for piecing some times so I am not a good candidate. As a quilting machine the speed is still an issue. I run my Handiquilter Sweet 16 at anything from 10% speed (for ruler work) to 60% (for somple FQM) of the max 1000 SPM.

If if you are interested, you might want to try one out with the things you want to piece and quilt to see if it works for you.

PaperPrincess

I guess the only thing you would need to check is if the feed dogs are too aggressive for sewing quilting cotton, which is a LOT more delicate than canvas.

ManiacQuilter2

I agree with PaperPrincess. I would definitely take some strips and a practice sandwich to test drive this industrial machine.

Mitch's mom

No. I have a Sailrite I fight with at work. It is an over hyped, made in china, proprietary multipuropse feet that don't work well in the real world, piece of junk.

The feet ar horrible for anything but new contruction and you can forget about going over a seam because the feet design makes it nearly impossible. If you watch the videos for Sailrite they are making a bunch of new items or patching a flat area, never fixing anything the least bit difficult.

It will not hold tension, no matter what I do or what needle and thread I have tried.

I finally broke down and told my boss I hated the machine and bless her heart she said "well you've worn it out. Buy what you need."

Save yourself 700.00 of heartache, headaches, and disappointment. Don't buy a Sailrite.

Phyllis nm

i have a sailrite machine, it is an uphostery machine! it is great, for it's intended use. and thread tension has nothing to do with the needle size. their web site demos threading.

elnan

I never thought of the Sailrite as an industrial, just a sturdy machine that handles upholstery, denim, and of course sails, and is portable. No, it does not have the oilpan where it is constantly bathed with oil, and seldom sits in a special table. You can buy the spoked wheel and hand crank as an extra. People take them along on sailboats for emergency repairs. I think all the Sailrite machines now come with a needle or pin type feed. Think of it as a walking foot with pins. For that reason I think it would be ruled out for quilting. In all those free videos of sewing sails, cushion covers, bimini covers, etc., you won't see them demonstrating going over and over the fabric, as in quilting. Contact them and ask about using one of their machines for quilting. I've often wondered about that special swing-away binder attachment that screws to the bed of the machine - would it do to bind a quilt?, I don't know. For your piecing and quilting, you might do better with a vintage 15-91 or a vintage all metal geared Kenmore. If you decide to use the Sailrite for quilting, please check back and report on your experience.

Feather3

I have a Sailrite 111/MC-SCR Power System. I got mine with the table/oil pan. I asked about quilting & was told their machines are not designed to sew light fabrics. The feed dogs are too heavy & will chew the fabrics up. The added MC-SCR Power System allows me to sew 1 stitch at a time if I want to. I have sewn many very thick new fabrics/items including repairing many items with very thick seams. I have a walking foot, zipper feet, cording foot. I've not had any problems with tension. It is designed to use heavy needles & threads.

elnan

Thanks, good to know. I've only seen the portables.