Originally Posted by
Vintage.Singers.NYC
For extra heavy stuff like you're describing, I don't think a 201 is what you want to go with, and certainly not a slant-needle machine like a 301. If you absolutely had to do this with a domestic I'd say a Singer 15-91 is a better bet than the 201, as the 201 has a horizontal bobbin (vs. the 15-91's vertical bobbin), and that extra turn the bobbin thread has to make in a 201 may become a liability.
Be aware that about the heaviest thread you can get in a model 15, or any domestic Singer for that matter, is #69. If anyone's successfully used #92 in a 15-91, please let us know, I'd like to hear about it.
Before you buy that industrial you mentioned, find out what that particular model was designed to do. People seem to think "industrial" just means "super strong for thick material" and that's not what it means at all. For example, a lingerie factory will be filled with industrial machines, and none of them would be suited for sewing webbing to Cordura.
I have one machine that I use to make dog leashes and collars. I'm never going through more than four layers of webbing, but it's a Singer 15-90 (not -91) that I converted to handcrank. There's no motor to burn out, and the handcrank is great for the slow, precise stitching required to do a proper Box-X on material that's only one inch wide. I use #16 or #18 needles, depending, and #69 thread top and bottom.
The industrials belong to a military alterations business, so while they might not be used to sew tactical gear, I know they are at least equipped to handle the heavier fabrics.
I guess thats really what I'm struggling to decide and I'm not knowledgeable with all these machines enough to know what would be the best addition to my studio. I only suggested the 301 and the 500A because I already have them and it would give me a reason to use them instead of them just sitting in my studio doing nothing. I've sewn purses and diaper bags and baby bedding from these fabrics, and I do all the alterations for my husband's unit free of charge for them, and that all is done just fine, usually on my Bernina, at least until I get a walking foot for my new Viking. I may move that over to one of these machines. My goal with all the machines I have is to be able to leave some of them set up for specific things so I'm not constantly having to change out bobbins, needles, threads, etc just to sew on a set of stripes or repair a bag when I'm in the midst of a quilt. I want a machine dedicated to uniforms, and one dedicated to tactical sewing, and the others I can use for regular sewing projects.