slbram17

I too am somewhat interested in an industrial machine. I don't sew for business purposes but have recently started making purses and I make pet beds for the shelter which sometimes can get thick. So it is not absolutely necessary but it seems like an industrial would make it easier.
I have read where they are fast, but isn't there a foot control or motor that controls the speed to make it go at a more comfortable speed? Or is it just fast? The other factor is maintenance, I am sure I would not have a local service person to go to. But maybe because they are somewhat limited in their functionality, little or no service/maintenance is needed?

slbram17

What kind of service was needed? That's a factor because I would not have local service available.

applique

It needs to be oiled and the lint removed. Once in a blue moon I have a bit of thread which jams the raceway and needs to be found and removed. That is it.

miss_ticky2

slbram17...I bought a small industrial Brother machine just before Christmas so that I sew faster. I work at home, sewing for a company, and needed a zigzag that would be faster. Mine is an old machine and when I bought it the guy put a new servo motor on it (it had a clutch motor before). The servo motor has a speed control and I can turn it way down slow if I want to. Plus, I have found that I can control the speed quite well with just the foot pedal, although it's not as slow as a domestic machine like that. But, I can control it for what I need with the pedal. The guy I bought it from sells industrial machines and he set the machine up to suit what I am sewing and all I do now is just oil it every week and give it a clean out. It's very basic and not much on it to go wrong. However, if something did go wrong, like timing, then it would be good to have someone who could attend to it

Barb_MO

I have a Singer U20. in the past I used it all the time to make quilts, I moved into a new home seven years ago and didn't have room for it so it is stored in one of our storage sheds. I love it and wish I could get it out again.

slbram17

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

slbram17

Thank you. Doesn't sound bad at all.

Jinney

I have 2 industrial machines. A Singer 31-15 (I call her Granny) I love , I used it exclusively for at least 10 years. It has made every quilt I have made since I got it, from beginning to binding. I recently bought an Atlas Levy because I wanted a machine that had automatic thread cutter, for my small business. It is supposed to be made exactly like a Juki, by the same manufacturers, but who knows. I have not started a quilt with it yet but I have been playing with a couple of placemats. So far so good with that, I hope it turns out to be as great at quilting as my old singer was. So industrial machines are good for quilting, they just take some getting used to. I will not go back to a regular machine for quilting.