I have a ? & need a opinion
 

For those of you that have a singer sewing machine. The ? is what needle do you use. Do you use a singer needle, or standard needle. I was told eventually in time a reg needle will mess up/damage the machine in 1 way or another. I was told to buy 20/20 needles. Is a 80/11 needle the same type of needle for sewing cotton/poly fabric. Don-isewman

I had a Singer in the 70s and I used Singer needles but that was before there were Schmetz needles which I currently use on my older Bernina. I looked at JAF and I saw mostly Singer ball point needles which are for when you are sewing with knit fabrics.

You have been given misleading advice, or someone is thinking all wrong about it. Most models take standard domestic needles, which is needle system 705, 15x1 or 130, different numbers for the same needle. Some models take different needle systems, like 301, model 12, industrial machines, etc.

We often use the term "needle size" inter-changeably with both needle system and the thickness of the needle shaft. I suppose it's more correct to use "needle size" about the width or thickness of the needle. It's easily very confusing until you knw the difference. To make it even more so, there are various systems to indicate the size/width too: 70 is the same as #10, 80= #12, and 90= #14,.. The older cast iron models can take up to size 140/#22, which allows for a thicker thread.

Some brands are possibly better than others, but who ever the maker is should not matter: Schmetz, Klasse, Singer, Orgran willl work fine, even less common brands or generic needles should be fine. They should ge made to the same very accurate measurments.

I recently bought a Singer from a dealer and he sold me off-brand needles. He never mentioned a word about having to purchase Singer needles. As a rule, I use a 90/14 in mine and it seems to work for most everything except King Tut thread, which seems to need a 100/16 on my machine.

Watson

When I got my sewing machines I looked at the manuals. When I looked at my 401 from an estate sale the drawer was full of Singer and Schmertz.

I have a 301a that was my mother's. A few months ago when I got it out to start using it, I asked here and was told that Schmetz would work fine. I'm still using them in it. They're fine.

A Singer 2020 needle is just their numbering system for a regular 15x1(130/705H, HAx1) type of needle. The 80/11 is the needle size. I won't use Singer needles. No quality control. I always used Schmetz needles for years but now I use Organ brand needles because it's easier and cheaper to buy them in bulk.

Cari

My long arm dealer told me not to use titanium needles - but I don't remember why . . . when I was making custom lingerie, I always used the ball point needles - usually a 75. Other than special purpose, I rarely use anything larger than an 80 in my domestic machines.

The old Boye needles came in 30-40, 40-60, 60-80, 80-100. Not sure what those equated to though. You would get an assortment in a tube, with one tube having the first three sizes, and the second tube having the last three sizes. So the two in the middle you got regardless of what tube you bought.

Getting the right needle for the fabric is the easy part - getting the right needle for the machine is the harder part. Once I get the Wheeler Wilson #8, I'll have a machine for each size needle sold in the Boye round needle display case.

I have Singer machines {regularly use my Touch 'n Sew] I use a 14 Schmetz most of the time. I think size 11 may be very small eyed. At least it is for my cottons and thread. by the way, my T & S is 60 + years old.