I just finished a dodger and a sail pack. And I don’t think an “over the counter” sewing will have the grunt. A couple layers of sunbrella, no big deal, but your asking a lot out of small machine, Since you will routinely have 3+ layers zippers vinyl windows...

I like my sailrite knockoff. A bit rough around the edges, but it did the job. I was looking long and hard for a used sailrite but it wasn’t meant to be. I’ve got a Bimini project in the horizons if the guy ever get done bending my tubes..

The walking foot aspect of the “sail rite” type machine I feel is critical.

The sailrite videos were instrumental in my decision to forge ahead on my own, that and the price tag for some one to make what I wanted

I think some of the older like real old cast iron singers work, and folks seems to swear by them

 

I'll second the old Singer. I used a 1947 model gear drive Singer for my sail covers and Dodger. I bought it from a little old lady seamstress who told me she used it for 40 years, and it still worked perfectly.

 

I collect old sewing machines, mostly the all metal post World War II Japanese machines. They're capable of sewing through half a dozen layers of Sunbrella. Good for tarps, hatch covers, awnings and such, but I don't think they're the right machine for dodgers. Bimini is okay, but a dodger is pushing it. This applies to any of the all metal domestic machines including the Pfaff, etc.. You could probably do a stack pack.

A domestic machine, no matter what vintage and which brand, will not have a walking foot, and a walking foot makes working with canvas much easier.

Using a Brother home machine from Walmart is going be a major pain. Don't.

If you have some projects, and you want them to go well, get the Sailrite. There are machines similar to the Sailrite for much less money. Don't.

Resale on a Sailrite is exceptional, and they sell quickly. Support is great. Get the Sailrite.

I'm not mincing words on this. Which sewing machine should I get for my projects is a subject that comes up with regularity, so you're likely to get a wide range of answers from adamant responders. Have fun sorting that out.

Did I mention the Sailrite?

 

Googling around for Singers with walking feet, I see it as a separate attachment.

Does it fit on any Singer?

How do I know which used Singers on eBay will suit?

 

My wife did some restitching on our sailcover with her Singer Heavy Duty machine. They are pretty inexpensive (under $200) new and there is a walking foot attachment available.

 

A walking foot attachment is a useful tool for some applications, but it's a far cry from a true walking foot machine. Looking at eBay, etc., it's going to be difficult for you to know which old Singer to get. A model 66, or a model 15, a 301, and any of the 400 series like the 401 would be a possible choice, but how would know how to evaluate and trouble shoot it?

If you just do a sail cover, and nothing more complex, IMO you'd be fine with an old domestic machine. A stack pack is going to be tricker, and a walking foot would make it a lot easier.

I did a cover for my previous boat, a Catalina 28, with a 1971 Kenmore. A real beast of a home machine. I got it for about $75.00, it looks nearly new, and is fairly complex inside mechanically. A similar machine would work well for you, but you'd have to learn to maintain it. Just about any of the Kenmore 159 series Japanese machines would work well for a sail cover, but there's no owner support.

 

I have an old Kenmore too - have used it for sailbags, minor sail repairs, patching boat canvas. it will stitch through 5-6 layers of sunbrella or sailcloth but I don't think you could stitch, for example, the heavy webbing on the corner of a sail. It also doesn't throw as big or as even a zigzag stitch as I would like. I think that a Sailrite or the equivalent would do a much better job of that.

 

I made dinghy chaps and dodger/bimini repairs with a $72 sewing machine I got at Walmart.

 

My $72 Walmart special sewing machine broke the other day. I have been pretty mean to it lots of times the last 4 years, but the last straw was probably my trying to sow through the foot of the head sail tack to redo the webbing.

So I had to go to Walmart and get a replacement. It is just like the last one, but it cost $84 this time. By the time I make various repairs to my dodger and bimini I figure it to have saved me more that $500.

 

correction: 158 series Kenmore.

 

Here's a machine from your local Craigslist that would be ideal for your project. Seller says it's rare. It's not. Seller wants $150.00. That's too much. These go for anywhere from free to $100.00 in perfect working order. If they'd go down to $75.00 that would be more fair.

Most likely all the machine needs is cleaning and oiling. I could get you started on servicing it via email. Machine uses standard needles and bobbins.

Vintage Sears Kenmore sewing machine - household items - by owner -...

Selling my moms sewing machine that is in good working order. All metal and heavy duty.A rare find. Comes with foot pedal, original owners manual and buttonhole attachment. Also throwing in misc...

minneapolis.craigslist.org

 

I took a closer look at the ad I sent you. The paint on that machine is only in fair condition. Maybe $35.00 tops. The cabinets generally don't add any dollar value to the machine, but having it in the cabinet would be handy for you. Otherwise, a kitchen table or desk is just fine.

 

Do you need it to be portable?

 

You don't NEED a walking foot, and you don't need a SailRite machine, they just make it easier and more convenient.
You can certainly build a stack pack without a walking foot, and if you buy a SailRite kit it will still include instructions for people without a walking foot or without a SailRite machine. If your home machine can't punch through the thickest corners, you can do that bit by hand and the machine still does 90% of the work.

It depends on how much convenience you are willing to pay for. You can spend $2,000 for a professional SailRite, $1,000 for the home SailRite, $100 for a used machine, or $20 for needle and thread.

 

Are you aware that if you get an all metal sewing machine that's 50+ years old, you're going to have to be somewhat of an expert on it? You'll need to learn how to remove the balance wheel, install a new belt, service the motor, remove all covers, and clean and oil absolutely everything that moves. Kind of a hobby all by itself.

If that appeals to you, a vintage machine makes sense. My 60 year old Japanese machines will still be capable of sewing another 60+ years with minimal upkeep.

A Sailrite machine will require regular oiling, but you have support from Sailrite and a large user group.

 

You really need all that with any machine you buy, if you want it to work next time....

 

Any old all metal machine, yes. The new machines that some recommend don't require any oiling. The advantage of the Sailrite is the support. A lot of the old all metal machines can be a bit of a rabbit hole, like the Singer 15's and 201's with their potted motors. Great machines after they're serviced, but rewiring those potted motors so the old brittle wires don't pose a shock hazard is difficult.

 

Here's a very clean all metal Singer located in St. Paul. Priced very well. Just pay them what they're asking.

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I recently went through the vintage vs. Sailrite vs. Sailrite clone decision and ultimately chose the Sailrite. I posted my reasoning in this thread.

 

This seems to be an affordable answer

Consew CP146RL Portable Walking Foot with Zig-Zag Stitch & Carrying Case.

The Consew CP146RL Portable Walking Foot is designed for hobbyists and businesses. The Consew CP146RL is now 2 inches longer than the old style CP146R. FREE SHIPPING TO THE CONTINENTAL USA Included; Carrying case, Instruction Manual, Screwdriver, Oiler, Commercial Thread Stand, Variable Foot...

sewing-industrial.ecwid.com

 

This seems to be an affordable answer

This is one of the Sailrite clones. Similar (identical? or at least likely coming out of the same Chinese factory) clones are also sold under the brand names Reliable Barracuda, REX, NewTech, TuffSew, Yamata/Family Sew, and a few others. Many people have been happy with these machines, so long as you understand what the price premium of a Sailrite machine does and does not buy you.

 

The walking foot is there to make sure all the layers of fabric are moving through the machine at the same rate. Typically, the feed dogs, under the sewing foot, is what moves lightweight fabric through without an issue. With something that is multilayer the walking foot provides movement from the top as well and sandwiches it all together. You can use double-sided basting tape (or you could hand sew it with basting thread if you are a glutton for punishment) to temporarily "glue it together" and move it all through the machine at the same rate. Apart from that, you just need a machine with enough durability to go through multiple layers of heavy duty fabric (denim, canvas, etc.).

 

Kudos to Sailrite for creating such unwavering loyalty! Surely their sewing machines are retaged from a manufacturer like the one I shared, I wouldn't begin to think they own the rites to their own sewing machine and build it in their own Factory but I've been wrong about other things.

 

The sail rite machine as we know it today started off as a Thompson mini walker. More or less. Sail rite assembled all their machine in Indiana by I think they still outsource the manufacture of the castings and such. Likely the bigger reason for the huge following is they continue to refine and improve the product And I think their refinements and improvements can be made to older machines

No doubt the current knockoffs are very rough around the edges. You have to ask yourself is the price tag delta is worth it....

 

This is kind of a hilarious discussion

sewing machines as knock-offs to Sailrite?
We don't need to be an analyst to know that marine canvas is not the only industry that uses heavy-duty sewing machines. So, just how does a sewing machine that's been used in, let's say the leather goods and upholstery business get tagged as a knock off to Sailrite?

 

The Thompson lineage is reasonably correct. To say that the other small walking foot machines that look like the Sailrite are clones of the Sailrite isn't correct. More correct to say that they share a common ancestor.

There aren't a lot of difference between the Sailrite and the "clones". Sailrite has identified which parts tend to fail, and they spec those parts a little heavier. They all come from China.

All these machines are crude, including the Sailrite. Crude castings for the body, and for the internal parts. Parts that you'd expect to be machined and polished are left looking rough.

If you get a "clone" you're rolling the dice. Open the box, oil it, and it'll probably be fine, but if it's not, you'd better have an understanding of how to improve/fix it. You're on your own.

The Sailrite machines aren't a whole lot better than the others. They've made some of the parts more robust, and they have some reasonably thoughtful improvements like the stictch length control and their Monster Wheel, and most notably, their customer service is outstanding. If you have a machine that's not running right, you will get it resolved.

The Sailrite comes with a double pulley system to reduce the gearing between the motor and the balance wheel (ditto for the clones). One of the problems with the Sailrite (which may have been corrected...I don't know), is that when you get your Sailrite, the wheels in the double pulley arrangement are poorly aligned and benefit greatly from being shimmed and tweaked for to get the belts running true. Other than that, the Sailrites are typically ready to run straight out of the box.

If someone asks me which machine they should get, and they have no experience with sewing machines (using or fixing), my answer is going to be Sailrite every time. It's going to work, and if they can't complete their project, it's not the machine's fault.

If you know basic maintenance on sewing machines, and understand how they work, there's nothing wrong with a clone other than some of the parts have not been made more robust per Sailrite. But, you're probably not going to break them. If it runs right out of the box, great. Otherwise....

 

I'm no sewing expert but I've bought plenty of tools on the cheap that made the job more difficult and costly than it needed to be. I've learned the truth of "buy cheap, buy twice."

I have friend who went with Sailrite and did cushions and covers for their and my boats. The cost savings solidly justified the purchase. She's very happy with the machine, the tutorials, and customer support.

You can probably save a little (or a lot) on a different used machine, but will you spend extra time figuring out how to use and maintain it, searching for parts, or ultimately replacing it?

 

@Siamese Early on, sailrite, at least according to their info, had some of their designs stolen while they were doing some of the casting work done overseas, and before they cold get a handle on it, the damage, so to speak was done...

here's a link to a thompson for sale. you can see where the Sailrite linage and appearance come from..

yeah I agree that calling a rex, consew, tuffsew or or one of the other machines a knockoff of the sailrite is like calling a chevy chevette a knockoff of a 7 series bmw. while both automobiles..., that about where the similarity ends.

the sail rite is a well tuned, refined and ready to go out of the box...

 

yeah I agree that calling a rex, consew, tuffsew or or one of the other machines a knockoff of the sailrite is like calling a chevy chevette a knockoff of a 7 series bmw. while both automobiles..., that about where the similarity ends.

I don't agree that this is an apt analogy. The Sailrite and the clones occupy the high and low end of the same class of sewing machine - portable consumer grade heavy duty. They have more similarities than differences and can neither be easily compared to other consumer machines which are more oriented toward clothing fabrication/quilting/embroidery nor to industrial machines. Many (most? all?) parts in clone machines are interchangeable with Sailrite parts and the clone machines can be fitted with most of Sailrite's enhancements and accessories.

If we have to go with a car analogy, a Sailrite is a Toyota 4Runner and a clone is a Jeep Liberty. The Chevette is the cheapest sewing machine at Walmart.

 

Car analogy isn't going to work. These machines are almost identical inside. Same design. MUCH closer than similar models from different car manufacturers. They work the same, they adjust the same.