Did someone get a new HIGHLEAD?

[JuneC]

hiya

If only you could ship to the Uk cheaply i'd buy a long arm from you Gregg, they are about £5k here or $7 to £8K

Rich

Containerized shipping (LTL) isn't terribly expensive across the pond.  It's the VAT that kills you  :o  What's it in the UK - 21 or 22%?

June

[JuneC]

So it's all set up and I've sewn a few inches, but nothing in production yet.  The servo is going to take some getting used to.  I've turned down the speed, but there's a very fine line between stop and go - actually more than on my clutches (but they're old and totally broken in).  I don't expect the servo to get "broken in" so it just something I'll have to get used to.  I'll keep the finger guard on the needle for a few days at least till I get it under control.  I totally LOVE how quiet the servo motor is and the lack of heat coming from under the table. 

Changing the bobbin will also take getting used to since all my other machines are top loaders.  I'm going to miss being able to slide open the plate to eyeball how much thread is left in the bobbin.  This has become a real habit with me and it's really not critical unless top-stitching, but I like to keep on top of when it might be running out.  I'm sure it'll take just a few weeks to get to a point where changing the bobbin is another mindless task. 

Over the next week or so I'll be putting it through its paces.  I'd like to see how lightweight a fabric it will handle, as well as how heavy.  The reverse will also be something I need to remember to use since I've been without it for years now.  I think it will be indispensable once I get used to having it there. 

June

[Mojo]

In time everything will become habit June. When I change bobbins I never even lift the machine or lean down to see the bobbin case. I just reach in and flip the level and pull the case out. It just becomes natural after a while and you pick up that " feel ".

Your old clutch motor probably had an older belt on it which created just a little slip when starting. With servos there is no slip. The nice thing is that if you dial the servo down you will get the feel and be able to stop the needle in the material. It will all come together in time.

I have ( I think ) 4 speed selections on my servo. I typically sew at the second lowest. When doing toppers and awnings I sew wide open. By keeping it at the 2 nd speed I have better control when slowly going through different areas on the toppers. I sewed once at the highest speed setting and couldn't even think fast enough to feed and control the material..........lol.
That thing flies......

I sew at the lowest speed when sewing solar screens because of the binding and numerous corners and turns I have to make.

I love the servo and I love the bottom feed machines. The reverse is a must for me. I like my Juki 563 but I love my Chandler and am much faster on it. Glad your getting to know your machine. :)

Chris

[mroy559]

Along the way, did Lois offer you tracking range? Let myself know otherwise, as machine is in transit.

[hdflame]

Hey Everybody!

Thought I'd chime in about my Highlead too.  I've had mine about 2 years now and love it.  I've sewed 9/10 oz. Latigo Harness Leather and just cut the sleeves off of my fire dept. uniform shirts and hemmed them up last week!  It sews pretty much anything I want with hardly any adjustment.  Only occasionally do I ever adjust the bobbin tension.

I just received a new leather machine yesterday.  It's a HOSS!  Cobra Class 4 with electronic needle positioning.  Just got it set up last night but haven't played with it yet.  After coffee, that's what I'll be doing.  Been wanting to branch out into holsters and leather biker gear like saddlebags and such.

June, you'll get used to the servo and reverse.  One thing I really like using the reverse for is positioning the needle when I'm doing precise work.  If I want to end up in the hole I started on, all I have to do is press down on the reverse lever while rotating the handwheel and I can put the needle exactly where I want.  I also use the same technique for putting the needle exactly in a corner for making a turn.

I've got some info to share on the new digital servo motors but I'll start another thread to share that info.

Hope everyone has been doing well!

[JuneC]

Well, it took me about half a day of use to get used to the servo.  LOVE it!  And I find there's no issue switching back and forth from servo to clutch.  It just feels natural - maybe because I sewed on a home sewing machine for many years making my clothes and the feel is a lot like that.  I hadn't used my home machine for several years so it took a bit of use.  I did have to take the needle guard off right away though.  The bright, shiny "cage" jumping up and down as I sewed was very distracting. 

June

[Mike]

Ive cot a wuestion on The servo motors.  They o ly run ehen needed i have heard. It like a clutch motor continusly. In my sewing shop i have two breakers on one the shop light my singer and a window ac unit  ln another my juki and air compressor and wall ac.
If my window ac it on and i turn on the singer the motor draw mores power on start up slinning the motor up. Start it first then the ac is ok on the other juki circut the air compressor with the ac it too much. I
Wondering it the servo would draw slot each time you step on the pedal starti g the motor and my circut would pop?   I know more power

[baileyuph]

With the servo, someone stated it used the same motor as a clutch, is that true or look like it is true?

Then, I think your understanding (MIke) is, the motor does not run all the time, is that true for those with the servo?

If answer to all is "yes" so far, hence your question, right Mike?

There was a contributor about a week ago who said that her husband measured the power consumption on what we are talking about and the major power usage was at start up.  I suppose she said for both, a motor with a conventional clutch and then I assumed it would play out the same way with a servo.

That post is only about a few days old, I should go back and read.

Doyle

[Mike]

Right doyle im sondering if the servo eluld lop my breaker eith too mich on startig the macbine on the
Servo. With the. Lut h motor already running there no major power draw when starting to sew it only when the motor is turned on with to much already running. The. It will pop.

[Toledo Mach. Sales]

I'll try to answer some of your questions,Yes the motor only runs when you step on the pedal,the clutch motor takes alot of elect to start,then when it's running it uses less(but it's still running & might be humming) the Servo only runs when you press on the pedal,so I've never measured it but I'm almost certain it uses less power to operate plus when the clutchmotor is running it throws out quite a bit of heat which is great for the people in the north in the winter,but will make your shop warmer in the summer.
HTH
Bob

[Mike]

Thanks bob.
Ive ne er noticed any heat on mymlrgs off the motor and i live in shorts.
Im going to have to feel it next ti
E im sewing. 

[Cheryl]

re:   clutch vs servo discussion :  power consumption. 

Is it really gonna break the bank?  I mean,  just how much difference in $$ is there? 

[baileyuph]

If the servo motor is the same as the clutch motor (it has been stated it is), then energy consumed is equal if the power output is equal.  If the servo output power is not as much, that has to be factored into the power consumption.  But any savings by that phenomena will be offset somewhat because with servo there is a never ending stop and start.  Obviously, there are a lot less stopping and starting with a clutch, in effect most energy is consumed one time, at startup. 

This thing about heat from the motor continuously, I have never had that problem, whatever the heat is can't be much if it isn't noticed.  The sewing light heat is greater than the motor heat in my experience.  I try to use a 35 watt sewing bulb when I can find one, to minimize the heat from the bulb.  That is what initially came with the light, a 35 watt.

This topic, for me isn't economics, it is about understanding.  We all might appreciate an engineering report covering this particular issue, I would.  I did read one covering servo controls intergrated in welding operations during auto line  assembly.  That report did not focus on energy consumption, instead it stressed that servo integration provided superior welding time and position for each and every spot weld. These welds were done very systematically, by robots.  Obviously, energy consumtion at whatever price it cost was over shadowed by the quality and efficiency derived from non servo equipped welding.  It was a very interesting and consuming article, technically speaking.

This discussion has moved initially from, there are savings, there should be savings because.......not running all the time, to please understand energy usage spikes very high at start up and essentiall falls to a much lower consumption rate after startup on any motor.  Now, we are finding out servo equipped operations run only while the needle is moving, but stops and starts a large number of times during almost every sewing operation.  Doesn't this mean that there are going to be energy usuage spikes during every one of these starts and stops?

That is a yes, if the power output is equal to a continuous motor operation.  Servo, may not put out the power?  Again, not enough technical support avaiable for the average reader.

These comments do not reflect that I am a negative servo person.  If a sewing task required the ultimate precision control of a needle, then it is required, the servo that is.  Energy consumption is not the issue.  I would appreciate that kind of control particularly working with high leather detailed sewing. 

If this issue has been technically proven to the advantage of a manufacturer of servo equipment, bets are such information would make head lines and we would not be in this question mode and only getting answers of it seems "this or seems that" should be the answer.

But, the engineering study I read, and is available for anyone to read, did espouse that servo conrols integrated in robat manufacturing of auto assembly operations offers precision in placement and timing of welding that is unsurpassed by any other available technology.  It does not claim any energy savings benefit.  The relative importance of more or less energy consumed is not the important issue for auto assembly industries.

Doyle

[RocketmanMH1]

OK Just did my own little test and data session.  kinda crude test but a test none the less.   My shop has a 120 volt supply to all the plugs in the wall so this test was simple to do.  I took  a meter to measure amp draw and while everything else in the shop was turned off checked to see how much draw there was on the clutch motor first.   Upon start up the clutch motor drew 10 to 12 amps for just a few seconds, I would say about 6 seconds,After start up the motor drew an average of  4.0 amps while no load or sewing it didn't make much difference.

Now for the servo motor results.... upon start up.... no amp draw....while sewing very slowly 0.1 amp yes thats  ONE TENTH OF AN AMP.   While sewing at what I consider to be wide ass open.......about 2000 spm......... amp draw maxed out at  0.4 amps ........ YES THATS FOUR TENTHS OF AN AMP.



So my test proves to me that in my situation and my application  if it were to be that I turned my machine with the servo motor on in the morning and sewed all day, that I  would use one  tenth of the electricity that I would the following day if I used a clutch motor  to do the same amount of sewing.


To me it's a no-brainer decision  to use a servo,   no noise....... no hum....... better control..............no heat............ no clutch dust......... AND ONE TENTH OF THE ELECTRICITY USED.


I will be saving some money to buy two more servos for my other machines!!!!!