Sailrite

[scottymc]

Hi Ya'll, :)

Just after a bit of advise on a portable Sialrite machinewww.sailrite.com/Sailrite-Ultrafeed-LSZ-1-PLUS-Walking-Foot-Sewing-Machine#.Uvgfq87Ujvg

Are they any good?

We are selling up and hitting the road for a few years and thinking of buying this portable machine and do some canvas repair work along the way, what do you guys reckon?

[Mojo]

Hey Mate:

I have one. It is sitting in my shed collecting dirt and rust. You can have it cobber. It is the biggest POS I have ever sewed on.

Actually mine is called a Tuffsew but it is the same machine. Identical with the same parts except Sailrite loves to charge a bomb for theirs and that blue color.

I started out on this machine and spent more time adjusting it then I did sewing with it. You sew for an hour, adjust for 15 minutes, then sew some more........and on and on. We have another member on here who posted a month or so ago who went through the same thing with his machine.

Come on over Scotty and I will give you the machine free of charge. You will hate me within a week. :)

Chris

[cthomps]

I have one and it doesn't owe me a dime!  I am a professionals seamstress and use mine daily.  Upholstery, leather, production, sail work.  I bought it so I can use it on the fly and I don't have room for a stand alone machine.  It is a bit finicky. For example, I have to turn my needle to the right just a bit, but I have been able to manage.  The closest repair person is 30 miles away with a 6 month backlog so I have to work on my own machines.  The customer support from Sailrite is second to none.  You can also purchase individual repair parts, repair video etc.  I have had mine about 6 years and the ability to do work that others cant, has doubled my business.  I was fortunate to purchase mine used and added some upgrades.  I also did some refinements to the feet.  I split the center foot so I could see the needle for leather coat zip replacement and cut the side off a second one so I could make really tight welt. Hope this helps.  If you decide to purchase one to take on the road let me know and I can help out with the most common replacement parts. 

[timtheboatguy]

If you must have a portable machine then I would probably go with the Sailrite. I also have one of the clones (Family Sew) bought it on ebay several years ago. When it worked it did okay but I constantly had to adjust and tinker with the thing and now it has a broken part, some link rod thingy.

Perhaps I'll use it for target practice someday :)

[Mojo]

Tim:

Any part Sailrite sells for their machine will fit yours. There was a Chinese factory that made oodle's of these machines and people re-badged them and sold them on e-bay. I bought mine new for $ 250. Sailrite had theirs painted in bright colors to make them look different. But every single part they sell for their machine fits on these clones.

I believe that Bob Kovar told me that some parts for a Thompson Mini Walker will also fit on these machines.

There are some of these machines out there that will sew fine with few problems but the majority need constant adjustments and tinkering. I ran out of patience with mine and threw it in the shed. I should have thrown it into the Gulf. :)

I will say this much though. That machine taught me alot about industrial machines. I learned how to do alot of repairs and time machines. Mainly because I was re-timing and repairing it all the time. :)

Chris

[regalman190]

I have had one for years. Started my business with it and it's still going. I only use it for onsite work now being that it's a portable.

I have a Highlead for my main machine.

[jojo]

I also used to have a Sailrite knockoff. It never gave me any trouble, but it doesn't even compare to a full sized industrial. It would be like driving a Lexus around then switching to a Yugo. Chris, you're right, a Thompson Mini Walker is the same as Sailrite and all the clones. My clone brand name was Alpha Sew.

[scottymc]

Come on over Scotty and I will give you the machine free of charge. You will hate me within a week. :)

Chris

Chris, I have hated you since you mentioned that your hourly rate works out to over a hundred dollars. :P

Thanks for all the info, as usual I am now confused.

[forsailbyowner]

How portable do you need it to be?  I work out of a 33' sailboat and have room for a full size industrial . Are you going to be working out of the trunk of your car?

[scottymc]

Well basically yes, we have toyota landcruiser and 15ft caravan, would be working in the annex.


Chris I lifted this off a sewing sight:
The Tuffsew is a knock off of the Sailrite machine. It lacks both the warranty and support that Sailrite offers. Additionally, it lacks our quality control and does not have many Sailrite exclusive features such as the Posi-Pin direct drive clutch and the scarfed gib hook. The 9' throat model lacks sufficient structural reinforcement to counter the torque generated by the drive. Therefore, it may not remain in time under load.
That is a quote from sailrite, maybe the problem with your machine.

[Mojo]

That very well could be the problem Scotty.

Its all your if you want mate. :)

I read about others who have had these machines and when someone says their is trouble free I have to wonder how the hell they ended up with a decent one ? Most were junk. :)

Chris

[Grebo]

I have one as a portable, doubles up as a dedicated binder in the w/shop.

Not trouble free, but usually easily fixed, SR after sales is worth it for me. Some things annoy me, like the foot lift for a start.
Sited on the top of the machine & not the back as normal.
The 'feet' are very wide & the piece the feet attach to can sometimes be a PITA.
Still a handy addition & glad I have it.

Suzi

[scottymc]

Thanks for all your help, I did find a guy on a caravan forum that travels round with one , but he has a much bigger rig than we have, I think I'll just leave the machine at home and just pick up odd jobs as there are a heap over here in the rural areas. Caravaners are a bit like your free winders , they call them selves free campers and they are tight as. 

[Allan]

Scotty

I have a Barracuda for travelling
It is a sailrite knockoff or visa versa
The Sailrite agent in Oz is very expensive
I retimed mine and modified the idler pully by installing a bearing and this has made a big difference and now works great

http://www.strongarmsewing.com.au

I got mine direct from Barracuda but with freight worked out about the same as this one

I have a spare monster wheel you can have it you get one without

Allan

[scottymc]

Hi Allan,

Thanks for the offer, I have been looking at the strong arm.

So why do you own one? Is that you only machine?