How's everyone liking their servo-motor?

[sawdustar]

Servo motors are not new items. Take a look at the machine shop industry and even the home woodworking industry. My woodworking lathe has a 2 HP "servo motor" on it....it's called a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) and the torque is the same at 1 RPM as it is at 3400 RPM. The only real problem with VFD's is that they are sensitive to electrical spikes like lightening and severe spikes where the power peaks out all of a sudden at 150% power at the outlet. So I leave my lathe unplugged until I'm ready to use it.
I'm sure that a servo motor is much like a VFD....DC motor controlled by A/C power converted to DC voltage and fed to a motor that has the same torque at any speed.

Many items now use servo type motors.....lathes, table saws, drill presses, and etc....the list goes on and on....so I simply can't buy this idea that a "servo" motor is a New Deal that needs time to mature that "technology". It's the quality of components put into the control unit of that motor that makes or breaks the motor. Most all of them fail at the control board.

One thing I do know.....a VFD is "expensive" to get repaired. It just bugs the fire out of me when I spend $400 to fix a motor when I could have fixed it for about 3 hours time and less than $30 in parts.

Live and learn as I usually say.

[Bob T]

It just shows how far removed I must be from modern times.  My Delta Drill press and 10" Delta Contractors Table saw sure aren't servo compatible as far as I know.  I guess they must be analog in a digital world!

Thinking about it overnight, I do remember seeing some specialty machines with servo motors back in the early 90's.  I went to an auction where they were selling off the equipment for a "marching band" uniform factory, and they had quite a few machines with Efka and Mitsubishi servo's.  Most seemed to have all kinds of needle and foot positioners.  Makes me wonder why it took so long for servo's to make it onto your everyday garden variety upholstry and canvas shop sewing machines.  Maybe it was the price of those Efka servo's?

[lilsuz]

Modern clutch motors are no more relaible than new servos. 

That said, the old clutch motors that were made domestically, or in Japan were always money, and built to great standards. 

Greg,

I have an old clutch motor on that Chandler (Bernina) machine, model 217n. and I think it's a Consew motor. Anyhow, the thing takes forever to wind down after turning it off, which my friend Bob (Electrician) says makes it an excellent motor. He was really surprised at how long the thing kept winding after it was turned off. Problem is though, it runs much too fast for my liking. But Bob says it's a fantastic running thing! It must be about 35 years old or more, and I know it has been used quite a bit. Maybe I'll try to slow it down with some of the tips people have posted here. Oh, if I had all day to play!

By the way, I think I'll call you when I have the funds to replace that clutch motor!

Thanks for your input Greg!
-Sue

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

Sure.

The old Consew motors were very good as well. 

[lilsuz]

Yay! My favorite motor (Reliable Servo) is working again!

I got sort of lucky and a friend who is an Electrician fixed it for me! He is a pilot and fixes all kinds of electrical stuff on old war planes and jets, and he traded me an embroidered Pilot Jacket (custom for him) with a jet design on the back and his name on the front. I had the military jackets in stock, so it really cost me nothing more than what I had already, and I happened to have his size!

He totally went through it and got it working, I'm so lucky!!!!

So, I thought I would post this just to let you know my motor is good after all. The problem was that some wires were crossed. When the machine was initially set up, the wires were done at that time. I'm just surprised that it worked at all. I don't understand electricity, so I won't even try to explain that one.

Anyhow, if I ever need a motor again, I'd be getting one from Greg at Keystone for sure. I will probably get one of those Highlead machines from him one day, they look like nice machines. Okay, back to making some money honey! ;)

[Can-Vas]

Good news Suz - now get sewin'!    ;D

[Geech]

I started into the industry using a Seiko purchased right out of the classroom at Northcoast in May of 2008 after being told it was approximately a year old.  The servo motor has easily logged 360 days of steady use without a problem.  I'd have to look to see what brand it is, but I was impressed with it until I received the motors on my new setups from Keystone.  If anyone is interested in the different brand names I like / dislike I'd be happy to crawl under and take a look.

I learned not all servo motors are the same and I might find myself liking the old Seiko a little more if it had the motor my Juki has on it because its so much easier to control.  I imagine the difference is in the controls tied to the motor of course, but have no idea if a little tinkering can save me from replacing everything.

The energy consumption of the servo motor is especially important to me in my mobile setup because I power the entire 20' trailer off of a power inverter that runs off an auxiliary battery in my tow rig (no AC unit in the trailer though).  The draw from the motor has almost no impact on my battery despite stitching away from sun up to sun down with it and leaving it on all day long.  While I have no proof of what the clutch motor would run, if Sofadoc's story about his power bill is accurate I imagine I would not be in the same boat and possibly have to run the generator at some point in the day.

Now if I just get rid of the  HID Metal Halide light fixtures in my garage that literally cost $10-15 a month each to keep lit, I might consider myself greenish!

[hdflame]

Yay! My favorite motor (Reliable Servo) is working again!

I got sort of lucky and a friend who is an Electrician fixed it for me! He is a pilot and fixes all kinds of electrical stuff on old war planes and jets, and he traded me an embroidered Pilot Jacket (custom for him) with a jet design on the back and his name on the front. I had the military jackets in stock, so it really cost me nothing more than what I had already, and I happened to have his size!

He totally went through it and got it working, I'm so lucky!!!!

So, I thought I would post this just to let you know my motor is good after all. The problem was that some wires were crossed. When the machine was initially set up, the wires were done at that time. I'm just surprised that it worked at all. I don't understand electricity, so I won't even try to explain that one.

Anyhow, if I ever need a motor again, I'd be getting one from Greg at Keystone for sure. I will probably get one of those Highlead machines from him one day, they look like nice machines. Okay, back to making some money honey! ;)

The more I use my Highlead I got from Gregg, the more I like it!

What really impresses me is I almost never have to adjust the upper thread tension.  Going from 92 -138, heavy material multi-layers to lighter stuff...it just keeps sewing good stitches!

Very good control, one stitch at a time and plenty of power.  The more I use it, the better I get too! ;D  Not ot mention the other benefits of having a servo...quiet, energy efficient!

[lilsuz]

Thanks Can_Vas!

Good news Suz - now get sewin'!    ;D

[lilsuz]

Geech,

I'm glad you have had such a great experience with your equipment. Unfortunately for me, the $200.00 I saved trying to find the best price cost me much more than that with the problems I had to get fixed, the motor pooping out on me was just one of the problems. I bought my machine brand new, on-line. The Company was dishonest and billed my credit card 2x, then would not answer my calls. I had to go after them through my credit card Company, then I got the additional charge credited back.

When the machine arrived, the metal legs were bent, probably from shipping, and the motor they said they shipped in separate box never arrived. I had to go after them again through my credit card Company to make good on delivering the motor. I had strongly considered just having them take the whole thing back, but decided to stick with what I had purchased. I got my machine up and running and then discovered I had a cracked oil pan, which was dripping oil. The crack could not be detected easily, but it was cracked! By then, the Company had gone out of business. So, I went to the manufacturer. Harold Feit (bless his heart) himself, the person who owns Econosew, dealt with me personally and replaced my oil pan. I was so Thankful to him for doing that.

Then, after the machine sat for a while in storage is when the motor quit on me.

So, I'm pleased as punch to get my machine running now. You would think the whole experience would have made me hate the thing by now, but it was like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and for some reason I like that kind of stuff! Too bad it wasn't so cheap in the end though. I think a Charlie Brown Christmas tree is supposed to be cheap or free to begin with, right? :)

[lilsuz]

Bobby,

You were smart to get a machine from Greg, I'm glad to hear you like it so much! That's great that you can go from one weight thread to another without any problems. What size is the bobbin in that machine anyhow? Jumbo?

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

His Highlead usess same large bobbin as Juki 1541 and Consew 206RB.

[lilsuz]

Update on the SewQuiet 3000 Servo Motor...
Shortly after I posted that my motor was fixed, it pooped out on me again.

Oh well!