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| Guess which one's the industrial. |
There are many eBay in addition to Craigslist sellers selling vintage domestic Singer sewing machines in addition to branding them “heavy duty” or “industrial strength.” Sadly, these sellers are lying inward fellowship to fetch higher prices. Beware of these descriptions:
- “Vintage Singer Industrial Strength Sewing Machine”
- “Sews leather!
- “Heavy Duty!”
- “Industrial Grade!”
- "Semi-Industrial!"
Dishonest sellers know that if you lot seat those keywords into whatever domestic sewing machine ad, naïve people volition live fooled in addition to extra coin tin give the axe live made. When I starting fourth dimension got into this hobby, I myself was suckered because I didn’t know whatever better. So immediately I’m writing this entry to listing some facts in addition to preclude futurity buyers from falling into the same trap.
What’s the deviation betwixt a domestic in addition to an industrial sewing machine?
The deviation betwixt a domestic in addition to an industrial sewing machine is something similar the deviation betwixt a regular machine in addition to a semi truck.
The basic mechanics are the same--you receive got an engine that powers wheels, or a motor that powers a needlebar--but the intended applications in addition to method of usage are totally different. That Toyota is designed to acquire you lot to the portion or the supermarket, or the occasional roadtrip when your husband needs to torture you lot amongst a catch to the in-laws; but that semi volition haul multi-ton loads for 10 hours a day, every day, at highway speeds. As you'll run into below, a similar deviation exists betwixt domestic in addition to industrial sewing machines.
Materials
Domestic vintage sewing machines were designed for housewives of the era. Intended to live a menage tool, the machines tin give the axe handgrip various materials; inward the 1940s in addition to ‘50s, the average housewife powerfulness live called upon to construct everything from vesture to drapery to slipcovers for the couch. She powerfulness live sewing something every bit lite every bit lace, or mending something every bit heavy every bit an overcoat. While non necessarily vivid at whatever i thing, the domestic machine had to live flexible plenty to encompass the range.
Industrial sewing machines are intended for piece of work inward factories, where people piece of work inward assembly lines on highly specific tasks amongst consistent materials. Some machines are designed to run upwards shirt cuffs; others are designed to seat the waistband on a span of jeans; nevertheless others are designed to attach zippers. Whatever the task, the operator sits at that spot in addition to does that same undertaking over in addition to over again, in addition to the machines are specific to the stuff weight in addition to the task. An industrial machine is non versatile, but is first-class at performing a few specific tasks.
If you lot shout upwards most it, it’s obvious that a mill making silk bras volition receive got unlike machine needs than a mill making overcoats. Both volition live using industrial machines, in addition to those machines may live completely unlike from each other. That's why it's pretty dumb if someone says to you, "Hey, you lot wanna purchase an industrial machine? I receive got an industrial machine!" It's similar someone proverb "Hey, you lot demand some medicine? I receive got medicine!" You receive got medicine, or an industrial sewing machine, that's used for what? If I'm making parachutes in addition to your machine came from a panty factory, it does me no good. I powerfulness every bit good purchase cholesterol pills for a broken leg.
Usage
A domestic machine is used for a few hours at a time, in addition to during that usage, it is non running constantly. The sewist puts downward a line of stitches, in addition to therefore pauses to accommodate the material, insert or take pins etc., in addition to therefore puts downward some other line of stitches. It is stop-and-go piece of work in addition to the machine is designed accordingly, amongst a pocket-size motor in addition to standard-sized components.
Let's expect at the underpinnings of a 15-91:
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| Underside of a typical domestic machine. (Oil bottle for scale.) |
In contrast, industrial machines are designed for factories, in addition to factories construct coin past times running full-tilt. Your average mill worker puts the pedal to the metallic in addition to cranks out hundreds or thousands of pieces a day. Accordingly, industrial machines receive got powerful motors, thicker shafts, stronger bearings, in addition to beefier gears. They piece of work to a greater extent than steel within than a domestic does.
Let's expect at the underpinnings from a Singer 111w155:
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| Underside of an industrial features much thicker, heavier parts. (Oil bottle for scale.) |
Whether specifically designed to run upwards silk or heavy leather, an industrial machine uses to a greater extent than robust parts than a domestic, because an industrial must stand upwards up to the abuse of long hours of constant high-speed usage.
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| Note that the beefy connecting rod, at center-right, looks similar something you'd honour inward a car. |
Motors
While non the end-all be-all, the motor is the most obvious indication that you’re dealing amongst an industrial versus a domestic machine.
I late bought the Singer 111w155 pictured upwards top, which is a truthful industrial, designed to arrive at automotive upholstery. Take a expect at the motor that was connected to it:
Now expect at the potted motor of the Singer 15-91, i of the machines I oft run into FALSELY advertised every bit “Industrial Strength:”
Let's expect at them side-by-side:
Get the idea? Even if you lot know null at all most motors, exercise you lot honestly believe the i on the left is capable of doing the same thing every bit the motor on the right? If so, why would mill owners bother buying the bigger motors?
Most industrials receive got motors that are 1/2 horsepower or 3/4 horsepower. Your average domestic Singer’s motor isn’t measured inward horsepower, it’s measured inward amps (short for amperes), a unit of measurement of electrical current.
Horsepower in addition to amps aren’t tardily to compare--it’s a flake similar comparison how much coin Person A has, to Person B’s earnings potential--but if nosotros seat them on a petroleum scale, 1 amp is equal to around 1/10 horsepower.
Some sellers volition boast that they’ve outfitted their machines amongst 1.5 amp motors, which according to them, makes them “industrial strength.” Simply non true. A 1.5 amp motor is nevertheless less than 33% every bit powerful every bit the smallest industrial motor. So don’t live wowed past times impressive-sounding numbers. Plus, every bit you lot saw inward a higher house inward the photos of the underpinnings, a to a greater extent than powerful motor lone is non plenty to construct a machine "industrial."
A Word About Leather
Sellers trying to inflate the capabilities of their machine dearest to seat “Sews leather!” inward their description. This is a ridiculous in addition to value-less statement, because leather comes inward many unlike thicknesses in addition to types. The lightest, cheapest garment-weight leather is tardily to seat stitches inward on ANY machine, including those plastic Wal-Mart junk jobs. Bring me the crappiest sewing machine you lot receive got in addition to I’ll demo you lot a lightweight slice of leather I tin give the axe run upwards on it.
What these sellers are hoping is that you’ll believe that if you lot purchase i of their machines, you’ll live able to construct gun holsters in addition to Equus caballus saddles amongst their “Industrial Strength” model 99s. Which is, of course, ridiculous.
Some sellers volition become a pace farther in addition to demo photos of their machine sewing through thick leather belts. Folks, I receive got no dubiety you lot tin give the axe coax a domestic into temporarily sewing through thick leather. I also don’t dubiety you lot could accept the Toyota nosotros saw earlier, necktie that trailer to the dorsum of it, in addition to nether the correct conditions, acquire it to move. But how far exercise you lot shout upwards you’ll get? And how good exercise you lot shout upwards that Toyota’s going to agree upwards before it breaks down?
Here’s the bottom line: The guy bragging most his machine’s leather capabilities is trying to sell it to you. Wouldn’t you lot rather larn most leather machines from someone who sews leather for a living in addition to isn’t trying to sell you lot anything?
If so, the forums over at Leatherworker.net are a keen house to start. There’s a department called “Leather Sewing Machines” where people amongst decades of leather sense hash out unlike sewing machines appropriate for those tasks. Needless to say, you lot won’t honour anyone raving most “Heavy Duty” model 66s.
A Word About “Heavy Duty”
Apart from the sellers who’ll actively prevarication to you lot most their machines’ capability, at that spot are others who misinform you lot because they exactly don’t know whatever better. They honour a sewing machine inward their grandmother’s attic in addition to figure it’s worth large bucks. They endeavor lifting it in addition to discovery it weighs xxx pounds. They figure it’s a “heavy duty” machine because of its heft.
Folks, a domestic vintage Singer is solely “heavy duty” inward the sense that EVERYTHING from that era was “heavy duty”--meaning “overbuilt.” Today nosotros receive got fancy software that analyzes mechanism parts for manufacturers, to assist them calculate the absolute thinnest in addition to cheapest a portion tin give the axe live to acquire through 10,000 cycles before it breaks. Back in addition to therefore nosotros had no such thing. So nosotros overbuilt everything from sewing machines to refrigerators to cars. Pull the door near on a ’54 Buick, in addition to therefore line the door near on an ’88 Buick in addition to run into if you lot notice anything different.
Because vintage Singers were overbuilt, they volition concluding you lot a lifetime nether the normal piece of work for which they were intended. But that does non qualify them every bit “heavy duty” machines every bit that term is popularly understood. “Overbuilt” does non hateful “industrial,” in addition to here’s the proof:
Go into whatever garment mill today (or honour i on YouTube) in addition to you’ll run into the house is filled amongst industrial machines, whether quondam or new, that each cost thousands of dollars. Vintage domestic Singers tin give the axe live institute much cheaper than that in addition to are ubiquitous on every Craigslist from New York to Los Angeles. If vintage domestic Singers were expert plenty to serve every bit industrials, in addition to therefore why wouldn’t mill owners exactly purchase hundreds of them in addition to create total their factories amongst these less expensive, easier-to-repair machines? Do you lot shout upwards mill owners only savor spending to a greater extent than coin inward this economy, or that they are non smart plenty to hire Craigslist buyers? No, the response is simple: They don’t exercise that because domestic Singers are non cutting out for that sort of work.
How Do These Sellers Get Away With It?
Some of the eBay sellers advertising fake industrials receive got 100% user ratings. If what they are selling isn’t every bit advertised, how is this possible?
Well, early I unwittingly bought falsely-described machines from 2 unlike sellers that both had 100% ratings. When I became frustrated amongst the functioning of the first, I opened it upwards in addition to institute some problems. I contacted the seller in addition to he offered to refund my coin inward full. The minute machine was listed every bit having been re-wired. I opened that i upwards too, in addition to institute out it wasn’t re-wired. That seller in addition to therefore claimed he had made a cut-and-paste fault inward the listing from a unlike machine, in addition to offered to post me a complimentary cabinet (that I wanted) to construct things right. So both sellers got to proceed their perfect ratings in addition to lived to sell some other day. (And I was forced to larn how to re-wire a motor.)
Those are exactly 2 possibilities for how a dishonest seller tin give the axe keep high eBay ratings. But I'm certain there's to a greater extent than to it. What I suspect is happening is that some users don’t really need industrials, but purchase into the hype, the same agency nosotros purchase Nike running shoes without always spending a solar daytime on the track, or purchase impressive-looking 4x4s in addition to never become off-roading. I’m guessing these users receive got an inflated sense of their needs in addition to purchase an overhyped machine, in addition to because they never needed an industrial inward the starting fourth dimension place, never discovery the machine doesn’t alive upwards to the hype. That’s my theory, anyway.
Do You Even Need an Industrial?
If you’re inward the marketplace for a sewing machine, inquire yourself whether a domestic is fine, or whether you lot actually demand an industrial. Above all, don’t acquire your machine recommendations from the somebody trying to sell you lot the machine. Figure out whatever it is you lot desire to do--make women’s handbags, construct your ain clothes, start a concern repairing sails--find other people that receive got already done that, in addition to inquire them what machines are best suited to those tasks. Provided you lot are friendly, I honour that most folks that receive got built upwards a lifetime of sense are happy to percentage it amongst others.
No affair what it is you lot desire to piece of work a sewing machine for, I tin give the axe exactly most guarantee there’s some grouping of people on the cyberspace that receive got already been doing it for years. Like that Leatherworker forum I linked to above. Find people amongst years or decades of sense in addition to larn from their wisdom (and don’t forget to give cheers ‘em!). While the cyberspace helps enable these false-industrial-sewing-machine sellers, it also empowers us to larn plenty to avoid them.
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