Sewing machine advice

[craddock 0]

Hi all.   I am looking to purchase a sewing machine to do zigzag with for a reasonable price.   I have plenty of straight stitch only machines from old singer 15’s and 201’s  to a 111 series and 206 consew.      I am looking to repair some kite surfing stuff and make some line sets. Need decent zigzag and bartack.  I don’t foresee at this point doing heavy harness material but obviously would be nice.   I am partial to older machines I can get on a budget.     Would probably but a servo motor if it’s not a portable type.   Actually hoping for a decent portable though.  Thanks in advance

[IJskonijn 33]

I haven't had much luck with portable machines, even with the old fashioned cast-iron ones with a very loose definition of 'portable'. I still have two of those, Pfaff 332 and Pfaff 260, that both are in dire need of some electrical work and a good squirt of oil due to insufficient use.

My sewing machine woes all but disappeared when I bit the bullet and purchased a Pfaff 138-6 machine. It cost me 550 euro, but that one machine has done everything I asked of it so far. Very reasonable straight stitch, good zigzag, easily handles e-thread and has managed to punch through 6 layers of square weave (for toggle manufacture), albeit with some difficulty. Bartack imitation is also quite good, I typically first do a straight stitch, then turn the work around and do a zigzag overstitch.

I found one with a good clutch motor, but one with a servo motor should be possible. The motor connects via external V-snare to the machine head, so if you're handy enough you could change out the motor yourself. My only beefs with the clutch motor are the noise and higher difficulty with fine control (if I want just one or two stitches, I prefer to handcrank it).

[riggerrob 502]

If you want a portable zig-zag sewing machine, I have plenty of experience with a Pfaff 230 and a Sailrite.

I sewed two kit canopies on my Pfaff 230 and have been using my Sailrite for almost a decade.

[RayLosli 10]

The Sailrite is a cool design, it looks like a Consew 146RB1a  and a Bernina 217 had a Baby ...LOL .

If it just has to be a Portable, for a ZigZag option ? , Then get a Sailrite like Riggerrob suggested . It a little smaller, with 7"on the work area than the standard 10" industrial, but totally makes up for it on their whole self-contained portable package design.
It's a combo straight-stitch/zigzag . It's feed is walk foot, strong puncher for it's size, and probably the portable sew with most needle punch power sold .
The old pfaff 230's are around for a lot less-$ than Sailrite, and good for a lightweight fabric stitcher .

If not need portable package, maybe look for a old Singer 20U zigzag, singer made a million of them, I see them around for sale on the Craigslist here once in while, and always pretty cheep-$ .
Also look for the old Singer 143w strait-stitch/zigzag. I used to have one of those and they are old but 'strong' built model.
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[craddock 0]

Thanks. I found a 230 on marketplace that looked mint with a box of accessories I probably wouldn’t need for $90.   Sadly it was pending pickup.    I would like to get. Sailrite but can’t justify.  I have been aware of them for their portable ability to to some canvas and vinyl work.  I will keep my eyes open.  I have used a 20u before if that’s the blue singer.   I was just doing straight stitch on it and don’t remember much about it.  

[RayLosli 10]

1 hour ago, craddock said:

Thanks. I found a 230 on marketplace that looked mint with a box of accessories I probably wouldn’t need for $90.   Sadly it was pending pickup.    I would like to get. Sailrite but can’t justify.  I have been aware of them for their portable ability to to some canvas and vinyl work.  I will keep my eyes open.  I have used a 20u before if that’s the blue singer.   I was just doing straight stitch on it and don’t remember much about it.  

  Ya, I think you going to be getting into at least 1-k-$ new for those Sailrite portables now . It's the option of self contained/portability you paying for, personally I don't see the attraction, unless you actually live on a sailboat, or on the move, or just lack the space for a industrial table . For same or a couple hundred more you could get yourself into a nice clean used, heavier, more powerful industrial unison-feed model machine like consew or juki.
  I actually have a Sailrite sitting here in the sew room right now, owner dropped it off for a few months because he off traveling doing tandems . I checked it out a couple times out of curiosity . it is the Sailrite straight/zigzag stitch with the large oversized hand-wheel for more punch-torque . It has it's oddities with it's design, but overall Sailrite portable seems to be a pretty solid machine for it's size, and lays down a nice stitch.

  The old Singer blue 20U are a straight-stitch/Zigzag . lots of them were produced and all over the place. Other model also ( 20U33 ) straight/zigzag stitch, that also was mass produced . Both are just a bottom-feeds, and light industrial that you should be able to get into cheep . I not sure about the exact difference between them as they both look pretty similar to each other.
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Edited February 24 by RayLosli

[councilman24 34]

For a long time I didn't have an industrial machine. Now I have 63 industrial heads including these zig zag machines. 2 Pfaff 238's, 5 Singer 20u's, 2 Consew 199's, Bernina 217, 3 Bernona 217n's, a Sing 17w15 (highest foot lift) and an sailrite LSZ-1 (that I haven't used). But first I had a Husqvarna Viking like the one in the photo but without all the fancy stitches.  It STILL does zig zag on toggle noses better than any of the other zig zag machines. 6 layers of 1000lb type 4. If you can find one like this I'd grab it. 

Be aware a bartack is a specific pattern that includes straight and zig zag stitches. Various numbers if each stitch, sizes x and y, and starting and ending stitches. 

 

[RayLosli 10]

On 4/3/2023 at 8:17 PM, councilman24 said:

For a long time I didn't have an industrial machine. Now I have 63 industrial heads

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[craddock 0]

So I picked up an old singer 237.  Last of the real metal singers.  Read good reviews on it and looks new.  However it doesn’t grab the bobbin thread when trying to sew so it doesn’t sew.   Need to figure out how to adjust.   Have not had time to play with.   Still looking for a good deal on an old pfaff 130 or 230 and a husky Viking.   Thanks for all the help.  I think this 237 is going to do good bartack imitation though once running.