Singer Heavy Duty: Review After One Year Of Use
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
- Hi!
In this video, I discuss my thoughts about the Singer Heavy Duty mechanical sewing machine after using it thoroughly for one year.
Enjoy!
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My 1960s Singer 411G I bought for £40 from gumtree a few years ago is still running nicely!
I had one like this years ago & burned it out. I really miss it. I’m going to sell my Kenmore 1040 and get one like yours.
Thanks for the video.
You raise some interesting points. I think that the answer to the question about whether this is a good machine that people should buy is, “It’s complicated.” 😄
My problem with the Singer Heavy Duty is that I suspect people think they are getting more machine and higher quality than they are actually getting. It is a better machine than some of the super cheap, practically-a-toy, flimsy machines. And it is definitely more affordable than top-end machines. For a new machine, especially for a new seamster, I think it hits a good balance of quality vs price. However, I think that for the price or even a small percentage of it, one can get a more seriously heavy vintage or antique machine that is built to last. Your dollar stretches further on a vintage machine, especially when shopping for function and not as a collectible. The build-quality and longevity of a good vintage machine make it a better value. If one wants bells and whistles, there are so many attachments and cams for everything from utility stitches, to decorative stitches, to buttonholes, tucks, etc., etc.. And many vintage machines have those built in. Any new hobby has a learning curve, and any new equipment for the hobby does as well. I don’t think that having attachments or referring to the manual for a thread diagram or some such is much more difficult or complex enough as to make it a serious deterrent.
In a perfect world, every new seamster would have a class and an advisor to help them buy the right machine for their needs. An advisor or knowledgeable reseller or restorer would be helpful to ensure that the vintage machine is in working order and has the features one needs and the accoutrements to do them. For a new machine, an advisor would also be good to explain why the tiny new machine with the cute decorations for fifty bucks is a terrible buy that will put you right off sewing and why one machine is $500 while another one is $5000. When one is starting out, it’s a case of not knowing what one doesn’t know.
For people new to sewing, it would be highly beneficial to visit one’s grandmother or neighborhood seamster or to take classes at the local sewing store to get a feel for things. Make some small projects. See how you like sewing. See how it feels to run a machine. Test different machines at varying price points. A little experience can help you know whether or not the vintage machine is in working order. You’ll know if the snazzy new machine seems sturdy enough or delicate enough for what you want to sew. You’ll know if you have any interest in a machine with lots of features or attachments-there’s no point paying for a box of cams or a screen and forty-two buttons if all you want to do is straight stitch and a zigzag or blind hem. Sewing is a hands-on activity. Even if one does decide in the end that the SHD is the right machine to purchase, one needs a bit of sewing experience to make an informed decision.
I bought a 4200 series of this machine for my daughter about a year ago, who sews off & on.
My thought process was that she may eventually get into some slightly heavier material like I do & similar to you & your packs where it would be capable of sewing.
The projects she & I used it on have been a very positive experience.
Just bought my first sewing machine, and it's the 6380 version of this machine. I haven't used it yet but after watching this I'm feeling better about my purchase.
When I first started sewing I bought this machine and started watching your videos and spent the fisrt year cursing my choice based on your and others insistance that you need a walking foot machine. Ive made several fanny packs, pouches, bags on my machine and its managed to do mostly everything Ive wanted. I have found it a great machine to learn on and very happy with it to be fair. I am glad that it surprised you and you have enjoued using it.
This is so great this series is so great you have really hit every one of my concerns thank you.
Jason thank you for this thorough review. Content like yours makes youtube valuable for me as a viewer.
Thanks for the analogy....really a tough choice for us over 50 years old! LOL I love my everyday Singer 237 that you helped me find!!!!
Try using the Granny wheel on the HD, seemed worth a try, So I purchased one and I assure you it makes a world of difference in getting through any tough sections with this machine. You can also sew much better hand spinning the wheel through thicker leathers (to an extent) better, because that motor will not quite do it. Ps. Started with vintage machines, then after 12 machines in the collection got this one, and love it. They all serve a purpose, this is not the most "heavy duty" obviously but it makes a lot of things easier.
Thank you for the very thoughtful and thorough review. I could very much understand what you meant with the car analogy.
Thanks. Have found mine similarly great after a year. Cabin bag out of thick padded vinyl and sewed 4 layers of corduroy to it as straps. Did it struggle a bit - yes. Had to hand crank over seams over 1cm thick. Did it achieve it? 100% yes - with denim needles. Would it survive if I did that all the time? I think not. But I still really really like it and have sewed stretch clothing with beautiful results. It’s really versatile and well worth the $500 NZD I paid. It definitely has its place in my small lineup of machines, thanks for all your videos!
Very helpful, thank you Jason
I find that it is definitly 1/5th as good as a Sailright at 1/5th the cost. It has been very tolerant of my noob mistakes without breaking on a wide variety of materials from thin to furry to leather (costume making mostly). The add on walking foot attachment is decent but definitly not heavy duty. It is very nice for fussy fabrics.
That is a VERY good way to put it!
Very cool pouch!
I'm pretty sure Singer means Heavy Duty domestic or small home based business use. Ordinary (not tactical) clothing using heavier fabrics such as winter coats, overcoats, etc and the thicker upholstery fabrics but not for making heavy milspec rucksacks etc.
I suspect you are correct, I just wish there were a way to help people who want to sew "truly" heavy projects to understand what Singer means by Heavy Duty. My perspective on this is probably not what Singer is thinking of, to be fair; my Consew 206 RB-1 is, I believe, considered "medium duty" among industrial walking-foot machines, and I tout is as being a "heavy duty" machine compared to domestic machines.
Maybe we need a 1-10 rating scale for sewing machines or something lol.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I think that the vintage sewing machines have their place,the only thing i got against them is getting the parts for them,i own a singer industrial for heavy sewing and a singer tempo with varible stitches for more intricate work,for preformance i would choice the industrial😊😊😊😊😊😊 you could always put a silcone mat under machine to stop it slipping on table
Simply had to comment on this video because your analogy of sewing machines to cars made me smile as it was a similar (albeit not exactly) analogous to one I was clumsily trying to make in my comment to your second video in this series (i think that one has since been removed?) about a “1940’s cast iron diesel vs a new entry level import car”. I also mis-stepped in my mention of “confirmation bias” which suffered from a lack of full context and explanation. In any event, I expect you remember my comment and hopefully also the friendly and sincere exchange that followed, replete with genuine love and respect for your channel and your work.
Love to see this series come full circle and that you were in fact pleasantly surprised by the performance of a machine that I also enjoy. Wishing you continued success and looking forward to whatever you bring us next. Be well friend 🙏🏻💕 (✅bias confirmed! Just kidding just kidding!!!)
LOL some of my best friendships started out as misunderstandings and disagreements; I'm glad you're still part of the channel!
Almost lost me (not really) with the MYOG ultramarathoning gear…but I’m here for the long haul. Be well! Sew on!
@@Phoeff99 Oh come on, you know you want to run for 16 hours in the blazing hot sun 😂
@@thejasonofalltrades not sure I’d even have the stamina to watch someone else do it. But good on ya! 👏🏻🙌🏻
I think they used that term in reference to the innards. Mine isn't plastic inside.
Hi,
For the most part, all of Singer's machines seem to be built on the same metal frame, including the Heavy Duty machines. Only the very lowest end of their machines don't have the metal frame.
The HD machines (like all the others) do have plastic gears (I think all of the gears are all plastic, but if not all, definitely most).
The only difference - as far as I can tell, at least - between the Singer Heavy Duty machines and their standard machines, mechanically speaking, is the Heavy Duty machines have a slightly more powerful motor (I forget the specifics, but it's something like .7 amp for the standard machines, and 1 amp for the HD machines).
My argument is that "heavy duty" from my specific perspective suggests something much "heavier" than what this machine should be expected to do. Singer may not be marketing the machines to my unique perspective, but over the last ten years I have been asked by dozens of people about these machines, and the overwhelming majority of those questions indicate that the people asking believed the machine to be capable of much more than I expect the machine to be capable of. This machine has turned out to be more capable than I believed it would be, and I enjoy using it, but it is on the light end of the machines I use, and I would not try to use it for many of the projects I like to make.
I hope that is helpful, thanks for watching and commenting!
Your singers with fashion disk do have stretch stitch, disk 1, 3, et c. , and the 319, 354 has a streching type stitch I think.
You presume I actually have any of the disks 😂
That's good to know, though, thanks for sharing!
It’s amazing just how many features and capabilities these vintage and antique machines have. For just about anything you want to do there’s some sort of foot or attachment. You look in the manual, the case, the cool fold-up or swivel box, or check a UA-cam video, and next thing you know, some little widget you didn’t know you had is all, “I’ve got you, fam!” 😄😆😄
@@WaterNai Yes, sewing machines ...
new to sewing, and have the Singer HD, only complain it sometimes it's very hard to sew slowly with it.
In mine there is a set screw ( variable resistor pod) in the pedal, with which you can set te start speed. If your handy your able to do it. But do it on your own risk..
This was a topic suggestion that hasn't (yet) made it into a video on this machine, but it was suggested to me that I should comment on how my experience might skew my perspective on things like this. I find the machine very easy to control at slow speeds, but I also have many years of experience sewing on a wide variety of machines, including very fast industrial machines and clutch motor machines. By comparison, this thing is as docile as a lamb. But, depending on one's experience level, that might not seem the case!
My best advice is to practice going slowly when the penalty for failure is low (in the middle of a stitch line that won't be seen, for example) so you will get the feel for it when you do need it, and never hesitate to hand wheel if you need to. I hand wheel up to the last stitch before a turn or other areas where I need to be precise all the time.
This machine is very controllable, and before you know it it will seem to slow for you :)
I hope that helps, good luck on your sewing journey!
@@thejasonofalltrades Thanks for the reply.