HOW TO CHOOSE A SEWING MACHINE with overlock for home and professional - classification and rating of sewing machines

A properly selected sewing machine that meets all the requirements of the master saves time and effort, bringing joy in the process. How to choose a sewing machine? Which model to look after, equipped with the necessary features, and not pay extra?

Types of sewing machines

Sewing equipment is divided into:

industrial: machines are distinguished by narrow specialization and high productivity and wear resistance. They are bulky, noisy, and expensive;
household: the machine is designed for home use.

There are three main classes of sewing machines. They differ in control method, design complexity and price:

sewing and embroidery machines are microprocessor-controlled. An embroidery unit is connected to them, which is responsible for the quality of the embroidery. The fabric is fixed in the hoop. The hoop drive mechanism receives commands from the computer to move the fabric in accordance with the program - "machine embroidery design". After the embroidery of all fragments of the same color is completed, the machine pauses and waits for the threading of the next color;
computer (electronic) - in machines with electronic control of operations, an electronic unit controls. The “start / stop” button allows you to sew without using the foot control (as in mechanical operation). The sewing speed is adjusted with a slider on the front of the machine. Expensive models are equipped with a DC motor. It has maximum puncture power at any speed (unlike AC motors, which are installed on electromechanical type machines). Computer machines are connected to a computer that fully or partially controls sewing or embroidery operations;
with mechanical selection of seams (electromechanical) - all seams that the machine makes are applied to the front panel. The seam is selected by turning the wheel. After setting the necessary adjustments (stitch length and width, thread tension), sewing is performed. Thanks to the improvement of the manufacturers, all the option tips are located on the machine body. Simplified threading of the upper and lower threads. A wide range of functional and decorative stitches are available.

Household sewing machines: a kind of shuttle

Electromechanical sewing machines are conventionally divided according to the type of shuttle:

with a vertical shuttle, they are reliable, durable and inexpensive to maintain; thread tangling is excluded. The bobbin is wound without removing the fabric from under the foot. Louder than horizontal shuttle machines. They have limitations in stitch width up to 5 mm;
with a horizontal hook does not require adjusting the bobbin thread tension and is convenient for bobbin threading. It is inserted from the top of the platform and closed with a cover. The bobbin can be wound without removing the thread from the eye of the needle. Parts are not serviced and lubricated frequently. With a powerful motor and high-quality assembly, the machine has a high sewing speed and excellent work with fine fabrics. The stitch width is up to 7 mm. The horizontal hook cannot withstand heavy loads and constant sewing of heavy fabrics. It is expensive to repair it;
the swing shuttle is the simplest. The sewing speed when using it is the lowest, it works worse with low quality threads. The stitch length does not exceed 5 mm. The bobbin with wound thread is installed from the underside of the platform.

Overlock sewing machine

Many users are mistaken in believing that there are sewing machines with "built-in overlock".The machines perform additional sewing operations:

overlock stitching;
reverse sewing;
sewing with a twin needle;
sewing on buttons;
knitted seam.

An overlock is a useful addition to a sewing machine - they sew, overcast and trim the edge of the fabric at the same time.

They differ in the number of working threads (from 2 to 10). The most common is the 3-thread stitch. In some cases, the overlocker does the job better than the sewing machine.

How to choose a sewing machine for your home

1... Distinguish an inexpensive machine from a low-quality one.

Criteria:

inconsistency between a large number of functionalities and a low price;
a good sewing machine has a powerful motor and an optimal set of operations corresponding to the type of machine (electromechanical - 15-25; electronic - from 40).

Output: high-quality cars are not cheap.

2... Pay attention to the type of shuttle: horizontal is better than vertical and swinging because:

the width of the stitches is adjusted without distortion;
a wide and narrow laundry loop is performed;
the transparent hook cover allows you to keep track of the bobbin thread.

Output: The horizontal shuttle has the advantage of a zigzag width of 6 mm or more.

3... The prejudices about the quality of the Chinese assembly are not justified:

world manufacturers, in order to make the goods affordable, move their factories to China;
cheap goods are not always of high quality (and vice versa).

Output: To keep the popularity rating, manufacturers control the quality mark at sewing equipment assembly plants to withstand fierce competition.

4... Correct machine setting for straight stitching.

The stitch quality is influenced by:

the wider the toothed rack of the lower conveyor and the greater the number of teeth on it (conveyor), the better;
Adjusting the pressure of the presser foot allows you to evenly advance all layers of fabric;
the optimal look (depending on the fabric) of overlock or decorative stitching, their length and width, helps to correctly adjust the tension on fabric that is difficult to process;
the evenness of a straight stitch is influenced by the correct selection of the type of needle and high-quality thread;
sewing machines with a horizontal shuttle work better with thin fabrics. Vertical hook - easily handles heavy fabrics. Professional machines are good for leather.

Output: The quality of the stitching depends on the internal assembly of the machine and, to a greater extent, on the correct setting of the equipment.

Sewing machine rating

The online store Fotos represents the best manufacturers of sewing equipment on the Ukrainian market. Each of them has a large assortment of sewing machines and embroidery equipment - which complicates the choice of the consumer, based on functionality and quality.

The head of the sales department of the online store "Fotos" Irina Vazhovaya shared information on the sales of the most popular models of sewing machines for 2014: