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For the average dressmaker, a home sewing machine is perfectly adequate for all sewing tasks. Most of the home sewing machines today offer a wide variety of stitch options and accessories that can make clothing construction very easy and pleasant. However, when one ventures away from the occasional dress or children's clothes construction and ventures into creating crafts made of heavier materials or home furnishings such as pillows, cushions or slipcovers, the home machine can suddenly become your worst enemy.
It is difficult to sew many layers together and keep them perfectly in place and on top of one another with a regular home machine which uses a bottom feed dog. This is the series of jagged 'teeth' that pull the fabric through and past the needle. Secondly, because the foot does not put much pressure on the fabric, it is sometimes hard to keep the layers of your fabric together and directly underneath the needle if you are trying to sew anything large or heavy as the weight tends to pull your fabric out from under the foot and away from the needle. In using a machine that is too light, you run the risk of serious neck and back strain as you try to feed the weight of the fabric with the left hand and keep the right hand guiding the fabric. In time, that intense stress, both physical and mental, will create not only health problems, but also frustration.
There are some basic and obvious differences between a regular home sewing machine and a commercial or industrial machine. . A commercial machine is all metal and not easily portable as it is very heavy and fits into its own table with the motor attached underneath. The head is easily removed, but the table and motor are connected. Attached to the motor and connecting to the wheel on the machine you will see a heavy rubberized belt, not too unlike a radiator belt on your car. This is what turns the gears that will set the needle into motion. The machine head can be separated from the table for moving, but must be used with the motor. The greatest advantage to this design is that you always will have a level sewing area as the machine sits down into the table and gives you a good, slick area to rest your project on.
The next obvious difference is in the feed dog and the 'walking foot.' Instead of relying on the bottom feed dog to pull the fabric through and back from the needle, the foot also interacts with a 2 piece foot that 'walks' one foot at a time, always keeping one foot on the fabric as the other rises with the needle. The needle doesn't simply go straight up and down, but makes a circular motion as it rises and falls. The feed dog has a needle hole that also moves forward and backward, and when the timing is perfect, the needle will rise up, come down in the hole, the hole and needle move together to the back along with the fabric and the needle rises up again. The purpose of this interaction is to constantly keep one foot on the fabric as it sews into it and walks over it to make its next stitch. The purpose of this walking motion is to keep your layers from shifting as they are receiving equal pressure from the top as well as the bottom.
From the size of the motor it's obvious that a commercial machine can handle heavy fabrics, and the sizes of the needles that you can choose from vary greatly. If you can imagine sewing 4 layers of leather, a layer of heavy cotton or dacron batting, onto a 1/8" sheet of plywood, that is a typical car upholstery procedure and one that requires a very sturdy needle. On the other hand, when you switch to sewing a 2 layer felt ear onto a velvet teddy bears head, you would switch not only to a smaller needle, but also be using a lighter weight thread.
Another feature that does not exist on a home sewing machine is a knee lever that will raise and lower the feet. Simply press with the right knee against the lever, the foot rises up, you can make your turns and maneuver tight angles without moving your hands away from your work. This feature alone makes sewing much more efficient and enjoyable.
It's amazing how much easier it is to sew with a walking foot machine. Sewing zippers without pinning them first is a breeze, as is getting close to the inside of a cording or fabric covered welt. There are a variety of detachable feet for special purposes such as zippers or for single and double welting. You will not find any variety of stitches on a commercial machine unless you specifically buy one to do zig-zig. The straight stitch with reverse is the standard style, and changing the stitch length is the only option.
Once you decide you need to upgrade to an industrial machine, there are a few different ways you can acquire one without buying a very expensive new one. I highly recommend finding someone who uses one, like an upholsterer for example, and ask if you can try one of theirs just to determine if you really need one. Perhaps there is a shop going out of business and would have a used one for sale. Another great source in a larger metropolitan area is to watch the papers for auctions. If a business has closed up for some reason and must sell all of the equipment, you could get a good old machine for a fair price. There is a brisk business in selling used machines and I often find dealers listed in the yellow pages. There are a few I've seen on the internet, but keep in mind that if this is a long distance purchase for a used machine, you've no guarantee as to it's condition.
When shopping for a used machine, don't be alarmed if it looks scratched or worn. The best of the old machines have been used for years and should show their natural wear with pride. The true test of its condition is in looking for rust, which is a sure sign that it has not been oiled regularly. Turn on the machine, raise up the foot lever, remove the thread from the needle, and press your foot on the power pedal. As the needle moves up and down there should not be any loud or abrasive sounds and the motions should be smooth and regular.
I have found that the best maintained machines will come from a smaller business. Buying from an auction at a large factory with many sewing machines could incease the possiblity that a disgruntled employee could have abused the machine in their care, so be cautious unless you know how the machine has been used previously. A true craftsman takes good care of his/her machine. It is the heartbeat of the business and the greatest tool of the artist.
Some of the best name brands of commercial machines are Singer, Brother, Juki, and Pfaff. However, there are some machines made in the orient that are renamed from the original maker, so don't just rely on a name brand. I bought a brand new Pfaff in 1979. It is my trusted and faithful business partner, and it runs just as smoothly as it did 21 years ago. It is now worth the same amount as I paid for it, and if I had to buy another one, I'd not hesitate to buy a used one. Remember to clean, oil and adjust your machine regularly and it will be your best friend, too.
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