Extraordinary Capability

• A "Walking Foot" - moves forward and back in time with the feed dog to ensure consistent fabric feeding
• Long Stitch Length - for heavy duty canvas work, accommodates large needles and heavy thread
• Power - cogged belts and pulley drive system eliminate slippage
• Versatility - excellent performance in a wide variety of fabrics including hard to sew canvas, Dacron, slippery nylons, sticky vinyl's, thick fabric assemblies
• Convenience - portability, a built-in welting tunnel, lever activated reverse, easy to use

Quality

• Produced for Sailrite in Taiwan - Sailrite designed this machine from scratch. We were the first to produce a portable straight stitch and zigzag walking foot sewing machine (Patent # 6499415). CNC machining is done to Sailrite specifications, casting finish in special Sailrite colors (Kona Clay for model LS-1, Nautilus Blue for model LSZ-1)
• Sailrite's Technicians -responsible for the setup and sew-off of each & every machine, able to problem solve in the shop and over the phone
• 10 final production steps taken in Indiana to insure excellent performance

1. Adjustment of the belts and motor to minimize belt and motor shaft bearing wear.
2. Setup of cams and gears to optimize performance.
3. Timing of walking foot and feed dog to insure even feeding of material from top and bottom.
4. Paint inspection and touchup.
5. Fitting of the machine to the carrying case.
6. Installation of GFCI plug to foot control wiring to provide safety from electric shock.
7. Tuning and welding of critical components to insure long, trouble free operation.
8. Sew-off in 2 and 8 layers of Sunbrella canvas and in 6 layers of Nautolex vinyl cushion fabric.
9. Cleaning and washing of machine in antirust solution.
10. Final inspection by quality control manager- all screws checked for tightness, inspection of cam/gear positioning, additional sew-off in sample fabrics.

• Special features - hardwired circuit interrupt, rust prevention bath, instrument quality wood carrying case with foot pedal, specially designed needle plate and closed end crank rod for increased needle bar rigidity & reduced needle breakage, attachment spot for optional Sailrite lights
• Special options - the Sailrite Monster Balance Wheel, lights, special feet and binding attachments, Deluxe instrument quality case
• Excellent packaging - comes in two boxes for a safe delivery

Training

• Use and maintenance instructions written and illustrated by Sailrite, with complete part listings and exploded engineering drawings
• An interactive (menu driven) instruction video on CD-Rom or, when requested, a VHS tape

Support

• Toll free - talk directly with a Sailrite technician, get advice on sewing different fabrics, using specialized feet & binders, sewing projects
• Email - receive prompt answers from sewing machine and sewing experts
• Online - order supplies, parts; download sewing hints, project instructions

Warranty

• 30 day money back guarantee. All parts (excluding light bulbs, bobbins, belts, needles, needle plates and feed dogs) fully guaranteed for two years (one year for the Classic models) and free repair labor for two years (one year for the Classic model) by a company you can count on!

Hi Jim/Matt et al,

A few months ago we bought an Ultrafeed. Great machine!

We talked with you at the boat show and on the phone a few times. You mentioned that you were looking for some good testimonials of how well the machine and table works. Attached are a few pictures of the I.C.M.C.F.U. (ick-mick-fu) Integrated Custom Marine Canvas Fabrication Unit :) Or the "Magic Bus" as I call it since I customized it. Hope I don't have to pay royalties to The Who for using that moniker :) Fully integrated with 450 AH battery bank through an inverter to power the lights and machine. Nice refrigerator for the necessities and a portapoti for the real necessities. Shore power connect when available. 7.5L Diesel engine for the road.

Maybe you can use these pics for your website or catalog. Nancy's business was rated #3 on the Chesapeake Bay by Chesapeake Bay Magazine last summer.

Keep On Sail'in!

Doug Dotson & Nancy Ebeling

Sailrite,
Approximately two week ago we picked up our new sewing machine, went over all the instructions and learned exactly how to use it and began to make the new Bimini for our sailboat. It is worth knowing that we have never attempted canvas work before in any form (although I do sew). We now have a new Bimini that fits our framework like a glove and the LSZ-1 worked wonderfully.

When sewing through all those layers we were amazed at the ease with which the machine took care of the seams. Monster Wheel is a grand asset. The Complete Canvasworker's Guide is a must have and guided us through every step that was necessary and enabled us to do a very professional job.

Hats off to Sailrite for a great sewing machine that does really take care of the job at hand. We next move on to the dodger, sailcover, and sail repair and are actually looking forward to it. Thanks as well for all your help in choosing the correct model of machine for our needs.

Sincerely,
Terry & Nancy Armitage

Hey Tony,

I'm a computer design engineer for Cisco Systems here in Research Triangle Park, NC. And if you want to know anything about the SailRite LSZ-1 sewing machine ... you came to the right place!

I stopped and talked with the SailRite people at the sailboat show in Annapolis a few years ago. And I had them show me all of their sewing machines ... from soup to nuts. I asked them to show me the cheapest and then show me the best. And then show me everything else in between. Like you, I was most impressed with the LSZ-1. It's got the most bang for the buck. It can do everything I need. And the folks at SailRite are most helpful. They are very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and they are always available to offer assistance.

In my opinion, this machine is the bees-knees when it comes to sewing boat canvas. It's a very simple machine, no frills whatsoever. It's rugged, it's bulletproof and it's up to the task of sewing anything you can imagine. It breezes right through 6 or 7 layers of Sunbrella. Zippers are a piece of cake. And it has no problems with 0.040 inch thick Strataglass. My canvas lady loves my sewing machine so much, she's gonna buy one just to carry around in her van to use onsite at the marina rather than having to haul her work all the way back to the shop.

Besides the monster balance wheel, the other best asset of this machine is the walking-foot. You can sew virtually hands-free as the machine feeds the material through. All you really need to do is guide the material into and away from the foot.

Some things to consider ...

Upgrade: I would suggest that you spring for the LSZ-1 with the additional Upgrade Package. Get the 'monster' balance wheel that they speak about. This is a flywheel on the right side of the machine. And it's the inertia from this wheel that makes the LSZ-1 sew so smoothly through heavy material at slow speeds. The upgrade kit also comes with a light and some other little tidbits. Personally, I would rather have their deluxe light. The one that comes with the upgrade kit is sort of light-weight in my opinion. But how often do you really use a light ...? If you don't want to spring for the Upgrade Package, I would at least buy the monster balance wheel.

Thread: The machine comes with a spool of V-69 thread. And I suppose that's adequate for many jobs. But I prefer to use the heavier thread ... I use the V-138 thread. It's a lot heavier, it's a lot more resistant to wear and abrasion, it's almost impossible for a seam to rip out because of weak thread and it just lasts a lot longer than the lighter threads. With this size thread, I use a #20 size needle .. nothing smaller .. nothing larger. Oh, I only use white Dacron thread, too. Colored thread contains dye. And this dye seems to break down the thread's natural durability.

Zipper foot: You might be wondering if you need to buy a left and/or a right zipper foot. I've not bought one yet. And not sure I really need one. If I was sewing a dozen zippers, I might want to have a zipper foot. But my sewing usually encompasses a wide variety of things -- not just zippers. So you'll might want to decide on this later.

Case: The case that comes with the machine is 'adequate' ... not an overkill by no means. They were obviously focused on the design and manufacture of the sewing machine and not on the case. And that's fine by me. SailRite has a nice optional wooden case (for a price). But for me, the white plastic case is just fine.

Other: I've bought several videos from SailRite. One on my machine. And a couple on sail maintenance and repair. I'll say up front that the "theatrical quality" of these videos isn't gonna win any awards anytime soon ... but the content of these tapes is excellent. Besides, what do you want for ten bucks?!!

I don't think you can go wrong with the LSZ-1. It will sew forwards and backwards, it does straight stitches as well as a very nice zigzag. It handles Sunbrella, Strataglass, sail cloth and leather. And I think you'll be very pleased with this machine. If you haven't done so already, check'em out on the web: www.sailrite.com

Best of luck,

John Heinisch
S/V Pearl
Morgan 41 Classic