Brother Sewing Machine — Is It Time to Upgrade?

As with any piece of machinery, over time you may find you've simply outgrown your sewing machine or discover that it has begun to falter with age. But how do you know when it’s time for an upgrade? We’ve created a quick list of things to consider when deciding on whether or not to upgrade your sewing machine.

First, let’s briefly highlight the biggest reasons why your current machine may be in need of an upgrade. These factors can lead to performance issues that you might find yourself experiencing.

It's Time to Consider an Upgrade If:

• Sewing machine stalls on heavy fabric assemblies.
• Sewing machine does not feed fabric well.
• Fabric won't fit under the presser foot.
• Stitch length is not long enough for some projects.
• Sewing machine needs frequent adjustments (such as the timing).
• Sewing machine can't sew with heavy enough thread.
• Sewing machine lacks ability to tension stitching properly.
• Sewing machine is too light and falls over, or gets pushed along the table with large projects.
• Needles break often.
• Replacement parts and instructions are hard to find when needed.

If you find yourself relating to any of the previous points, continue reading this blog to discover a suitable sewing machine upgrade: the Sailrite^® Ultrafeed^® Sewing Machine. Our Ultrafeed has been rated the best portable walking foot sewing machine in its class, and you’ll soon discover why it’s worthy of your next sewing endeavor.

You want to sew thick, heavy projects.

If you intend to sew thick materials and multiple layers of fabric with a heavy thread, then consider the Ultrafeed. Our machine is well-known for its ability to efficiently sew through thick, heavy materials. It’s also specially designed to be robust and heavy enough to sew all your DIY projects without being pushed around by large fabric assemblies.

Our red Ultrafeed LS machine is straight stitch only and our blue Ultrafeed LSZ is a zigzag/straight stitch machine. Both of these models will breeze through multiple layers of material such as denim, sailcloth, heavy canvas, upholstery fabrics, vinyl, webbing, soft leather, window material, curtain fabrics, Sew Foam and more. The zigzag function on the LSZ is ideal for sailmaking and applications that call for a zigzag stitch, such as neoprene, where stitch stretch is needed.

The Ultrafeed is aptly named for its unique ability to evenly feed thick fabrics consistently. No longer will you have to shove fabric assemblies through the machine — let the Ultrafeed do what it was named to do: feed fabric consistently. Our mechanical walking presser feet are proprietary to our Sailrite Ultrafeed Sewing Machines (Patent #6499415, Claim 16) and serve them well. The walking foot eliminates uneven top and bottom feeding and reduces puckering. In fact, the Ultrafeed has the most aggressive feed dogs and presser feet in the industry, which are able to easily climb up fabric thicknesses, making it the ideal machine for your toughest projects.

The Ultrafeed can sew assemblies using thicker threads and proper stitch tension. The Ultrafeed experiences less needle breakage compared to home sewing machines. This is due in part to a combination of the scarf we put on the gib hook of the machine, a larger range of movement in the needle crank arm, a precision milled basket that allows for the thread to pass smoothly around the bobbin case, and the position of the counterbalance to ensure the thread is released at the proper time.

We’ve optimized the Ultrafeed needle crank arm to increase the needle bar stroke. This enables you to sew thicker fabric assemblies with greater accuracy — no skipped stitches! This innovation is patented (Patent #6499415, Claim 19) as is the scarfed gib hook (Claim 16).

We’ve uniquely engineered the feed lifting rod shaft crank and the outer stitch length plate, which enabled us to claim a true 6mm stitch length. This stitch length is recommended for outdoor sewing projects like large covers, awnings and canvas enclosures. Our technicians also set an industry-leading 3/8-inch clearance under the raised presser foot so you can sew thicker material. Finally, our outside presser foot is designed with more defined teeth to securely hold fabric and prevent it from shifting around while you're sewing.

Repairs and adjustments are costing you valuable time and money.

When parts on your sewing machine break, it’s often on you to repair them. On top of that, it can be next to impossible to find the parts or support needed to make these repairs. If you’ve been spending countless hours fixing and tuning your machine, or if you’re shelling out cash on costly repairs, it’s time to upgrade.

Sewing machine expenses can add up quickly. Over time, all that money you’ve spent fixing your old machine could have been put towards a new, more easily maintained machine that would provide you with peace of mind. We’ve been selling and supporting Ultrafeed Sewing Machines for over 20 years, proving they are tried-and-true machines.

Another great benefit to upgrading your current sewing machine is that you’re less likely to have costly repairs with an Ultrafeed. Sewing machines need to be set up before they are ready to sew, but many machines are shipped straight from the overseas manufacturer to a domestic middleman and then to your doorstep. This leaves you to handle the tasks of tuning and getting your machine ready to sew. Instead of this method, every Ultrafeed is assembled, fine-tuned and calibrated at our Indiana manufacturing facility. As soon as we receive the head casting and other key components from our exclusive manufacturing partners, our highly-trained technicians get to work preparing the machines for our customers. This ensures they are in perfect operating condition before they reach you.

Our assembly process guarantees that every Ultrafeed machine functions to its highest capabilities. At Sailrite, we make sure that every machine not only sews, but that it’s performing perfectly before it leaves our facility. We put the time and effort into every machine so you can start sewing right away!

When you join the Ultrafeed family, our top-notch customer support team is here for you. Just call, online chat or email us and we will gladly walk you through any questions you may have. We keep all of our sewing machine parts in stock, available to ship to you at a moment’s notice. When you purchase an Ultrafeed, you’ll receive lifetime support for the machine should you ever need assistance.

You want stress-free setup and maintenance (plus free resources).

Setting up and caring for a sewing machine can be overwhelming without proper direction or assistance, but we’re here to help! Our machines make sewing easy for beginners and professionals alike. We offer unbeatable customer service and support to further assist you with any questions.

The first step toward improving your sewing experience is having an easy-to-understand guidebook. The Ultrafeed comes with a comprehensive guidebook filled with crisp photos, detailed schematics, step-by-step instructions, and information on machine maintenance and troubleshooting. No other sewing machine guidebook comes close in terms of content or clarity. Plus, the controls on the Ultrafeed are straightforward, robust and easy to use, eliminating any hesitations you may have in regard to operating a new machine.

When you choose an Ultrafeed, you become part of our Sailrite community. This ensures you’ll always have a vast amount of resources to tackle any project! We have hundreds of free step-by-step, detailed video tutorials on our website and YouTube channel to help you create your dream project or show simple processes such as threading the machine and winding bobbins. No matter what unique project you’re planning to take on, Sailrite can get you there. We’re also your only one-stop shop for all things related to sewing! When you shop at Sailrite, you can have everything you need delivered right to your door.

Final Thoughts

After reading this article, we sincerely hope you’ve gained valuable insight into whether or not it’s time to upgrade from your Brother home sewing machine to a world-class Sailrite Ultrafeed. For more information on the two models of the Ultrafeed available, be sure to check out the blog "Choosing Between the Ultrafeed LS & LSZ." If you find you have any other questions regarding our sewing machines, don’t hesitate to contact us via email, online chat or phone.