JudyBSails

Yes, thanks, I am very familiar with Sailrite. I have owned one of their portable Ultrafeed LZ for over 10 years. It’s a slow machine, and the bed is small, but it is a real workhorse. (The LZ is zigzag and straight stitch., optimized for sailmaking, canvas and vinyl work) Sailrite’s free lifetime technical support is fantastic. They offer video and phone support. For example, recently the bobbin winder stopped working completely. I called to request support. They asked me for a description of the problem and put me in the support queue. 15 minutes later they emailed me a link to a video on how to fix the exact problem I had described. The video was very detailed and easy to follow. The fix and adjustment went smoothly the first try. Personally, I have found find their aftermarket support was worth the premium price on the front end.

Thank you to all who replied and shared their knowledge. I’ve been reading zillions of posts on this forum and learning a lot. I found more info online at Sewinggold.com . The head looks identical to the Tacsew 111w-155, which in turn is built by Typical. From https://sewinggold.com/product/tacsew-t111-155/ : “Tacsew sold their industrial line to Consew so they will no longer be distributing industrial sewing machines. The majority of their machines were based on the brand Typical. The T111-155 is the same as the Typical GC6-7-D which we sell.” More info on the Typical GCG-7G, from https://sewinggold.com/product/typical-gc6-7-d/ : “ Specifications Speed, Max (S.P.M.): 2500* Clearance Under Foot: 1/2" (13mm) Needle Bar Stroke: (37mm) Stitch Length, Max.: (8mm) Needle: 135 x 17 and 135 x 16 for leather Bobbin - Metal: 18034 - Pre-wound : M Hook: Large Horizontal Rotary Workspace: 10 5/16" (260mm) Bed Size: 7" x 18-7/8" (178 x 475mm) Stitch Type: 301 *Speed depends on thread, material and operation. Applications For sewing medium to heavy-weight material such as leather, vinyl, upholstery, synthetics, canvas and various coated and laminated products Designed for stitching such products as auto, boat and furniture upholstery, tarpaulin, covers, sails, tents, camping trailer covers, awnings, umbrellas, tops, bags, luggage, handbags, travelware accessories, sports and camping equipment, wearing apparel, outdoor clothing, canvas shoes, slippers, orthopedic appliances etc Features Long stitch - (8mm) Large bobbin. Bobbin can be changed without removing article being sewn Thread release finger (for heavy thread) High presser foot lift - 1/2" (13mm) Auto Lubrication All gear driven hook mechanism. Large horizontal axis hook Adjustable reverse stitching can be same length as forward stitch Simple adjustment permit raising and lower of the center foot which allows for sewing different thickness of materials and thus assures positive stitching Walking feet, needles and other attachments interchangeable with most other brands walking foot machines Feet can be changed for special operations Standard attachments easily installed Compound feed, walking foot mechanism insures even feeding of material Locking stitch regulator prevents changes in stitch length from vibration I’ll edit this post later to add pictures; I’m using a tablet without storage right now and can’t upload pics. Judy