Highlead Gc20618-1 Clutch Fault

[Yanni]

Hi Guys,

I went and bought a brand new Highlead GC20618-1 walking foot heavy duty sewing machine for our leather manufacturing.

Now within the first week it jammed after some thread got stuck underneath the bobbin hook.

Now, this machine has a clutch safety mechanism that will engage in case of a jam to protect the rest of the components.

Usually to unlock the machine you have to press the safety pin etc...

However this machine when it jams instead of engaging this safety pin, it instead jams the clutch by the cog belt at the right of the machine.

Then we have to bang with a screwdriver and a mallet the spring on the clutch in order for the machine to be released from the jam.

Please see video:

I've had the engineer here on Saturday, spend 2 hours and said these machines do not get jammed that badly and once it starts working

it should not happen again, however straight after he left I've had another jam as the needle got stuck inside the feed dog and we are back at square one.

What would you advice, sending the head back for replacement or just replacing the clutch mechanism would be ok.

Also, I could hear a slight grinding noise from the bobbin hook, the engineer took it apart on Saturday, oiled it, serviced the timing and then said

there was nothing wrong with the hook it was a tight belt that created harmonics(noise). Then he loosened the belt the noise went better but i still here a slight grinding noise

at extremely slow speeds( a stitch at a time speed). By the way I have a HohSing sevo motor which is fantastic.

Have I been extremely unlucky with this machine or this is common with the Highleads?

Any help would be great.

Thanks

Yanni

Edited July 16, 2012 by Yanni

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Hi Guys,

I went and bought a brand new Highlead GC20618-1 walking foot heavy duty sewing machine for our leather manufacturing.

Now within the first week it jammed after some thread got stuck underneath the bobbin hook.

Now, this machine has a clutch safety mechanism that will engage in case of a jam to protect the rest of the components.

Usually to unlock the machine you have to press the safety pin etc...

However this machine when it jams instead of engaging this safety pin, it instead jams the clutch by the cog belt at the right of the machine.

Then we have to bang with a screwdriver and a mallet the spring on the clutch in order for the machine to be released from the jam.

Please see video:

I've had the engineer here on Saturday, spend 2 hours and said these machines do not get jammed that badly and once it starts working

it should not happen again, however straight after he left I've had another jam as the needle got stuck inside the feed dog and we are back at square one.

What would you advice, sending the head back for replacement or just replacing the clutch mechanism would be ok.

Also, I could hear a slight grinding noise from the bobbin hook, the engineer took it apart on Saturday, oiled it, serviced the timing and then said

there was nothing wrong with the hook it was a tight belt that created harmonics(noise). Then he loosened the belt the noise went better but i still here a slight grinding noise

at extremely slow speeds( a stitch at a time speed). By the way I have a HohSing sevo motor which is fantastic.

Have I been extremely unlucky with this machine or this is common with the Highleads?

Any help would be great.

Thanks

Yanni

Yanni,

Machine jams can happen to any machine, make, model, or vintage.

[Yanni]

Yanni,

Machine jams can happen to any machine, make, model, or vintage.

I understand that Gregg, however these new machines are equipped with a safety clutch which should easily engage and disengage by the press of the clutch release pin.

My point was that if it doesn't then the safety in place is not working properly.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Yanni,

I stock, sell, and support Highlead, and like their products.

Safety clutch on this machine is the same that appears on many, many, many model machines, such as Singer 111W, and dozens of other Singers. Not to mention Seiko, Consew, Juki, Durkopp Adler, and many more on new current machines and for at least 50 years back for sure.

Now, if the clutch is not working, this is a problem. If it's not made correctly, or has bad parts that do not work, this is a problem, of course. It's not too hard to get that clutch out with the two set screws that hold it down to inspect, and it may in fact need some new parts to replace the bad new parts. Not the first I've seen of this, if this clutch is not made and adjusted just right, it can be problematic for sure, no doubt.

I think once this machine has the bugs worked out and is setup correct from the beginning, if it was setup at all, it should provide a long life of reliable service. New machines can be buggy, I know that for sure. Good luck with this machine, either way.

[Yanni]

Yanni,

I stock, sell, and support Highlead, and like their products.

Safety clutch on this machine is the same that appears on many, many, many model machines, such as Singer 111W, and dozens of other Singers. Not to mention Seiko, Consew, Juki, Durkopp Adler, and many more on new current machines and for at least 50 years back for sure.

Now, if the clutch is not working, this is a problem. If it's not made correctly, or has bad parts that do not work, this is a problem, of course. It's not too hard to get that clutch out with the two set screws that hold it down to inspect, and it may in fact need some new parts to replace the bad new parts. Not the first I've seen of this, if this clutch is not made and adjusted just right, it can be problematic for sure, no doubt.

I think once this machine has the bugs worked out and is setup correct from the beginning, if it was setup at all, it should provide a long life of reliable service. New machines can be buggy, I know that for sure. Good luck with this machine, either way.

Thanks a lot Gregg, your reply puts me at peace, I'll get this issue sorted.

I need a cylinder sewing machine with walking foot and a synchronised binder for leather, would you recommend the SEIKO brand?