Classes of sewing machines

[yachtyman]

I have been cleaning up my new singer 7-9 and it got me thinking about different classes of sewing machines. When I started researching the machine when I got it home, everyone refers to it as a class 7 machine. Yet when I look up classes of sewing machine the only things I get are people holding classes on sewing.

 

Is there a chart or general guidelines for different class of machines? What class would a 111-155 fall under? Why do some machines fall under a class, when other don't? 

 

It seems strange that there is no info out there on it. I would love to hear others thoughts

[Wizcrafts]

Oi Vey!

The "Class" we refer to starts with the model number of the machine. So, any Singer model starting with a 7 is a Class 7. Any Singer 111 machine is a Class 111. Any Singer 31-anything is a Class 31. Any model 15-anything is a Class 15, etc, etc.

[yachtyman]

lol I apologize if I come off as green, and I appreciate you setting me straight. I am from a world where machines are just called model numbers, and a class would refer to a size or a series, usually in some sort of order.  Just seems strange to me that they jump all over the place, instead of class 1, 2, 3, etc. It makes it difficult/impossible to tell anything from the model number, unless you are already familiar with them. I guess I was just confused! Thank you again

[Spyros]

Well the Cobra class 4, the Cowboy CB4500 (and another one I can't recall) are supposedly clones of the Juki 441, and they all start with a "4" so I guess there is broadly a class 4 machine :D

[chrisash]

This may help with the Singer range https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_industrial_model_sewing_machines_and_accessories.html look under the model range

 

[kgg]

16 hours ago, yachtyman said:

It seems strange that there is no info out there on it. I would love to hear others thoughts

I agree it can be confusing to say the least. As every brand name manufacturer brand or clone seems to number and classify their machine differently.

I sort of break it down by Type first then Class then Series.

Type is the easiest, basically what the machine looks like: Flat-bed, Cylinder-bed, Post-bed, Patcher, etc

Class, to me is, what the machine was designed to handle: Domestic home sewing machines, Domestic Heavy Duty like portable walking foot, Industrial Fabric, Industrial Leather Upholstery, Industrial Leather Saddlery

Series, to me, is where the machine capabilities are. I find it generally easier to determine a machines abilities when comparing brand name machines as there is usually more detailed technical information then what is offered by some of the clones.

The "Class" label I think is being used, me included, commonly and interchangeably with "Series". This is where things like rated thread size, feed mechanism (triple feed, walking foot, jump foot, drop feed, etc), tension mechanisms and sewing thickness come into play and determine what a machine was designed and rated to handle.

Just my thoughts,

kgg

[Wizcrafts]

11 hours ago, Spyros said:

Well the Cobra class 4, the Cowboy CB4500 (and another one I can't recall) are supposedly clones of the Juki 441, and they all start with a "4" so I guess there is broadly a class 4 machine :D

We refer to all of the machines cloned from the Juki TSC-441 as "441 class machines."

[Wizcrafts]

The reason there are classes of various machines is because Singer often produced several different varieties of particular models. For instance, the 111 series, or class, started with the 111w101 and concluded with the 111w156. Some had a different letter depending on where they were built, but were still part of the class 111. Some were compound feed walking foot machines, while another had needle feed and a flat foot. Some sewed higher than others and one had reverse

Then there is the 29 class that began in the late 1800s and continued until the late 1970s or early 1980s. The bodies were similar but each incarnation had an improvement or additional function missing in previous sub-classes. I have had an early 1900s 29-4 all the way up the the last model they made: 29k172 and several in between. Now I have a 29k71 and love it. They were all Class 29 machines, for better or worse.

To add to the confusion, Singer also produced specially modified sub-classes that ended with the letters: SV, for Special Version. They fell under the main class of machine they were built upon.

Also, a lot of both domestic and industrial tailoring machines use the same bobbin as the early through mid 20th Century Singer 15-88,89,90 and 91. Those bobbins are sold as Class 15 bobbins.

[yachtyman]

Thanks again for all your replies. That ismacs site cleared things up a bit.