I need a heavy duty sewing machine! HELP!?

Question

I have a business where I sew recycled magazine pages together in between vinyl sheets. I recently bought a laminating machine and now i laminate the magazine pages. I sew them into wallets and my machine just isn't cutting it anymore. It binds up and snaps the thread and its just a nightmare. Its not that I need a bigger needle, but I need to be able to get through the laminated page without any issue! I need a machine that will sew the plastic without any problems anymore! It may be that I need to upgrade something, i don't know much about machines so i don't know. The machine that I have now is a brother pacesetter pc-2800. Thanks!

Answer 1

To add to Linda's excellent answer, if you need to go to an industrial or commercial machine, you really need to try to buy your first machine locally from someone you can trust to help you choose the correct machine.  Industrials sew *so* much faster than home machines that they can be pretty intimidating, too.  There are ways of gearing down an industrial for a little saner stitching speed, too.  <g>

Answer 2

First, if your current model has an optional walking foot, start using that.  Also try a teflon foot or a roller foot.  If these don't help and the machine still groans and complains, the machine isn't strong enough for the job.  You will likely need an industrial machine with a separate motor/sewing head/table set up.  These machines are far more powerful than any home machine you can find.  Juki, Pfaff and Singer make some good quality industrial machines made for sewing heavy materials.  An upholstery machine might also be a good idea, many are made for sewing through upholstery weight Naugahyde and vinyl, and you laminated sheets are likely a similar weight to these materials. Your machine should have a walking foot or compound feed to help feed he sticky material under the foot.

You should look for websites or dealers that specialize in heavy duty industrial machines.  Allbrands sells an expensive range of industrial machines and that site will give you an understanding of the price and size of these machines.  it's best to find a dealer who specializes in industrial machines to help you find the machine best suited for your needs.  I bought my industrial machines  through a dealer and he keeps them in tip top running order.

Unless you are well informed about machines, don't buy from E-bay.  Many machine advertised as "industrial strength" are nothing more than old household machines being sold with a meaningless label.  They won't handle your laminated pages, no matter what the ad copy says and no matter how much positive feedback the seller has.  They won't be able to handle heavy materials the same way a true industrial can.  Watch out, almost all these so called "industrial strength" machines are scams.

Here's allbrands industrial machine home page for a start: http://www.allbrands.com/products/abc007...

Here's a page with a couple machines made for the upholstery industry, the second machine is the excellent pfaff 1245 compound needle feed machine: http://www.chholderby.com/IndSew/Heavy%2...