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Our Recommended Best Heavy Duty Sewing Machine Is The Brother HF27 Strong & Tough Heavy-Duty Electronic Sewing Machine!
This guide will be a little different to our usual round-up review articles on the different sewing machines we recommend. We'll be looking closely at heavy-duty sewing machines- which one should you buy?
Heavy duty sewing machines aren't your standard sewing machines. They're designed to tackle multiple layers of fabric (these layers of fabric may even be heavyweight fabrics themselves such as leather or PVC), and generally sew through fabrics with ease.
Heavy duty fabric sewing machines are often used in commercial or professional settings, particularly in Indian culture where bridal clothing involves heavy and intricate beadwork/multiple layers of thicker fabrics (heavier fabrics add a touch to luxury, hence the prices of these clothes are so high!).
Heavy duty sewing machines are also able to not only sew through layers of fabric and heavier fabrics, they are designed to sew at a much quicker stitch speed/rate. Consequently, many of us won't actually need this type of sewing machine, and will do perfectly fine with a regular sewing machine. We've got tonnes of reviews on our sites for these, check them out!
1) Brother HF27 Strong & Tough Heavy-Duty Electronic Sewing Machine
The first model in our guide is the Brother HF27. These are commonly used as high-quality industrial sewing machines, but they're stylish enough to be kept in your home, despite being a traditional industrial sewing machine. This type of sewing machine is very expensive, however, we love Brother quality, and this machine is just the perfect match for anyone in search of a heavy-duty machine. The sewing experience is unmatched- we're sure you'll be as impressed as us.
What We Love
- Strong Chassis: This sewing machine is made of a tough, scratch-resistant chassis as well as a metal needle plate. This allows you to tackle thicker materials and heavy-duty fabric, to improve your overall sewing experience. A metal build also makes the machine feel sturdier and more expensive. This machine isn't cheap, so you definitely receive the excellent quality you pay for.
- Demanding Sewing Projects: These durable sewing machines are designed to maximise the ease of sewing for especially difficult fabrics such as leather (the enemy of sewing machines), and this is done so via the included J-foot and levelling button. These two features in synchrony are a great pair for punching into fabrics and weaving them together.
- Needles: There are two specific needle types within the needle packet that help tackle heavier threads (and subsequent difficult/tough fabrics): The #90/14 and #100/16. Additionally, there is an included non-stick foot; this is a great feature to assist with sewing leather and PVC.
- 27 Stitches: There are 27 stitch designs to choose from- and while this isn't a large number in comparison to other machines on the market (most machines nowadays offer over 100 different stitch designs), the stitches are of a high quality and calibration.
- Sewing Adjustments: You can adjust both the stitch length and stitch width with these professional sewing machines, with a stitch width leverage of up to seven millimetres, and a stitch length of four millimetres.
- Automated Needle Threader: There's a handy automatic needle threader to save you the fiddly hassle of threading it yourself- let's all agree, it's perhaps the worst part of setting up the sewing machine! To allow for even easier operation, this sewing and quilting machine features a quick-set drop-in bobbin system. You can also stitch blind hems, using the included blind-stitch foot- the possibilities are vast.
The Verdict
This reliable Brother sewing machine is the perfect option for all of your life sewing needs. Not only is it a fun sewing machine to use thanks to the straightforward navigation and ease of use, you get some great features such as heavy duty sewing needles- why are these important? If you're familiar with sewing machines, you'll know all too well how common it is for them to just snap!
All-in-all, this is a perfect all-round home sewing machine with a reasonable price tag. Heavy duty sewing machine models aren't cheap- they're pricier than electric type sewing machines, so we definitely urge you to grab ahold of this one. It's perfect for everyday sewing.
This machine is better suited to day sewing projects (day sewing tasks in commercial environments too), and heavy duty sewing jobs. They aren't designed to facilitate decorative projects- they're strictly designed and optimised for larger sewing projects, high-speed sewing (heavy-duty extra-high sewing speed), and precise sewing.
Here's our ratings:
Appearance: 9 / 10
Quality: 10 / 10
Value for Money: 8 / 10
You can buy this sewing machine on Amazon for around £20 cheaper than we've found it elsewhere. We recommend them because they offer free delivery to UK addresses, so if it's available on Amazon- make sure you grab it.
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2) Singer 4432 Heavy Duty Extra-High Speed Sewing Machine
Next up on our guide we've got the Singer 4432. This sewing & quilting machine is perhaps the most unique looking heavy-duty machine we've seen. Singer sewing machine's often do pop up with innovative designs, but these Singer heavy duty sewing machines manage to make slate grey look pretty classy!
With the sturdy metal chassis, you'll find ease in sewing through suede, leathers, PVC, and other tough/multi-layered fabrics. Sewing upholstery projects are also a breeze with these machine, so you can create luxurious, thick duvets and throws with just one machine. This is a commercial machine which is designed to look spectacular in households too.
What We Love
- It Looks Great! We've rambled on about the appearance so much, but let's see what really makes it special- the durable metal frame is crafted from stainless steel, making it both stain-resistant and scratch-resistant. The body is resistant to accidental damage from needles and other sharp objects, or even in the rare case of dropping this machine. The colour scheme is pretty universal for most home interiors too, with the flattering shade of grey and accent red hue to add a pop of retro-glam.
- 32 Different Built-in Stitches: This excellent choice features a generous 32 built-in stitches to choose from, including six basic stitches, twenty-two decorative stitches, 1-step (1) buttonhole, four stretch stitches, and many other utility stitches included. It's great- you can pretty much do any project you want.
- Faster Sewing Speeds: This machine is the perfect choice for experienced or professional sewers, as it has a maximum stitch speed of 1,100/minute sewing speed! This is pretty insane, and far faster than many standard (or even heavy duty), and low-end sewing machines out there. This will be our go-to choice for any larger or tougher projects, by far.
- Powerful Motor: The electric powerful motor on this perfect sewing machine is 60% faster and more powerful than others too, making the heavy duty motor even better suited to heavy-duty projects, for example, sewing pants using corduroy, or leather bags.
- Storage: Another awesomely convenient feature is the on-board storage compartment- the bed is removable, and a perfect size to store needles, threads, bobbins, thimbles, and more.
- The Feet: There's also a snap-off/snap-on presser foot design to make switching feet even easier. There's a presser foot lifter which is designed to be extra-high, so you can fit extra layers of fabric underneath. This is really handy for upholstery and other larger projects. Additionally, you can adjust the pressure of the pressure foot (wasn't that a mouthful)- so you can also sew through light fabrics easily. The snap mechanism isn't common with standard sewing machines.
- Adjustability: In addition to the handy pressure adjustment and feet interchangeability, you can adjust both the stitch length, width, and direction of sewing. You can activate the simple reverse sewing feature to reinforce edges, hems, and tassels. The dial is available for you to play around with stitch adjustments.
- Needle Positioning: There's also needle position adjustment, providing you with three different positions to choose from so you can personalise and optimise your experience, such as for topstitching and zip insertion.
- Accessories! You get the following included in your package, at least when ordered off of Amazon, as we did (a physical sewing machine retailer may vary): Zipper foot, All-Purpose Foot, Buttonhole foot, button-sewing foot, lint brush, seam ripper, needle set, bobbins, a screwdriver, a handy quilting guide, a dust cover, a spool-pin felt, and an auxiliary spool pin.
The Verdict
This machine offers a host of excellent features for price paid, and while it isn't the most affordable price, it makes for an excellent substitute to regular home sewing machines- and pretty much beats others in these price levels. For a commercially-exploited product used in many aspects of sewing, this is actually a mid-level price range.
Our sewing pro, Katherine, tested out this machine by creating a beautiful king-sized bed throw- the decorative stitches worked extremely well, and the stitching was neat, tidy, and secure- even though she was working with organza!
Here's our ratings:
Appearance: 9.5 / 10
Quality: 8.5 /10
Value for Money: 10 /10
This can be purchased on various retailer sites, however, we usually buy ours off of Amazon due to the prompter delivery- and sometimes even cheaper price. This model is available for around £290-300, but we bought it on Amazon for £240.
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3) Uten 2685A Portable Computerised Sewing Machine
Next on this guide we'll be exploring the Uten model 2685A, a computerized sewing machine which is ideal for experiences and amateurs- it's an awesome beginner sewing machine option, so don't be intimidated by all the controls you see. While it isn't the most attractive option out there, it's excellent on quality, durability, versatility, and feature-richness. You definitely get your value for money.
Read on to see what makes this product so special.
What We Love
- 200 Built-In Stitch Options: This classic sewing machine has the capability of sewing with a dozen stitches styles (hundreds of stitches to be exact), including 100 letters and numbers and eight one-step auto-size buttonhole variations.
- Stitch Adjustment: You also get embroidery stitch options, and the best part is that they're all quality stitches. The stitch settings can be easily changed and navigated (stitch settings can be adjusted in terms of length, width, and type).
- Adjustability: As this is a computerised machine rather than a mechanical sewing machine (mechanical sewing machine types don't have the digital piloting software), you'll benefit from digital sewing precision. You can adjust features of your experience too though, such as stitch length and stitch width. This is a great machine for beginners as it allows you to play around with a combination that suits you.
- Stitch Changing: This product offers a stitch length range from 0-7 millimetres, and a width of 0-4.5 millimetres. The presser foot can rise to a height of 5.5 millimetres from the plate, making it able to tackle layers of fabric/heavy fabric. The stitch speed can be controlled with a slider, which is a great way to gauge the pace. As a guide, the maximum stitch speed is 700 stitches per minute (±50)
- Extra Convenient: This machine has every nameable feature to make your life easier when dealing with heavy fabrics, and other tough projects. This model has an electric motor (not common in industrial motor machines), which is designed to heavily power through materials.
- LCD Screen: Additionally, there's a bright LCD screen for feeding back essential information, a drop-feed system for free-motion sewing and quilting, a stop/start button control, reverse stitching functionality, memorised needle positioning (up/down), and a scaled needle plate.
The Verdict
This sewing machine is a great option for both commercial/professional users, as well as for domestic use. It uses a heavy duty motor for powerful sewing, and automatic threader for easier use (we highly recommend going for a machine with an automatic threader/built-in needle threader because threading needles yourself is a hassle!).
This can be purchased on various retailer sites, however, we usually buy ours off of Amazon due to the prompter delivery- and sometimes even cheaper price. This model is available for around £230, but we bought it on Amazon for £219.
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4) Brother FS40 40-Stitch Electronic Sewing Machine with Instructional DVD
Fourth on our list lies the Brother FS40. This sewing machine looks petite, but it's pretty killer for heavy fabrics, and has a far more powerful motor than your regular sewing machine. Like many Brother sewing machines, this one is quite expensive- but we think it's well worth the money.
Of all the heavy-duty sewing machines we've tried and tested, this one landed in our top five, so let's see what it's all about!
What We Love
- 40 Stitch Options (utility and decorative stitches): You may have noticed how expensive Brother machines feature a significantly limited stitch selection compared to other models from other brands.
- Electronic Display: This Brother sewing machine not only provides auto-piloted digital sewing precision, it features a handy display that feeds back information in real time. It also informs you of which feet are required for basic fabric, fabric layers, and other fabric.
- Adjustability: We mentioned how the width and length can be changed for different fabric capabilities, but you can also change the stitch speed. Higher speeds will allow you to stitch denim with ease, for example. This a great machine for denim, as the high speed allows you to securely stitch it together. There's an electronic power button and speed controller, so you don't really need the pedal anymore.
- Bobbin and Feed: No more looped threads and jamming up- you won't even need an auto thread cutter. This machine features a quick-set drop-in bobbin system to prevent thread jamming, and the integrated drop-feed system allows for free-motion quilting and embroidery.
The Verdict
This sewing machine is a great option for anyone who's after a high quality machine that is both feature-rich and aesthetically-pleasing. While it isn't cheap, the product quality ensures that this machine lasts you a lifetime.
Our sewing pro Katherine explains it pretty neatly: When you have a large variety of stitches, it's difficult to get them all to be perfect- Brother machines are pretty much experts in their quality, and this can definitely be felt when you use the machine.
Stitches are performed securely, tightly, and are great for finishing your projects off in a professional manner. While it feels like you have a limited stitch selection, we guarantee you'll be pleased with what you get.
Heavy upholstery fabric will require utility stitches to secure the ends and layers down, but the LCD screen will easily inform you of which feet are required for each. The stitch length and width can be easily adjusted (based on the kinds of fabric you're dealing with, or the numbers of layer of fabric, and the various range of fabrics used)- via the screen, using four buttons.
You can buy this sewing machine on various online stores. We purchased ours on Very for £235, but unfortunately, it was faulty and had to be returned. We managed to find it on Amazon for £229 with express delivery, which is what we needed to get this guide up on our site in time!
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5) Janome J3-18 Sewing Machine
Lastly, we've got the Janome J3-18. It would be unusual for a Janome machine to not be on this list, so here it is- this machine is the cheapest on this guide for a heavy duty machine. However, just because it's cheaper, it isn't lower in quality. There's just a few little differences to keep in mind.
What We Love
- 18 Stitches: With this option, you benefit from a range of 18 different stitch designs to choose from. You also get an auto four-step buttonhole function, which is a great touch to add some personalisation to your projects.
- Easy to Use: The Janome J3-18 has a host of features to make your sewing experience more enjoyable and stress-free. You get a built-in needle threader and thread cutter, a handy on-board storage capacity, a soft cover, a free arm for circular sewing, a quick-foot conversion, and a drop-feed mechanism to allow for free-hand embroidery.
- Variable Features: With this product, you can change the stitch length to suit your individual sewing needs, however, you cannot adjust the stitch width. Bear this in mind if the stitch adjustment is important to you.
- Included accessories: When you buy this machine, you get two feet options including a regular, standard foot and a sliding-buttonhole foot too. You also get a screwdriver, a seam ripper, a set of needles, bobbins, and a soft case.
The Verdict
The Janome J3-18 is the best option to go for if the others are well out of your budget, but you're still after a heavy-duty sewing machine.
Here's our ratings:
Appearance: 6 / 10
Quality: 8.5 /10
Value for Money: 8 /10
You can take this machine with you to sewing class and be able to complete various assigned projects (sewing classes are a great way to build a skill you can eventually monetise!).
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We hope our sewing machine buying guide provided some value and helped you establish which machine is best for you. Happy sewing!
