Brother domestic overlocker?

[Thom Bennett]

Hi all,

I am looking at replacing my rubbish, cheap singer overlocker.  I have thought about buying a commercial, table and all which I have space for moreover I want an overlocker too and the Brother does that as well.  I have space for separate machines but, of course this is more money, so my question is: would this Brother be a good sibling to my B755? I am quite a fan of Brother technology, I have never really had a bad product from them.

tom

[Henry Hall]

Surely this is a domestic overlocker? It looks a bit like mine (for which I wrongly paid €280 ). The production ones are much more pricey and look different.

Have I got the wrong end of the stick here?

[posaune]

the only bad I read  about it was the noise.
But.......... be used as either an overlock or coverstitch  .. (it is in the text of the ad) I do not think it can do a coverstitch.
lg posaune

[Henry Hall]

Is a coverstitch the sort of thing you get on t-shirt hems? With two lines of stitching on the outside and a sort of flat serge stitch on the other side?

[hutch--]

Tom,

I have learnt this much about domestic overlockers, if they try to do too much or are electronic, they tend not to do things all that well. My best is an old Bernina 800dl which is still an impeccable machine. I own a very big Elna that does many other things but its a big clunky thing that I don't like all that much.  A 5 thread machine is only really used in low cost production so I would tend to go for a strong 4 thread machine that has manual thread tensions and importantly differential feed. Avoid anything electronic.

On my old Bernina I use #75 thread for the two needles and #120 for the two loopers, a lighter machine will have trouble with the heavier needle thread. If you can get a strong 4 thread machine, if you have a reason for a 3 thread variation you can just remove either needle to get either a wide or narrow overlock.

[Henry Hall]

Is there a reason to use a 4-thread stitch just for overlocking? It seems to me that the 4-thread is for when you want to do the main seam and overlock the edge at the same time, but I hardly ever do that and I'm sure many others don't.

I almost exclusively have my overlocker set up with three threads. I tend only to use it for finishing edges of trouser panels and pieces of other garments before starting on them. Also, after fitting, e.g. trousers some of the inlay usually comes off and it just gets trimmed off with a 3-thread overlock stitch.

Previous to the machine I have now (which is domestic) I had this old grey metal 3-thread thing - Köhler or something like that, it was East German anyway - and it always did a great job.

Is a 4-thread stitch really necessary?

[hutch--]

If you have a close look at a 4 thread safety overlocked seam, you will see that the inner needle thread secures the two looper threads so it is a lot stronger. Unless you are worried about thread cost which is trivial, a 4 thread safety stitch overlock is both more stable and harder to break.

[Henry Hall]

The overlocked edges are not under tension though, they're merely there to stop ravelling.  A 3-thread finish is stable enough; it is the inner needle used for that setup.

[posaune]

  I'm worried about my old eyes. I have to thread TWO needles.
lg
posaune

[Thom Bennett]

I have new vari-focal spectacles.

[Henry Hall]

I'm worried about my old eyes. I have to thread TWO needles.
lg
posaune

You don't have to, surely?

[jeffrey]

I would check out a Juki 654DE Serger Sewing Machine 3/4 Thread, or something in that family of overlockers. I used to have one but sold it when I got my industrial overlocker. It was pretty smooth and easy to use.

[Thom Bennett]

Thanks jeffery I will have a look at those.

[hutch--]

 

Its not the needle threads you have to worry about, I have yet to see an overlocker that was any joy to thread the bottom looper. Best addressed with two pairs of long tweezers and a lot of patience. I wear a jewelers headband and use a bright light to do stuff like this.

[Henry Hall]

I just chicken out and tie the new threads to the old and pull them through.