A high quality industrial sewing machine can measurably improve the productivity of a business.  For home sewers who are interested in working with thick fabrics, like upholstery, or making projects that require machines to sew through multiple layers, such as quilts or anything with backing, the investment in an industrial sewing machine will make your work more enjoyable and save on replacement needles and parts.  Industrial sewing machines are considerably faster than commercial models, and more motors that are powerful mean they can produce more stitches per minute than lesser machines.  An industrial sewing machine will be an investment, so carefully consider the manner in which it will be used before purchasing and conduct a cost benefit analysis for all available features.

When buying an industrial sewing machine, sales associates or customer service representatives are your allies.  Do not hesitate to mine their expertise.  Feel free to ask which machines they have used and the experiences they have had with them. Talk to them about any feedback they have received from customers, particularly those who have used the machine on similar fabric types or for different projects.  Come to the store armed with a list of features you have liked on past models, as well as anything that you consider to be a failing of your current sewing machine.  This will help them guide you to the right machine for your needs.

There are a number of different factors that can affect the cost of an industrial sewing machine.  Horsepower is often considered an indicator of quality, and is one of the biggest differences between commercial and industrial machines.  Any model whose motor is ½ horsepower or more will be able to handle almost anything quickly and effectively.  The size of the pulley attached to the motor will determine whether this power is used to get through fabrics or simply provide more speed for the needle and the foot.  If the machine’s primary use will be for sewing upholstery, consider a model with a smaller pulley to easily get through the fabric.  Larger pulleys are ideal for quickly sewing through material that is used for clothing or other jobs that use thinner fabric.

The second contributor to price is usually the stitch rate.  These vary greatly by machine.  2,500 stitches or more per minute is optimal.  Though high stitch rates do mean that the sewing machine is capable of sewing more quickly, it is important to ensure that the user can handle the speed.  Before making the final purchase, ask the dealer if you can test the machine on the fabric you, or whoever will be the primary user, will be working with.  Make sure that the speed does not negatively affect your ability to control the machine.  If it does, it may be in your best interest to consider a model that is slightly slower or less powerful.

                Consider choosing a model from one of the leading sewing machine makers to guarantee quality and ease of repair.  There is a Brother Industrial Sewing Machine model for users of any experience level specifically designed for any type of job.  A new line of programmable machines makes stitching uniform patterns easy and can exponentially increase productivity.  Brother does offer customers the opportunity to order directly from the manufacturer, and a number of dealers carry a large stock of their machines as well.  Replacement parts like industrial sewing machine needles can be purchased almost anywhere machines are sold. 

One of the most well known names in sewing machines also offers industrial quality.  Singer Industrial Sewing Machines are reasonably priced options whose quality reflects that which the customer has come to expect from the Singer name.  There are a number of moderately priced Singer machines on the market, and the instruction manuals for each are available online.  Take advantage of this availability to fully research your sewing machine of choice before a purchase is made.

                For those whose budget will not allow the purchase of a new model, a used industrial sewing machine can be purchased from a dealer in-store or online.  Many of these dealers will offer warranties or service contacts on these machines to guarantee their longevity.  Do not let the price dissuade you from the industrial sewing machine of your dreams.