The Sailrite Fabricator – Adam’s Thoughts

This article is not sponsored by Sailrite. I paid full price for this machine and haven’t been requested to review it by Sailrite. This article is just my opinion and experience using this industrial sewing machine to make bags. Many of you already are, or are interested in, sewing bags on an industrial machine. In this blog post I’ll discuss my experience with the Sailrite Fabricator machine. Please note this is NOT the same as the Sailrite Ultrafeed semi-industrial machine. At the time of this post, there was $100 off the Sailrite Fabricator and free delivery within the USA.

Why did we choose the Sailrite Fabricator?

We bought the Fabricator industrial sewing machine from Sailrite in January 2022. It was a big purchase for us and since Sailrite are based in Indiana, USA there was no way we could try it out first. We based our decision on the experiences of other users, Sailrite’s reputation for good customer service, its ability to stitch slow but with full power (perfect for leather) and of course…its look. It’s a handsome sewing machine, which is good when it’s in your living space, not a dedicated sewing room.

We purchased the Deluxe package with European plug. Both the Standard and Deluxe packages include the same machine but the deluxe has a wood table, fancier light and the table height is adjustable. The European version means it works on the correct voltage for our electrics which is fantastic and not an option I’ve seen available for other American sewing machines. Usually you’d have to buy an adaptor to allow the motor to run on our higher voltage, so this really is great if you’re looking to purchase it for use outside the USA.

In a YouTube video I previously shared my thoughts and experiences assembling the machine. It’s quite an experience as it comes in 5 boxes. Apart from a couple of small but insignificant issues, I was very happy after the first three months and got to making lots of beautiful bags that would never have been possible on Jo’s domestic sewing machine.

After a full year, am I still happy with my machine?

I should say at this point that I have no experience with other industrial machines and I’m still fairly new to bagmaking so I’m not sure how valuable my views are, but here they are nonetheless! I would happily recommend the Fabricator to anyone wanting to sew heavy materials such as thick canvas or leather. It can also sew light and thin materials after making a few changes to the setup. I was concerned when reading some comments from people that struggled with tension settings.

So, when I got the machine, I reduced the top and bobbin tensions and then began sewing scraps together, gradually increasing the tension. I actually spent the first few days just experimenting with the tension settings. This really helped and I would recommend this approach to any new machine. I now find that I adjust the tension as I sew, without even giving it a thought.

My top tip – purchase a second bobbin case – this would allow you to pre-set each bobbin case at different tensions and not worry about changing the bobbin tension when changing between thick and thin fabrics. I’d also recommend getting the narrow foot. It’s pricey, but I almost never take it off. This foot is amazing for everything!

One thing that always amazes me is the power of the machine. If it fits under the foot, it will sew it! Even at very slow speeds, the motor has no issues. The one downside of this is that I forget to change my needles as they go blunt. Jo reminds me though.

Speaking of Jo, she has also enjoyed using it when sewing all vinyl bags. The compound walking foot gives excellent control and sews through vinyl without any stretching or stressing. She remains loyal to her Bernina Record 930 and Janome HD9 though and only uses the Fabricator for all- vinyl projects such as the all-vinyl Marlin backpack below (pattern from Sew Sweetness).

Support for the Fabricator

I’ve also found other Sailrite users to be a good bunch. I’m not a big FaceBook user but the Fabricator Facebook Group is a great resource and very supportive. I’m very appreciative to their kind comments and good suggestions.

The Sailrite customer support team are also amazing. They are the most supportive and helpful customer service team I’ve ever encountered and they go above and beyond to help you with any issues you’re experiencing. You don’t pay extra for that, you just contact them, and they help you! If like me, you’re not in the USA, you just email them and they help you out. You can send them a short video of your problem and they’ll send back advice, tips and videos to help you find and resolve the problem.

But, and it’s a big “but”, I’m not sure I’d recommend it to fellow British bag makers. To bring it into the UK we had to pay almost £500 in taxes and import fees. That’s on top of the shipping! With the recent drop in the value of the Pound compared to the Dollar, it’s now even more expensive to buy and import and there are other options that give better value for your money. Because of this I don’t expect many more Sailrite Fabricators to be crossing the pond for a while, and that’s a big shame!

Below is a couple more bags made on the Fabricator including the Guardian backpack by LindsHandmade and the Momexa by us, Country Cow Designs.

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