It has arrived! It shipped faster than I expected. The packaging was very secure and it is amazingly heavy and built like a Mack Truck as they say.
The underside of the machine is also very stout!
The machine came very well packaged in boxes within boxes.
And packed in styrofoam in the innermost box.
Such care and detail made setting up the machine fun and interesting. I had already watched the assembly video and several other videos on the Sailrite site. But I also paid attention to the included assembly pamphlet.
This basic version comes without a light but I think I might install a strip of LED lights under the body as shown in many Facebook ads. (They know I like to sew I guess.)
It also came with several tools but funny enough not a screwdriver short enough to tighten the hinges in the basic platform.
This machine reminds me of the Kenmore I had for many years from my mother in law. I didn’t move it to Arizona and missed having that machine. That one was not cast iron but it was heavy duty and I did a lot of sewing with it.
One thing I’m having trouble getting used to is that the foot lever is located on top of the machine. I keep reaching back behind the machine to use it and have to stop and reach above.
I have purchased one improvement so far. A magnetic guide bar comes with the Plus version of the machine. I thought it looked like a handy tool to help maintain seam width. The Sailrite version is very expensive–$32 without shipping.
I wondered if just a plain magnet would work. But while shopping for one I came across this wooden magnetic knife bar for less than $7 that I should be able to shape for the task. Actually I should be able to make two of them from this one bar. In case I lose one.
It certainly has strong enough magnets to afix to the sewing machine. But it will work better cut down and slotted to fit over the needle plate.
The machine came with heavy #20 needles and I have some Coats and Clark outdoor thread but in order to do more domestic sewing I’ll have to buy the specific needles the machine uses, 135-17, in smaller sizes. I can’t use the Singer machine needles in this machine.
I’m excited to get started on the vinyl project that broke my Singer 9960.