REX Portable Walking-Foot Sewing Machine. New and Tested Before Shipping

I took a chance on this machine after comparing it to the Sailrite machines...I wanted something that could sew leather and didn't want to pay over 1K...After oiling the machine and changing the needle to size 21 I tried sewing leather, it made it through 2-3 oz no problem, I ended up sewing four pieces of 2-3 oz together no issue, I was even able to sew a piece of 8-9 oz to a piece of 2-3 ozI followed the Sailrite videos on youtube for set up, I have also ordered a monster wheel and a delicate leather walking foot since the walking foot it comes with leaves a decent mark in the veg tan leather...I am no expert at sewing but so far this machine has done what I have tried using 69 thread, I plan on using 138 thread soon once I install the upgradesOnly drawback is the clutch motor, it goes fast if you let it, with a little practice you can get it to slow down, I am thinking about adding a servo motor by REX sold on Amazon for $109 but will wait for the sailrite monster wheel firstUpdate...it will handle 138 thread, I also added the sailrite monster wheel which took a couple of minutes and increased the torque and makes it even better machine

I've had my machine for about 1 month now and I really do love it. It has taken some getting used to after using domestic machines. Threading is fairly straightforward, but I did pull a video on YouTube to watch someone else thread it first. Adjusting the top thread tension was challenging for me. I had to keep moving the dial this way and that until I got it where I like it. The instructions booklet provided really didn't help much. On super thick layers, I sometimes need to manually encourage the hand wheel to start, but once it catches, it's off and running. The presser foot doesn't raise especially high, so when sewing those thick layers, it can be a little tricky getting them under the foot to start. You must also either pull very long tails on the needle or hold the thread with your fingers when starting or the thread will come out of the needle. My machine came with a few tools, a thread holder, and about 5 extra heavy duty needles. Make sure to get sewing machine oil and the tough thread too. Oil all metal parts before sewing. I housed my machine in a vintage drop table which is perfectly suited for it. All and all, it is a great semi industrial machine that seems like it can take on some pretty tough jobs.

It arrived with a broken piece. I know enough about sewing machines to be able to fix it. Its a bit underpowered for a walking foot machine, so I hope I will have to boost the power. I haven't been able to change presser foot as the screw isn't budging. It's also depositing marks on fabric. I think it will do fine for certain applications as long as don't need to go through any really thick edges. It really needs the case as it is very easy to tip it over.

Bought this because my Singer walking foot machine could not handle the vinyl material to reupholster my dining room chairs. I did not want to spend the money to buy an industrial machine so I chose the Rex based on the reviews. If you purchase this machine, it would be worth your time to read some of the previous reviews. As suggested by other buyers, I oiled it like crazy and bought the Monster Wheel from Sailrite to slow it down and give it more power. This machine is almost identical to the Sailrite Ultrafeed LS1. Adding the Monster Wheel made a huge difference and was worth the price. The walking foot on this machine did not raise up high enough to get 8 layers of vinyl under it, so I found a Sailrite video that explained very clearly how to adjust the presser foot height. I am no mechanic, but was able to get this machine set up for what I needed and was able to easily sew through 8 layers of vinyl. Sailrite has many videos that have been very informative. Although this is not a high quality machine, it is very capable of handling heavy material with a much smaller investment than most other industrial machines.**Addendum**I have changed my review from 4 stars to 3 stars based on 1 1/2 years experience with this machine. The internal parts of the Rex do not compare to a name brand machine. The cost of parts replacement, down time, and time spent fixing this machine has me wishing I had spent more money on a high quality machine. If my husband wasn't so good at fixing things, this Rex would have become a boat anchor long ago....