The answer to what is a walking foot industrial sewing machine is that it has a special foot that makes it more suitable for demanding projects. We’ll compare a traditional industrial sewing machine to this type to understand why this industrial machine is more useful on heavy-duty projects, which are already the forte of industrial sewing machines. We’ll also talk about the best uses of a walking foot industrial sewing machine.
Since we’re on the topic of these sewing machine types, do you already know how to set one up? Check this tutorial on how to thread an industrial sewing machine, for example.
What Is A Walking Foot Industrial Sewing Machine For?
A walking foot industrial sewing machine is a type that can handle heavy-duty projects such as those that demand sewing multiple layers of large fabrics. This is because it has a unique foot at the stitching area that will hold the fabric; as a result, the material will move simultaneously as the feed dogs at the bottom layer.
Suppose you are doing quilts and want to finish quickly. In that case, it’s best to get a walking foot industrial sewing machine for your business because it will prevent shifting and puckering that can affect your products’ quality.
How does a walking foot industrial sewing machine work?
The unique foot on the walking foot industrial sewing machine has a set of teeth that moves circularly. According to your project, you can then use the sidebar if you want the teeth to move down or up. With this particular part, even multiple layers of large and thick fabric won’t shift when sewing.
Walking foot industrial sewing machine vs standard industrial sewing machine
- A typical industrial sewing machine use feed dogs to pull the bottom fabric layer
- A walking foot industrial sewing machine pulls the top and bottom fabric layers to prevent any displacement during sewing
- The walking foot can keep slippery materials like leather and vinyl from moving
- The “even feed” ability of a walking foot industrial sewing machine ensure flat and perfect seams, which are especially great for quilting businesses
Types of walking foot industrial sewing machines
- The flatbed walking foot sewing machine is best for quilting or any projects that need to be worked flat
- The cylinder bed walking foot sewing machines is best for bulky projects and those that are rounded that need to be maneuvered around the arm
Where to buy walking foot industrial sewing machines
Here are the popular walking foot industrial sewing machine brands:
- Juki
- Sailrite
- Highlead
- Consew
- Econosew
- Reliable
How Do You Use An Industrial Walking Foot Sewing Machine?
Topstitching
Avoid issues such as draglines when topstitching hems and button plackets. An industrial walking foot machine will prevent damaging the material, and you can ensure flat edges on your projects. On the contrary, a traditional sewing machine can create a dragline as the top layer is pushed on the bottom, which will look unsightly, especially on details on garments that must remain flat.
Perfect seams
Clothing such as skirts and pants can have bulky seams because of the material collecting in that area or from a thread nest underneath. Using an industrial sewing machine, you can avoid this because it won’t get stuck and create a thread nest. The grip on the material will also ensure that the fabric won’t collect as it fails to feed.
You will even get a more professionally-looking seam intersection with a walking foot industrial sewing machine because it allows a continuous line on where the seams meet. You won’t notice a mismatched seam intersection that usually happens with a typical industrial sewing machine since it moves the top layer. Therefore, it’s preferable to use a walking foot machine when sewing patterned materials where you want to match the details, especially in the seams.
Sewing knit and stretchy fabrics
Hemming knit fabrics can be tricky because a common presser foot can’t follow the “growth” of knitted materials and other stretchy fabrics. A walking foot industrial sewing machine can secure these fabrics more efficiently because it keeps them from stretching out.
What Sewing Machines Have A Walking Foot?
There are many industrial sewing machines with walking foot, but here are the top two according to users and reviewers:
Juki TL-2010Q
- Suitable for beginners
- Best for quilting
- Portable
- Relatively quiet
- Comes with an automatic thread trimmer and manual speed adjustment
Consew P1206RB
- Can handle challenging materials like leather and upholstery
- Best for industrial use
- Can be used for big projects such covers and tents
- Already comes with accessories
- Easy to set up
You can read our guide on how to buy a sewing machine if you can’t decide which model to get. It’s applicable when buying a household or an industrial sewing machine since it tackles factors that one can consider when browsing the market.
Conclusion
And that’s it! We just found out what is a walking foot industrial sewing machine, which is a machine with a special foot capable of feeding fabric evenly. This makes this machine especially useful for industrial quilting.
You can also ensure perfect seams and work on stretchy and heavy materials without issues with the walking foot industrial sewing machine. We hope this was a helpful read. Leave us a comment below if you have any.