5 Best Sewing Machine for Auto Upholstery Reviews – Expert’s Guide

Sewing machines are used to stitch fabric or other materials such as leather, vinyl. The sewing machine comes with various categories. Some are made for industrial use. Some are made for home or single person use. Also, the sewing machine is an essential household item for every house. Many people use sewing in their homes for various reasons.

When it comes to auto upholstery sewing machines, there are a lot of things to consider. Upholstery sewing machines should be strong enough so that it can sew light to heavy any kind of upholstery materials easily as their many brands manufacture sewing machines. So that makes us confused about choosing the perfect one in our budget.

In this article, we will discuss the best sewing machine for auto upholstery. Let’s talk about the five best sewing machines so that you can choose the best one for you.

What Kind Of Sewing Machine Do I Need For Auto Upholstery?

Sewing has a bunch of categories for different types of materials. Some are designed for light fabric, heavy or particular operations like pocket piping, sewing zips, and knitted fabrics. So it is clear that every sewing machine has different functionality.

When you need an auto upholstery machine, you should consider some essential things, such as the fabric’s weight and thickness of the sewing material. Normally upholstery grade materials heavier than regular cloth. So you need a sewing machine that can sew many heavy and thick materials. Yet regular sewing machines are not designed to sew heavy materials.

Industrial Sewing Machines:

Industrial sewing machines are designed to sew any upholstery grade fabric such as car seats, leather, vinyl, canvas, tarpaulins. They are mostly intended for thin to heavy fabrics. These machines are very durable, and their needles can penetrate upholstery materials easily.

However, industrial sewing machines are mostly automotive motor-operated, so they are easy to operate, but industrial-grade sewing machines are much more expensive than the regular one.

Personal Sewing Machines:

A lot of sewing machine companies manufacture heavy-duty personal sewing machines. And they can easily handle upholstery fabric depending on the power of the sewing machine and upholstery. Nowadays, many personal sewing machines are equipped with electric motors so that hobbyists can have their upholstery sewing machine at home.

Sewing upholstery is not an easy task, but if anyone is determined to do so, they can do it. But operating an auto upholstery sewing machine needs skill and patience.

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Comparison Chart:

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5 Best Sewing Machine For Auto Upholstery Reviews 2020

In this article, we will discuss the best sewing machine for auto upholstery. Let’s talk about the five best sewing machines so that you can choose the best one for you.

1. Consew 206RB-5 Walking Foot Upholstery Machine w/Table & Motor (Table Comes Assembled)

This Consew Upholstery sewing machine comes first in our list because of its functionality. This one is one of the best upholstery machines with a fully assembled table and a clutch Motor. Moreover, it’s durable structure and powerful motor makes it very functional and it’s adjustable reverse stitching ability makes it more efficient.

Besides, it is the best sewing machine for car upholstery. It’s 21/2 S.P.I. (10mm) Large Bobbin makes it easier to sew, And this bobbin can be changed without removing the object. You can change its needle plate and some other components if you need it when operating.

Furthermore, this automotive speed adjustable sewing machine comes with features that you need. And its built quality and compatibility makes it one of the best sewing machine for auto upholstery.

Consew 206RB-5 Walking Features:

• This one is designed for stitching various light to heavy materials. Besides, it comes with a standard 3/4 HP servo motor and adjustable speed.
• Its 9/16″ (14mm) high-pressure foot lift makes it unbeatable for the heavy thread.
• Its walking feet, needles and other attachment is interchangeable with other Consew sewing machines.
• It comes with a Needle plate, foot, and feed dog changing feature for a particular operation.
• This sewing machine has a locking stitch regulator that ensures perfect stitch length.

2. Consew upholstery Walking Foot Industrial Sewing Machine with Table and Servo Motor Drop Feed

This well built Consew industrial sewing machine is multifunctional and very easy to operate. Its affordable price range and functionality make it the best industrial sewing machine for auto upholstery. This machine can also be used for sewing tarpaulins, covers, sails, tents, synthetics, and canvas besides any other light to heavy materials.

This sewing machine comes with a heavy-duty servo motor, drop feed, needle feed. Moreover, its large horizontal axis hook and side-loaded bobbin make it easier to change the bobbin without removing the sewing object. Besides, its lightweight construction and easy assembling feature make it very user friendly.

Also, most of the users love their presser foot and knee movement. This sewing machine can alter pressure to presser foot very smoothly with continuous usage.

Consew upholstery Walking Features:

• This machine has an oil pump system with a pump and oil pan so that the operator can adjust the oil flow. 
• The thread tension locking stitch regulator ensures excellent stitch quality.
• This sewing machine is specially designed for leather, auto, marine, and canvas work.
• Its 3.6 s.p.i. (7 mm) stitch length ensures secure and longer stitches.
• This machine comes with three separate boxes and an assembling guide. So there is no risk of missing parts or hassle to assemble

3. Yamata FY5318 Walking Foot lockstitch Sewing Machine with Servo Motor+Table

This Yamata sewing machine is well known for its durable built quality and long-lasting usages. It comes with a high torque servo motor with a variable speed motor. These automotive upholstery sewing machines can be used for several purposes, such as car & boat seats, general upholstery, and leather articles.

Furthermore, this sewing machine is designed for any other light or bulky upholstery fabric with superior thread quality. And it can give you around 1,350 stitch length with 5-16 stitches per inch so that you can get excellent thread. In addition, This sewing machine equipped a DMS-550 servo motor which is powered by 1/2 H.P, 1 PHASE, 110 VOLT, 0 ~3300 RPM.

However, This compact design well-built machine comes unassembled, so it takes some time to assemble if you’re not an expert. If you are an expert in assembling sewing machines, it will only take one and a half hours.

Yamata FY5318 Walking Foot Features:

• This sewing machine comes with high-quality electronic D.C. Servo Motor 1/2 H.P., 1 PHASE, 110 VOLT, 0 ~3300 RPM.
• It can sew up to 3/8″ thick materials that are enough to handle any upholstery fabric. 
• It is equipped with a centrifugal impeller pump for automatic lubrication.
• This sewing machine comes with D.B. x 1 #22 needles that ensure exceptional stitch quality.
• This sewing machine comes with a “Walking Foot” + table+servo motors complete set.

4. Yamata FY5318 Walking Foot lockstitch Sewing Machine Head only (No Motor, No Table)

This sewing machine is also from Yamata. It is another good sewing machine for upholstery. This one is not a complete sewing machine set. Sewing tables and motor are not included. It only comes as head and head setup equipment. This machine offers 1/4″ foot lifting clearance by hand, and 1/2″ by the knee.

 Moreover, this machine can sew up to 3/8″ thick sewing materials. Also, it can sew regular dial type and reverse sewing lever type. You should know that this machine is manufactured to the well known Japanese Mitsubishi company standards, so you don’t have to be concerned about its longevity.

It also comes as a complete set of a sewing machine table and a high-quality servo motor that produce 1/2 hp, 1750 RPM, 110 Volt. After arriving its sealed packet, you need to assemble as its manual says.

Yamata FY5318 Walking Features:

• This machine head equipped with DB x 1 #22 heavy-duty needle 
• It has an automotive centrifugal lubrication system that keeps your machine more effective.
• Its pressure feet are interchangeable with many Juki, Brother, Nakajima, Mitsubishi models.
• The oil pan, knee lifter, five extra bobbins, ten extra needles come with its box.
• You can get excellent foot lifting and knee clearance for long time use.

5. Juki DDL-8700-H Industrial Straight Stitch Sewing Machine, K.D table & Servo Motor DIY

This straight stitch sewing machine from Juki is the cheapest industrial sewing machine that can offer you the freedom to do your job more easily. It can do up to 5500 stitches per minute and up to 6 stitches per inch, making it very user friendly. Besides, its automotive lubrication system keeps it well maintained without much effort.

 Moreover, it can sew up to 5mm thick sewing materials, so you get the opportunity to sew much heavier fabric, leather, or any other sewing materials. This sewing machine uses a servo motor to sew, and it is strong enough and can do a lot of heavy-duty work.

Finally, This machine comes with a reliable platform for superior stability for better work. The manufacturer designed this sewing machine in such a way so that professional or hobbyist users can do better work without having any irritation.

Juki DDL-8700-H Features:

• This straight sewing machine is ideal for medium to heavy materials.
• Its speed adjustable servo motor can easily handle multiple layers of leather or other upholstery items.
•  It has an 11-inch arm space that offers more working facilities with bulky items.
• This sewing machine is an eco-friendly product that won’t be the cause of any environmental issues.
• This sewing comes with all required accessories, so you don’t have to worry about it.

What Does an Upholstery Sewing Machine Do?

Before we start with what an upholstery sewing machine is, we should know about what is upholstery? Upholstery is a textile covering made of soft and padded fabric, padding, webbing, leather, vinyl, and springs. Mostly upholstery is used for covering furniture, car seats, tarpaulins, tents, and so on. 

So ordinary sewing machines cannot sew upholstery materials because they are not designed to sew thicker materials and heavy padded materials. That’s why upholstery sewing machines are designed differently to sew with different types of needle. Mostly upholstery sewing machines come with strong motors and different specialized needles. An upholstery sewing machine can sew much longer than a regular sewing machine.

How To Use The Sewing Machine?

Because of the upholstery sewing machine designed to sew heavy and long stitches, that’s why mostly they come with a strong motor and long and high arm. The upholstery sewing machine also has a large bobbin. They have high-pressure feet lift so that you can set your plan of action when sewing.

If you are a regular sewing machine user, you don’t have to struggle with an upholstery sewing machine. There are not many differences between standard and upholstery sewing machines.

But you have to follow few steps to operate a sewing machine:

First of all, you have to join the upper and lower thread together. After that, Turn the flywheel if you operate a manual sewing machine. You can control its motion by your hand. This process will let the top threaded needle go inside to the bobbin area.

Secondly, Before starting stitching, you should start with a sample.  It is like a test drive so that you can understand. The best fabric for at the beginning is stiff cotton. If you successfully stitch your sample now, you are good to go to the next step.

In this step, you have to test the tension of your row of stitches between two threads. If you need any coordination or change, you can do it for your next stitch.

These are the basics of using a sewing machine. There are a lot of factors to consider and practice. Operating a sewing machine is not a very hard task, but you have to be very attentive if you want a superior stitch and perfect thread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now I will answer some of the most commonly asked questions about upholstery sewing machines. Now take a look at those questions you may find your desired answer:

Final Thought

Buying an upholstery sewing machine is not an easy task. There are a lot of things to consider before purchasing any upholstery sewing machine. A lot of sewing machine brands are available in the market, but Consew, Brother, or Juki are the best sewing machine manufacturers.  So if you are looking for the best sewing machine for auto upholstery, you can go for a Consew sewing machine.

And finally, if you are looking for a specific upholstery sewing machine that is functional as well as easy to operate, We recommended you Consew 206RB-5 Walking Foot Upholstery Machine that will be budget-friendly as well as long-lasting.