Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine Review

Can this machine allow even a novice make strong usable outdoor kit??

Typical Price: £200-£250
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Totally reliable and easy to use, only let down by a flimsy feeling and lightweight foot pedal.

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As an outdoors enthusiast sewing is one of those skills that has potential to pay back the effort to learn many times over. Whether sewing to create equipment to your own specification, repairing kit or just to save money the possiblities are endless.

In my own case I bought the Singer Heavy Duty to create a new boat cockpit cover (slightly ambitious), as I reasoned that the cost of the machine and materials was half that of a professionally produced cover. Since then I have expanded to using the machine to make a range of kit including various bags, a wax cotton (oilskin) tarp and bivvy bag and sleep mat, and tool rolls.

This has all been made possible by the Singer Heavy Duty 4411. This is a highly regarded consumer machine that seems to find a place in the heart of many MYOG enthusiast and even a few pros. This review looks at how I have got on with the machine, what works well for me and a few tips on getting started with sewing.

The Singer Heavy duty 4411 – Specifications

Before jumping into using the machine itself a few key specs on the machines and why these are important. This is created as a “heavy duty” machine specifically claiming better capability for heavier duty sewing tasks, stronger materials and faster sewing speeds.

60% stronger motor – As i am not dressmaking in light materials the ability to punch through thicker and tough materials is essential.
1,100 stitches per minute – Ok, so speed may not seem like priority #1 for the hobbyist but when you are sewing long lengths, e.g. hemming the long edge of a tarp it’s pretty useful to be able to dial up the speed.
Strong Metal frame – A solid machine has less vibration and should sew more consistantly. I have not had any issues with skipped stiches etc. My main issue is forgetting to put the presser foot down before starting sewing.
11 stitch types – To be honest I have really only needed 3 but it has those covered. Straight/ Zig Zag and Bar Tack. These three seem to cover all bases for basic functional sewing pretty nicely. You can also sew up to a chunky 5mm stitch length, again suited to strong heavy duty applications with heavier threads.
Extra high presser foot lift -If you are working with multiple layers of thick fabric such as cotton canvas you need that height to sew effectively.

Sewing Machine Setup

Learning a new skill is always a bit daunting and when it comes to learning to use a sewing machine setup is one of those elements that can seem a bit complex. First you have to choose a needle and thread, thread the machine, fit the bobbin etc. Then there is stitch type, length and tension to consider. Yikes.

However with the Singer I have fortunately found this to be pretty straightforward. See further down for the video run through which shows how to thread the machine. A few steps but once you have done it a few times it becomes easy to remember. Numbers 1-6 are also printed in the machine to give a handy aide memoire to setup.

On different setups the approach I have taken is based on finding workable basic setting choices for each use case. For all the heavier fabric sewing, wax cotton (oilskin), PVC tarp material etc., everything has basically boiled down to three stitches and three basic setings. If I drop down a fabric or thread weight I simply drop the stitch length and tension down a notch.

Use case	Stitch Type	Tension	Stitch Length
All general purpose sewing, hemming and joining fabrics (90% of my sewing)	Straight stitch	8/9	5
Where stretch is required or fabrics with edges that fray. e.g. Denim	Zig Zag Stitch	8/9	4
Structural loops and strap attachments	Bar Tack (Zig Zag Stich with narrow length)	8/9	4

Table of machine settings for heavy weight fabric sewing.

Thread choice – In terms of thread choice for all my general purpose MYOG sewing, Gutermann extra strong is my thread of choice. Whilst this is a polyester thread, and I am generally trying to move away from plastics where possible, thread is one of those areas where natural solutions are no where near competitive on strength and stability. E.g. cotton threads can rot and shrink over time and this is obviously a disaster when it comes to creating a more sustainable approach to kit. Some compromises always need to be made!

Needle Selection – To complement these heavier fabrics and strong polyester threads i have mainly used needles such as the Singer heavy duty 100/16 or Klasse 110/18 (mainly for the thick PVC tarp stuff). You would obviously want to step down needle size if working in lighter threads and materials.

In use – Sewing with the Heavy Duty

Once setup and ready to go the Heavy Duty is suprisingly easy to use, even for a novice. It’s well worth taking the time to practice with some scrap material but I found turning out consistent, straight and correctly tensioned stitches was pretty straightforward. Of not all, most of my sewing has been on heavier fabrics, such as waxed canvas (oilskin) and PVC tarp. Having also worked a bit with ripstop nylon, dialing the controls all back 30% or so has produced good results.

The machine has a solid construction and have not encountered skipped stitches or real struggles to get stitches looking right. Human error is the driver of most issues. Typically in my case forgetting to flip down the presser foot before starting.

Reliability has been good. In my first year of use I have encountered no reliability issues whatsoever. The machine keeps plodding away doing the business!

Perhaps the only thing I don’t like about the machine is the foot pedal. Whilst this has worked reliable and speed is easy to control and maintain with it, it is a very lightweight and flimsy feeling piece

Tips for novices

There are a few things I have found useful as a beginner:

Spend a bit more time planning the order in which you complete set of stitches. When enthusiasm gets the better of me can tend to rush ahead only to realise I would have been better stitching another bit first, especially where I now have awkward access for the next section.
Like cutting wood, measure twice and cut once, and of course don’t forget the seam allowance when measuring up. Typically 1/2″ on each edge. I have found the extra effort in slowing down slightly to be consistant with seam allowances, measurement and marking fabrics is the key to neater end product.
Decent long sewing fabric shears make fabric cutting a real joy. I bought some fiskars shears and they are brilliant. Check these out here*: https://amzn.to/3HQOrXE
Create some simple projects from scrap before launching into anything too ambitious. My boat cover project was a real challenge, large sheets of heavy fabric etc. and was not ideal for a first project although I got there in the end.
A few little accessories make life far easier. Wonder clips, which are like mini clothes pegs with a flat side are a life saver for holding edges together as you sew. Tailors chalk, a long steel rule and smaller thread scissors also make life much easier.

I hope you found this review useful. If you have any questions please leave a comment and will endeavour to help.