Needles
Ultrafeed
®
sewing machines require 135x17 needles sizes #12 to 22 or
135x16 leather needles, all available at Sailrite. A size #20 needle is used for
most medium to heavy sewing.
Needle Installation
Ultrafeed
®
needles are round on top, unlike
home sewing machine needles. As a result,
proper installation must be exercised carefully.
Improperly installed needles are the main
reason users call for help.
Please be sure
that the needle eye is not twisted.
The needles have two distinct sides (
1
&
2
).
One side has a long channel or groove (
B
)
(locate this groove with your fingernail if you
cannot see it), and the other side has a scarf
(
D
) i.e., a carved out area, just above the
needle eye (
C
).
When installed, the side with the needle eye
and groove should be facing outward i.e. to the
left as you face the machine.
CAUTION:
If the needle is inserted the wrong
way, the machine will skip stitches and break
thread.
To make sure your needle is inserted far
enough, you can look through the sighting hole
(
3
,
E
) near the bottom of the needle bar. The
top of the needle should be fully visible in the
sighting hole and pushed all the way to the top.
A
Needle bar thread guide hole
B
Needle groove
C
Needle eye
D
3/16 inch (5mm) ~ height of scarf
E
Sighting Hole
Ball Point
DI Leather
Round Point
SD1
Needle Types
Round point needles
are used for most
standard sewing.
Serv7 needles
are modified
round point needles that have a humped
scarf for optimal loop formation and prevent
skipped stitches.
Ball point needles
are specifically designed
for use with knit or stretchy materials.
SD1 needles
are optimized for sewing heavy,
dense assemblies.
DI needles
are ideal for working with leather.
2
D
A
B
C
1
3
E
Ultrafeed
®
Guidebook: Ultrafeed® Set-Up
4
3
www.sailrite.com
