Words of Wisdom for All Sewing Machines by John of Central Sewing 

Using poor quality thread with the industrial Yamata Overlock Sewing Machines is one of the primary causes for frequent thread breaks. Many other industrial and domestic sewing machines will experience the same problem with low quality thread. John from Central Sewing offers his advice for choosing high quality thread and avoiding some common serger problems.

What Constitutes Good Thread?  

Not thread that cost 2 for a $1.00. Not thread from a swap meet. Not Talon thread. Not Sure-Lock thread. Not thread that has been exposed to sunlight for any length of time. (This breaks down the thread.)   

John: Cheap threads are not smooth threads and get hung up in the threading and cause skipped stitches. 

Here are some good brand names to look for: Gutermann, Maxi Lock, Coats & Clark Commercial Overlock Thread, Mettler, Superior Threads (Sergin’ General).

You can find most of these brands in the stores or buy these from www.wawak.com. Other brands you may need to Google. 

John: Do not buy threads that are 6000 yards on a spool. This is a school, not a factory. Buy thread that does not have over 3000 yards wound on it. The weight of the thread on the cone can cause a problem. They are too big and get old before they are used up. 

When you go and look at these threads, look at how the thread is wound on the cone. Does the top layer of thread sometimes get caught on the layer below when you unwind the thread?  Or does it get caught in the tension settings as it passes through the thread tension? It is not the tension settings that are causing these problems. Can you see any rough slub spots in the thread? Are they wound on the cone with a smooth even tension that easily lets them unwind? 

Is there a space at the bottom of the cone with no thread? You need about ½ inch of just space at the bottom of the cone. Without this space, problems are sure to develop as the threads gets wrapped underneath the spool.  

Here is what an overlock thread display looks like at Central Sewing. The thread is not inexpensive, however, you will never regret spending the money.

John: The threads wrap around the bases of the cones and cause the threads to break.

Here is what we will do to use up the industrial threads we have before we buy new good thread. Insert an empty cone inside the middle of the thread spool. This will help the thread unwind and not get hung up under the weight of the spool of thread.

Buy great brand name threads and the Yamata and Juki Overlocks will work for many years to come.  

Thank you, John, for all your insight!