What are the Advantages of an Overlock Sewing Machine?

With versions that can be used in both the home and in a factory setting, the Overlock sewing machine offers several advantages over other types of sewing devices. Here are three of the most important aspects of the Overlock that help to illustrate why it is preferred by many textile manufactures as well as for use around the home.

Perhaps the single greatest asset of the Overlock sewing machine is the fact that the device will not only create an excellent quality seam, but also provide a professional cut to the edges of the sections of material that are being joined. This is not a feature that has to be manually set or requires the tailor or seamstress to activate as some point in the sewing process. Instead, the cutters that are found on an Overlock sewing machine engage automatically. This feature allows the sewing machine to create a finished seam with a great deal of ease and speed, saving a lot of time in preparing the finished product.

Another advantage of the Overlock sewing machine is the use of loopers as the source of thread for the sewing project. Unlike the standard lockstitch model, an Overlock sewing machine does not make use of bobbins. Instead, the loopers allow the sewing machine to feed threads for multiple thread cones into the needle mechanism. Because of this feature, it is easier to contain the edges of the material in the seam, creating a more finished look to the project.

The speed of an Overlock sewing machine also makes the machine very desirable for both home and plant use. The speed range typically runs anywhere between a thousand and nine thousand revolutions per minute, with the home Overlock running at the lower end of the range and the industrial versions at the higher end. In both scenarios, the end result is the production of a quality product in a shorter period of time.