Seats, door panels, headliners, carpet binding, boots and gaiters
Sewing machines for automotive upholstery
An auto trim shop sews more kinds of seams in a day than most factories do in a month. A seat cover wants a compound feed flatbed with a 9mm stitch and a welt foot. The French seam down the bolster wants a double needle. The headrest wants a post bed. Carpet binding wants a long arm or a binder on a cylinder arm. A shop that tries to do all of it on one machine spends half its time changing feet and fighting the work.
We have set up machines for auto upholstery shops across Pennsylvania and the surrounding states for more than twenty-five years. We know which hook holds up to 138 thread through four layers of vinyl, which servo motor lets a trimmer creep around a corner one stitch at a time, and how to set a machine so the stitch on the back of a panel looks as good as the front.
Requirements
What the work demands from the machine
- 1
Layers that slip
Vinyl over foam over listing cloth, with a welt cord in the seam, does not feed evenly on a drop-feed machine. Every machine we recommend for auto trim has compound feed: needle, inner foot and feed dog all move the stack together.
- 2
Visible stitches
Topstitch on a seat is a design feature, not just a seam. You need a long, even stitch, a needle positioner so corners pivot cleanly, and a machine that sews the same at one stitch per second as it does at full speed.
- 3
Bulk under the arm
A full seat cover, a carpet set or a headliner is a lot of material to swing around a 10 inch arm. Long arm models and a tall foot lift make the difference between a clean seam and a wrinkled one.
- 4
Odd shapes
Headrests, armrests, shift boots and steering wheel covers are three-dimensional. A post bed or a small cylinder arm reaches where a flatbed cannot.
Recommended models
Machines for automotive upholstery
In the order we usually suggest them. The first one is where most shops in this trade should start.
Flatbed walking foot
SEWPRO 1541S
Heavy-Duty Walking Foot Lockstitch Sewing Machine
- Stitch 9mm
- Lift 16mm
Long arm
SEWPRO 1508L-18
Long-Arm Walking Foot Lockstitch Machine
- Arm 18"
- Stitch 9mm
Double needle
SEWPRO 1560N-7
2-Needle Walking Foot Lockstitch with Full Automation
- Stitch 8mm
- Lift 16mm (Auto, Requires Air)
Post bed
SEWPRO 1760
Post-Bed Double Needle Unison Feed Lockstitch Machine
- Stitch 8mm
- Lift 14mm (Pneumatic)
Long arm
SEWPRO 0617DL-18-7
Long-Arm Walking Foot Lockstitch for Upholstery and Marine Canvas
- Arm 18"
- Stitch 8mm
Cylinder arm
SEWPRO 335VB
Cylinder-Bed Binding Sewing Machine for Leather and Upholstery
- Stitch 6mm
- Lift 14mm
Automotive upholstery: questions we are asked
What is the best machine to start an auto upholstery shop with?
A compound feed walking foot flatbed with a servo motor, a needle positioner and a set of welt feet. The SEWPRO 1541S is our usual recommendation. Add a double needle when decorative topstitch becomes a regular part of the work.
Which machine binds automotive carpet?
A cylinder arm binder like the 335VB handles edge binding on carpet and floor mats well. For large carpet pieces an 18 inch long arm with a binder attachment gives you more room. Sergey has a video on carpet binding on our videos page.
Can you set the machine up for the thread I use?
Yes. Tell us the thread size (92, 138, 207) and the vinyl or leather you sew and the machine arrives with the right needles, tension and hook timing already set.
Get in touch
Request a quote for automotive upholstery work
Describe the material, the thread and the product. You will get one machine recommended, a price for the complete setup with table and servo motor, and a delivery date. Quotes come from Sergey, not a call center.
- Phone and text
- (717) 940-0129
- sewprousa@gmail.com
- Visit
- 333 Railroad Ave, Ephrata, PA 17522
Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm. Showroom visits by appointment.