If you plan to buy a sewing machine for your loved one and send it as a gift to another part of the world, it might not be such a great idea.
Unless of course, your brand-new sewing machine can run on two different voltages!
Are sewing machines dual voltage?
Most modern-day electronic sewing machines are designed to be dual voltage. When a sewing machine is dual voltage, it means it can work on two different voltages, such as 110 volts and 240 volts. For this reason, the sewing machine can be used in different countries.
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It must also be noted that not all sewing machines are dual voltage. Older models were always designed to be run on one voltage. Owing to the single-phase, single frequency settings, older models were not suitable to be used in other countries with different voltage specifications.
All over the world, most countries have a plug or socket supply at 220 volts to 240 volts. This would include most of Europe, South Asia, and many parts of Africa as well. Though, in the USA the voltage supply is rated at 120 volts only.
A common practice among people who own single voltage sewing machines uses a converter adapter or a step or down transformer to vary the voltage. This is most prevalent among people who have bought the machine in one country and wish to use it in another with a different voltage supply rating.
Are all sewing machines dual voltage?
All sewing machines are not dual voltages, and some operate on a single voltage. Popular brands that have been manufacturing and designing electronic sewing devices, usually come with a range of options on the same line.
They design the machines in such a way that some are only suitable to be used in a country that allows 110v, some at only 240v. These brands have also been designing more modern machines with variable voltage ratings. This means you can use it at 120v or 240v.
This makes the sewing machine more versatile, as buying it in the USA and sending it all the way to the UK won’t be futile anymore.
Let’s go through few reputable brands to see if they manufacture dual voltage sewing machines:
Are Bernina sewing machines dual voltage?
Bernina is one brand that manufactures more dual voltage sewing machines than single voltage sewing machines. The older models, however, are not dual voltage.
Most Bernina sewing machines work on both 110 and 220 v, and they are also dual hertz, at 50 and 60 Hz.
It is advised that if you have a Bernina sewing machine that operates on a single voltage, you may want to use a step-up or step-down transformer to utilize it in any other country.
Are Singer sewing machines dual voltage?
Singer makes both sewing machines with both single voltages, made specifically to be used in one distinct country and sewing machines that have voltage ratings that can be varied. This voltage rating can deviate from 110 v to 240 v.
For instance, the Singer embroidery machine model 2517 can be used at 220 volts only, making it ideal for use in Europe but not in the USA. Models 1340, 4452, or 7363 are designed to work on both 120 v or 240 v.
Are Brother sewing machines dual voltage?
Unlike Singer or Bernina, Brother sewing machines are not dual voltages. This brand manufactures in the USA specifically. That’s why the sewing devices work on 110v, and 60 Hz.
Furthermore, although Brother sewing devices are compact, and perfect to be carried around during travels, makers explicitly warn against using any sort of converter or transformer.
You may want to avoid changing the voltage if you intend to use it in any other courtiers like India, or the UK.
Are Juki sewing machines dual voltage?
Juki manufactures sewing machines in over 170 countries, but most of their embroidery devices are made to use at one voltage. When produced in a particular country, the machine is made with a rating that is suitable for that area.
Although there are lines that are dual voltage and can run on 110 v and 240 v, most are made to use on a single voltage.
Are Janome sewing machine dual voltage?
Most of the sewing machines made by Janome are dual voltages. Janome has a wide range when it comes to voltage and frequency variation.
The minimum voltage some models can run on 80v to 110v while few are suitable to work in European countries, or even Indian or Asian areas at 220 or 240 v.
Which sewing machines are dual voltage?
There are some high-quality, efficient sewing machines in the market. But some models are more proficient than others in performing in both voltages. These sewing machines can be used in a country at 110v and can be traveled with to another place, where electronic device run at 240v.
Here are a few sewing machine models from popular brands that are dual voltages:
- Singer 7363 Confidence Sewing Device
- Singer 2010 Computerized Sewing Machine
- Singer 4452 Sewing Machine
- Singer 1304 Sewing Machine
- Bernina Patchwork 350 Machine
- BERNINA 880 PLUS Sewing Device
- BERNINA 770 QE SE
- Janome Skyline S7- Sewing & Quilting Machine
- Janome JW8100 Sewing Machine
- Janome Memory Craft 6650 Sewing Machine
How to tell if a sewing machine is a dual voltage?
When a sewing machine is dual voltage, its versatility increases manifolds. With a rating of 110 volts to 240 volts, you can use it in two different continents!
If you have a sewing machine, it’s worth knowing whether it can run on two voltages or not. Here are a few simple steps to tell if a sewing machine is dual voltage or not.
Step 1: Find out the manual that comes with your brand’s sewing machine. Remember to do this before you throw out the manual once you have unboxed the machine.
If you can’t find a manual, you can look into the company’s website and find the product on the site.
Step 2: In the manual or company’s product page on the website, find the specifications section.
In the specification chapter, the voltage will be clearly mentioned. If it is dual voltage, there will be a two-voltage rating, such as 110v-240v
Step 3: If you still can’t find the manual, turn your machine upside down. On the bottom surface, there will be a model number of the product.
Oftentimes, the two-voltage label is also mentioned on the bottom sticker. The sticker will read something like “110v-240v”.
Will my UK sewing machine work in the US?
The voltage main supply in the US is 120 volts, while the supply in the UK is 220 volts. If a sewing machine is dual voltage, built into work on both these voltages, a UK sewing machine can be used in the USA and vice versa.
Yet, if you find that your sewing machine, which is made in the UK only supports the UK voltage of 220v, you will not be able to apply it in the US.
It is still possible to use the same embroidery machine in the US if you use an adapter or step-down transformer to grade down the voltage.
What a step-down or step-up transformer does is simple. It takes the supply voltage at any rating and converts in, by decreasing or increasing the supply voltage and providing the rated volts to the machine.
It is imperative to note that some brands warn against using such a method, which might destroy the sewing machine. Check the manual fully for instructions.
Can I use my American sewing machine in Europe?
In most of Europe, 230 volts main supply is used at a frequency of 50 Hz. On the contrary, in America, the voltage used is at 120 volts at 60 Hz.
So, if you have an American sewing machine that is dual voltage and is compatible with both these voltages, you can use it in Europe.
Another way of using an American sewing machine in Europe is by using a voltage adapter or a step-up transformer. However, you might also need a new motor which all together would add great costs.
Remember to read the instructions and safety warnings issued by the brand’s manual, as some companies dissuade the use of any sort of converter on their sewing machines.
How much electricity does a sewing machine use?
Ordinarily, most electronic sewing machines use 100 watts in one hour. Thus, the rating on them is in power, not voltage. Nonetheless, older model sewing machines used lesser electricity and could run at only 85 watts.
In addition to that, how much electricity a sewing machine uses also depends on the size of the embroidery device. Sewing machines used in industrial work are larger in capacity and do more work per hour. Hence, they can use up to 180 to 200 watts.
How much electricity sewing gears use an hour will also determine the cost of running a sewing machine.
Sewing machines can be dual voltages, but they can also run on a single voltage.
If you opt for a dual voltage sewing device, you would always have the pleasure of being able to use it in places, other than the country of manufacture.
You can even send gifts to your grandma, all the way to the other side of the world!
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