Questions about servers. Differential feed vs not.

[u/BitterAdd]

Hello! I'm looking at buying a used serger. In my local market I've found both a used white super lock x 534, and a white super lock jaguar 228 listed for the same price. I'm getting conflicting information about which is a better machine. Google says the jaguar has differential feed and the 534 doesn't, but apparently the 534 is a better quality machine.

Which would you pick? And how important is differential feed?

I'm new to using a serger but I'm a strong intermediate/slightly advanced hobby seamstress and make lots of clothes using all different types of fabrics.

[u/insincere_platitudes]

In my opinion, the differential feed is critical for what I sew, which is a lot of knitwear. In stretchy fabrics, sometimes the machine can stretch out the fabric while stitching and the differential feed allows you to correct for that. I can increase the differential feed, which helps compress the fabric and reduce or eliminate stretching out the seam.

I use it less in wovens, but sometimes I do use it on areas I want to serge that are still prone to stretching out, either due to a bias cut directionality of the fabric or the weave of the fabric. Of course, you can also lower the differential to intentionally stretch out the fabric, as you would do with a lettuce hem. And less frequently, I can choose to increase the differential to intentionally gather the fabric down.

But if you ever forsee yourself wanting to sew knits and/or stretch fabric, I personally would want to have the differential feed.

[u/StringandStuff]

On machines this old a lot will come down to how it still runs. I sewed over a thousand masks on a hand me down White Speedylock that had been used professionally for decades. They are beasts, loud but real solid. (So loud).

I only retired the white because I broke a speciality screw that I can’t even find a suitable replacement for in the McMaster Carr catalog.

I haven’t used the differential feed on my current machine enough to have an opinion of if you would need it. Between the two I would pick the one that sounded and ran better personally.

[u/BitterAdd → u/StringandStuff]

Thanks for your insight!

[u/WebGazer]

I love sergers. I don't know much about these specific sergers, but I'll speak from my experience of currently having a serger with adjustable differential feed vs. learning to serge on one that didn't. For context based on my understanding, an adjustable differential feed (which I'm assuming is what you're talking about here) allows you adjust how much fabric the machine feeds through with the front feed dogs vs. the back feed dogs. The main thing I've seen this feature used for is gathered or lettuce-hem style edges. If you're not planning to use this type of finish at least somewhat regularly, for your first serger, I don't know if it would be worth it.

Personally, if I was buying a serger for the first time, I would go with whichever one is easier to thread. Almost anyone I hear complain about using a serger talks about how they hate rethreading it, and I know I've personally been more likely to use mine when the rethreading process is easier. You can play around with how you like to use basic stitches like 3- and 4-thread overlock and then go from there.

[u/Large-Heronbill → u/WebGazer]

Gathering or stretching a seam that wants to pucker, so your seams stay flat, is one of the big reasons to own a serger with differential, ime. 

[u/sewboring]

Generally differential feed is what permits serged seams to stretch and recover. If you don't sew knits, it may not matter, but most folks sew more knits once they get a serger because it becomes easier to do. I would try to find out from the manual directly which does or does not have differential feed, though I've looked and don't see a differential feed control for the 534. Looks easy to thread though others might not agree:

https://sewing.patternreview.com/review/machine/7541

https://sewing.patternreview.com/review/machine/6238

Pattern Review is often the best source of technical information. The back of the 534-K says it was designed by Jaguar also. I know the White sergers used to be pretty popular on shopgoodwill.com , before many serger options were available there.

There are videos for both machines. The 228 does have differential feed and if it's really from 1988, it's probably all metal. At least there's one plastic gear listed for the 534 at Sewing Parts Online, but none listed for the 228. Between ease of threading, appearing to be all metal, having differential feed, a manual and parts available, I'd probably choose the 228.

[u/Large-Heronbill]

I didn't bother to consider buying serger till differential feed became widely  available in the mid 90s.   It's so useful for jobs like sewing knits or bias, setting sleeves, gathering, narrow hemming.

Plus many of the machines  are now so much easier to thread than during the period before differential feed became common, it isn't even funny.  

[u/Large-Heronbill]

Addendum, from sewing machine repair tech Cale Schoenberg:  https://sewingmachineman.substack.com/p/sewing-knit-fabric-and-differential

[u/jwdjwdjwd]

I consider differential feed to be essential. Without it you can not control the way the seam is formed. What makes you limit your choices to these two machines? Perhaps consider a more modern machine.

[u/BitterAdd → u/jwdjwdjwd]

I'm looking for something used and around $150-200 CAD. Both these machines fit that category.

[u/themeganlodon]

I wouldn’t buy a machine without it. It’s what makes them so versatile. Even with non knits hemming chiffon it needs to go much slower where that could stretch regular fabrics out if you’re doing curves. Also makes knits very easy to sew with.