Are people using sided or sideless bobbins?

[Posylane]

We have been using sideless since that was the first box we opened (got both kinds to try them out). What are other people's thoughts on this?

[Steve]

I have been using carded bobbins for the past 19 years and had been happy with them. I have no plans on changing since I have been happy with them.

[Greenwing]

I have plastic sided, cardboard sided sideless all here. But frankly I never use any of them I have found I have no Issues what so ever with bobbin tension since I have been using Magnacores. I just never have to think about it which is great perfect to the last stitch.

When I got my machine melco sent cardboard sided they are manfacured in a way that I found they left a lot of build up under the spring. and they formed a cardboard dust in the bobbin case.
I don't miss them at all.

For me I will stick with the magnacore they are not that expensive and they pay for themselves in less cleaning and no tension frustrations.

JFMHE

[Greenwing]

Magnacores have no sides by the way.

[Posylane]

I read about the magnacores on allstitch.com and it made it sound like you still use the bobbin tension adjuster? Or is that not the case?

[Greenwing]

You do but I really find I have not picked up the screw driver to adjust it for about a year.

And I use multiple bobbin cases, and just dont need to be as picky as I had to be when using cardboard sided or plastic.

[drose700]

I use magnacore and love them!

[levelbest]

I'm with Steve.

We have found in our three big reds - we get more thread breaks with magnetic bobbins. The paper sided one's work just fine. Just occasionally blow out the bobbin case & rotary hook area with some canned air and do your regular maintenence.

The added expense isn't worth it IMHO.

Your mileage may vary - but after extensive testing, I didn't see any improvement in sew quality and in fact had more problems with the magnacores. The plastic sided bobbins worked fine but typically cost more and had less thread. A good cardboard sided bobbin works just fine. If you don't like the sides, our guy at allstitch also said it's fine to just tear them off and wellah - sideless bobbins.

[Hugo Torbidoni]

I agree with John

The plastice sided bobbins are troublesome and I've noticed that many have a mold line that occasionally causes the tension to be erratic.

Magna cores have improved quite a bit since they were first introduced but for the price i don't think there is much advantage.

Also I find many operators set the tension on magna cores incorrectly and tend to skip cleaning under the bobbin case tension spring.

The magnet is primarilly designed to prevent back lash and secondary aids in tension setting.

Madiera sells "laminated" paper sided bobbins. They are cheaper than the coats bobbins and since the paper is laminated don't absorb oil or break down the way the coats brand. It greatly reduces the amount of lint build. Give them a try.

Hugo Torbidoni
Melco Tech
301-471-3157

[Rod or Sharon]

Rod and I have used NEB bobbins for nearly 9 years now and have tried many of the others just to test them. We swear by the NEB bobbins. We test tension periodically but have seldom ever had to make any adjustment and have no lint under our leaf springs. We have gotten a box or two throughtout the years that the thread was glued to start winding the thread on them and so we didn't get to run the thread completely off of the spool, but that has been seldom and was no issue for us. We highly recommend them--clear plastic sided. I wouldn't have a box of Coats and Clark in our sewing room. In the field we see tension issues and lint all the time.
Sharon

[Greenwing]

Hugo
The magnacore bobbins have no effect on how often I clean the spring, case or bobbin area or how offten I check my bobbin tension which is with every change. (as it is second nature and takes no time.
they do allow for a very consistant stitch.
and I am using the same fil-tec magnacore since their introduction. and there has been very little if any change. and they remain excellent...
have never had any returns and not one complaint on quality, unlike the madiera bobbins,

[GF]

I use only the NEB bobbins as well for all the reasons Sharon just stated and share the same positive experience for years using them. However, I might test the laminated bobbins a to see if they do as well as Hugo suggests.

[Hugo Torbidoni]

Jerome
I got a sample box of the Fil-tec bobbins at a trade show a couple of years ago. At that time one of the advantages that they were pitching about the magna cores were that they lasted long than other bobbins.
When I first tried them out ,I noticed that the bobbin would get stuck in the case because they were over wound. to much thread, larger diameter,,,,they got stuck.
Lots of my customers purchased them as well and for a time they were echoeing the same issues.
They have taken care of that,over all they do work well.
Going back to what I posted before,I noticed that many of my customers that used them would not clean the bobbin as often,,,,thinking that the tension that they feel when replacing the bobbin is correct when in fact it is the drag from the magnet and not actually the tension set by the spring. Thats it. Just my personal observation.

Madeira sells many differnt bobbins,I was referring to the paper sided bobbins that have a laminate on the paper,they don't absorb oil,or create as much lint,and are about $10 cheaper by the box.Consistancey is important,they seem to be the most reliable.

Hugo Torbidoni
Melco Tech
301-471-3157

[gcannon]

For what it's worth, I agree with Hugo- I have tried them all, and I still stick with the paper-sided ones. Keep it simple & practical. I just don't care for all that wax or whatever it is on the sideless ones- seems to make more of a mess.

[doug]

Ditto with Hugo. I've used them all and find the sided is the best and least expensive option. As Gregory said, "keep it simple and practical" Just be sure and clean the bobbin case and keep the tension correct.