Big Read thread

[smeggy345o]

Those of you with a Big Red, what thread works best for you?

[Aaron]

Isacord is my favorite and I get the best price on it but we also use Madeira and some R/A but R/A doesn't seem to run as well as it used to so we are ateering away from that whenever possible.

[Digital Stitchz / LaserWorkz]

Maderia Poly and magnetic bobbins keeps us humming.

[Judy]

Robison Anton poly and NEBs or Coats/Clarks bobbins, AND Orgon Titanium needles. I finally found this combo after who knows how many tries! I have never had better runs than this.

[Steve]

I'm the same as Aaron on the thread. I have been using Isacord for a very long time (back when MelcoMart used to sell it before they were MelcoMart) and have been happy with them over the years. I use Coats bobbins which I have been very happy with as well.

[levelbest]

ARC thread here - runs fine. Also use Isacord for Black and White thread exclusively at this point. Most of the issues we've found can almost always be traced back to poor digitizing. Of course, that's not to say thread doesn't dry out or become frail - or that some threads work better than others. Just that for the most part, ARC has worked. Oh, we do own a few spools for RA as well and that seemed to work fine too. We use Mariera for 60wt.

We use NEB bobbins - either paper or plastic sided. No fancy magnets. Found they ran worse on the big red.

Titanium Organ needles...

[smeggy345o]

As I am new to this all, I am unsure of the difference between sided and unsided bobbins. What is the difference as to what is needed by Big Red? Also, anyone else have any bobbin suggestions?

[Aaron]

I use the NEB's plastic sided bobbins. We also use the paper sided ones from Ackermann (Isacord) and its just their generic brand.

[levelbest]

Normal paper nebs or coats are fine. We use generic bobbins from Allstitch as well/ If you are concerned about lint, you can try the clear plastic bobbins. Nothing special here - no need to spend extra money on the magna bobbins. I've tested them running directly against normal bobbins on the amaya and have found no difference - in fact, I may have even had a few more thread breaks. I think this is due to the fact that the magna are really designed for machines with tensioning systems... JMHO.

[The Embroidery Authority - OLD]

Guys,
When it comes to bobbins, what's most important here is smooth running, consistent tension bobbins. Whatever the brand, style or type, - you want to run with continuous filament polyester (not spun) bobbin thread. EVERYTIME you load your bobbin case, you are to check for cleanliness, smooth bobbin feed/rotation, and proper tension. You aren't to only check the bobbin spool but also the bobbin case. You might even want to check your bobbin tension even after you've plugged it into the bobbin basket on the machine (checking for bobbins that are too fat). Your bobbin plays an equally important role as the top thread. Don't try to save your pennies here. Buy the premium stuff.
My unbiased opinion is you can't go wrong with the magna core, nebs plastic spool, or even those crappy cardboard sided spools from Coats if you're willing to spend a little more time weeding out the manufacturing inconsistencies and cleaning out the cardboard debris. Remember, unbiased I say.
For top thread, due to the nature of the auto acti-feed system, most polyester, 40 weight embroidery thread should work just fine on an Amaya or XT. You just want to keep your thread feed rollers clean on the outside and lubricated on the inside. Be sure to replace the rollers used more frequently more often than the rest. For under $10 bucks you can replace all 16 of the red thread feed pinch rollers rather than bother trying to scrub or clean them. Just be sure to lubricate the new ones with polymer grease as instructed in the 4 million maintenance timer.
We used Isacord thread for years until I noticed a pattern of my customer's using Isacord demonstrating a waxy like buildup on the front side of their needlecases. Further inquiries told me that this is a silicone like substance that coats the thread making it stronger, shinier, and seals the dye. My concern here is that if it's rubbing off on the needlecase, could it also be rubbing off onto the thread feed rollers??? Remember to keep your thread feed rollers clean!!! For this we switched to another brand and are still running fine. I still like Isacord, only I don't have any hardcore labratory tests to determine if it causes any more troubles than not on the Amaya machines.
That is all.
Ed Orantes
Melco Tech & Trainer