JUKI DDL 5550 Review: industrial sewing machine under the spotlight

You might look at the price tag for the JUKI DDL 5550 and do a double-take. It costs how much and only does a straight stitch? But this isn’t your average home sewing machine. In fact, it’s not a home sewing machine at all. It’s an industrial straight stitch machine. Don’t know the difference? Don’t worry. Our JUKI DDL 5550 review will lay it all out for you.

JUKI DDL 5550: Review and Analysis

The JUKI Corporation is a leading manufacturer of industrial machinery. Although best known for industrial sewing machines, JUKI has more recently launched a line of home sewing machines. They currently lead the world in manufacturing sewing machines of all types.

JUKI was founded in 1938 in Tokyo, Japan. Like Janome, JUKI produces high-end sewing machines that set standards in quality and innovation. Their home sewing machines are expensive but, according to many, worth every penny.

But what’s the difference between an industrial sewing machine and a lower-priced domestic model? And why might you want one?

JUKI DDL-5550: pros & cons

As with every sewing machine on the market, there are good and not-so-good points to take into consideration before you buy:

How an industrial sewing machine is different

The first major difference between a professional sewing machine and a home sewing machine is versatility. An industrial sewing machine is a one-trick pony. It does one thing, does it consistently (and hopefully well), and does it all day long, every day.

By contrast, domestic sewing machines are generally appropriate to multiple uses. You might use your home machine for crafting, garment making, housewares, and mending. It might have programmable embroidery stitches as well as an extended work table for quilting. You get the picture.

A domestic sewing machine also offers a wider variety of functions. Most all-purpose consumer sewing machines offer a selection of stitch designs, for example. These might include functional stitches like the straight and zigzag stitches, stretch stitches, decorative embroidery stitches, buttonholes, and more.

When you buy an industrial sewing machine, you’re generally buying a single function, for example straight stitching or longarm quilting.

A third difference between professional and consumer machines is durability. There are plenty of heavy-duty consumer sewing machines like the Janome HD3000 or the Singer 4423, which can handle heavy work. They’re great for hobby-level use.

An industrial sewing machine, on the other hand, eats thick fabrics, multiple layers, and heavy materials like leather for lunch. Not only that, but an industrial machine can maintain a punishing workload consistently over time.

The motor of an industrial sewing machine is different, as well. Most home sewing machines have an internal 0.7 to 1.5-amp motor. Professional sewing machines have separate motors that are orders of magnitude more powerful than that.

What does that mean in practice? Speed, primarily. Home sewing machines can sew an average of 860 stitches per minute. The JUKI DDL 5550 can sew 5,500 stitches per minute. A more powerful motor also means a better ability to deal with heavy work.

There are other differences, as well, but these are the most important.

Why You Might Need an Industrial Straight Stitch Machine

Are factory owners the only ones who might benefit from an industrial sewing machine? Absolutely not!

Although the price of an industrial machine will be a dealbreaker for a lot of home sewists, there are situations when a dedicated, professional-level, single-use machine is exactly what you need.

Like what? We’re glad you asked.

Sailmaking requires an extremely heavy-duty sewing machine. Plenty of sailors make their own sails. It’s not complicated work, but you need the right equipment. [1]

Sailmaking means not just working with thick sailing canvas, but working in layers — sometimes as many as six layers. And then you’ll need to reinforce the seams. The $79 budget machine at the back of your closet will fall apart just thinking about that kind of work. For sailmaking, you’ll need an industrial-strength straight stitch machine.

If you do a lot of one kind of work, an industrial or semi-industrial sewing machine might be a good choice. If you make the costumes for your school or community theatre group, for example, you’ll need something sturdy that handles a single task. As 90 percent of sewing tasks involve straight stitching, an industrial straight stitch machine might be just the ticket.

Small business owners, too, may find an industrial sewing machine a better fit than a general use domestic one. If you’re going to be using your machine a lot, then it’s best to have something durable that can churn out consistent work on a continuous basis. [2]

For most general purpose home sewists, a commercial grade sewing machine is going to be simultaneously too much machine and too little. It won’t have the same diversity of function that many home sewists are used to. At the same time, it may have more power than a general purpose sewist knows what to do with.

Are you still on the fence? This video can help.

While you’re considering whether an industrial sewing machine is the right choice for you, let’s have a look at the particulars for the JUKI DDL 5550.

How to Choose an Industrial Sewing Machine

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and invest in a commercial grade sewing machine. Congratulations! Here’s what you should look for.

First and foremost, you need to choose the right function. For garment making, that generally means a separate straight stitch machine and overlocker. Professional embroidery requires a professional-level embroidery machine. For quilting at the commercial level, you may want to invest in an industrial longarm quilting machine. 

And for straight stitch work? Well, you know what kind of machine you need.

Next, think about size. The JUKI DDL 5550 and many other commercial grade sewing machines need to be mounted on special tables. So measure your work area to make sure that you have the room.

Your machine’s motor is another factor. Most industrial sewing machines have either a servo motor or a clutch motor. Clutch motors are less expensive. However, they’re also noisier. They run constantly, so they also use more power. 

Servo motors are quieter and only run when you press the foot pedal. It’s also easier to control your machine’s speed with a servo motor. However, a servo motor will cost more.

Also think about parts and accessories. Some industrial sewing machines will require special types of thread, bobbins, or needles. Are the accessories you need included with your purchase, or will you need to buy them separately?

Finally, anyone considering an industrial sewing machine needs to readjust their ideas about price. Industrial machines areexpensive when compared to even high-end domestic machines. On the other hand, if you consider that price against the cost of renting a professional-level sewing machine, you’ll find that an industrial machine will pay for itself quickly enough.

The JUKI DDL 5550: Features and Benefits

There’s a lot to love about the JUKI DDL 5550. Here are some of the things that caught our eye.

High stitch speed

If sewing is your livelihood, you need to churn out quality work fast. The JUKI DDL 5550 can produce 5,550 stitches per minute. That’s more than six times faster than your average home sewing machine. It’s also quite fast for a professional machine, many of which top out at between 1,500 and 4,000 stitches per minute.

If your business is quilting or garment making, that means the potential to turn out a lot of product in less time than you might think.

Included knee lift

A knee lift allows you to lift the presser foot without taking your hands off your work. This is a convenient feature for quilters. This is how it works.

Some describe a knee lift as like having a second pair of hands. And when you’re doing work that has to be perfect, and doing it at high speeds, sometimes this is exactly what you need.

Finger guard

Have you ever accidentally caught a finger with a sewing machine needle? No? Then you’re lucky. If you have, imagine doing it at high speed. Accidents happen, and a finger guard is an important safety feature that you don’t want to do without. See it in action here.

Bobbin thread sensor

One of the few things that can slow a high-speed industrial sewing machine down is unexpectedly running out of bobbin thread. It can also ruin the look of your stitching. The bobbin thread sensor lets you know when you’re running low.

Dual cone thread holder

Commercial sewing uses a lot of thread. Large consumer thread spools may hold up to 500 meters of thread. A cone may hold thousands of meters. Two cones will keep you going for quite a while.

Fabric edge sensor and automatic thread tie-off

The JUKI DDL 5550’s fabric edge sensor is another essential tool for high speed sewing. When you sew with a domestic machine, it’s easy to see the end of your work approaching and to plan for it. If you’re working at speed, however, this becomes a lot more difficult.

The fabric edge sensor senses the end of the fabric and automatically stops and cuts the thread when you sew off the edge. Not only that, but it ties the ends off for you.

Self-oiling

Every sewist knows that to keep your machine running well requires regular cleaning and oiling.

The JUKI DDL 5550 is a self-oiling machine. All you need to do is keep the oil topped up, and your machine will do the rest.

Adjustable presser foot pressure

The presser foot holds fabric against the feed dogs, which move the work along as you sew. If the presser foot pressure is incorrect for the type of sewing you’re doing, it may result in puckering, thread nesting, skipped stitches, and more. 

Many sewing machines come with a standard presser foot pressure that works for most kinds of work. But the JUKI DDL 5550 allows you to adjust the pressure so that it’s optimal for any given project.

A few caveats

The JUKI DDL 5550 is an incredibly smooth, reliable, and well-made industrial sewing machine. At the same time, there are a few things to keep in mind before pressing that “buy” button.

This is an industrial sewing machine, which means that it’s heavy. Its all-metal chassis means that it will stand up to long, punishing hours of continuous work. But it also means that you’re not going to be picking it up and taking it places. The shipping weight is 250 pounds, and it arrives on a pallet. Once you install your JUKI DDL 5550, it’s not going anywhere.

Also, as we’ve said, the JUKI DDL 5550 is built for straight stitch work only. That means no decorative stitches, no zigzag, no serging, and no embroidery. If you want an all-purpose sewing machine, there are plenty of high-quality models on the market that will cost you a lot less than this one.

Alternatives to the JUKI DDL 5550

No review would be fair or complete without a look at the competition. Here are some worthy competing models that might just fit your needs a bit better.

JUKI HZL-DX7

If you’re not quite ready to buy a single-function industrial sewing machine, then consider a semi-pro model like the JUKI HZL-DX7. The HZL-DX7 combines some of the professional-quality features of an industrial machine — 1050 stitches per minute, for example — with the versatility of a home machine.

Some other selling points include:

• Automatically adjusting presser foot pressure
• 16 buttonhole shapes and three buttonhole widths
• 287 stitch patterns
• Four alphabet fonts
• Included knee lifter
• Extension table

The HZL-DX7 is expensive for a consumer machine. At the same time, it’s a bit more than an average consumer machine. If you’re starting a home-based business quilting or sewing, then this could be a good choice.

Janome HD9 Professional Sewing Machine

The Janome HD9 Professional Sewing Machine, like the JUKI DDL 5550, is a dedicated straight stitch sewing machine. However, unlike the DDL 5550, the HD9 is made with the serious or semi-professional home sewist in mind.

At 1600 stitches per minute, the HD9 is as fast as many industrial machines, though not as fast as the DDL 5550. It has many of the features that make the DDL 5550 great, such as a knee lifter, an automatic thread cutter, and adjustable presser foot pressure.

At the same time, it also has a bit more versatility. It comes with an extended work table, for example, which is great for quilters. It’s also extremely quiet.

If you’re definitely looking for a high-quality straight stitch machine, but not ready to commit to an industrial-level tool, this could be a good option for you.

Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 Walking Foot Machine

Sailrite has an almost cult following among sailmakers. But you can use a Sailrite for much more than that. The Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 is a professional-quality straight stitch and zigzag stitch machine. It’s designed to sew through multiple layers of heavy fabrics like canvas and denim. 

Most importantly, though, unlike other similar quality straight stitch machines, the Ultrafeed LSZ-1 is portable, despite its sturdy all-metal construction. Of course you can mount it on its own table and keep it in place. But you don’t have to.

If you’re looking for a professional-quality straight stitch machine you can take with you, the Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 might just be your next new favorite tool.

Final Thoughts

The JUKI DDL 5550 is a lot of machine. But if you’ve decided that you need an industrial straight-stitch machine, the DDL 5550 is an excellent one. It’s faster than most, and comes with a variety of safety- and efficiency-enhancing extras. In our opinion, it would be difficult to do better.

Want more sewing machine reviews?

Whether you’re looking for a new domestic or industrial sewing machine, we’ve got you covered. From category roundups through to individual deep dives like the JUKI DDL 5550 review you’ve just finished, there’s plenty of research material to be found right here.

REFERENCES

1. PlasticVicar | Make a Dacron Sail | https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Dacron-Sail/
2. WikiHow Staff | How to Begin A Home Sewing Business | https://www.wikihow.com/Begin-A-Home-Sewing-Business