Is the emel industrial sewing machine the absolute best brand for a commercial tailor?

The emel industrial sewing machine is unequivocally the undisputed king of the Nigerian commercial tailoring industry. When you walk into any massive fashion production factory in Lagos you will see rows upon rows of Emel machines. For a professional fashion design studio setting up heavy duty equipment the Emel straight stitch machine is the absolute best choice. The current price for a brand new standard Emel straight sewing machine (complete with the heavy wooden table and the massive clutch motor underneath) ranges between 150,000 and 190,000 Naira. It is built entirely of heavy cast iron and is practically indestructible. It can punch through heavy denim thick leather and layers of Ankara fabric simultaneously without the needle deflecting or the motor bogging down.

The primary reason the emel industrial sewing machine dominates older legacy brands like Singer or Two Lion in the commercial sector is its legendary high speed performance and self lubricating system. An Emel machine features an oil pan underneath the mechanical head. As the machine runs it automatically pumps oil through the internal gears keeping the machine perfectly lubricated and allowing it to run at a blistering 5000 stitches per minute for 12 hours a day without overheating. However the massive clutch motor that comes standard with it is extremely noisy and consumes a lot of electricity. I highly recommend spending an extra 20,000 Naira to ask the vendor to swap the loud clutch motor for a modern silent "Servo Motor" which saves massive electricity and allows you to control the sewing speed digitally.

I swapped my old Singer butterfly machine for an Emel industrial last year. The speed is terrifying at first but once you master the foot pedal you will sew a complete dress in half the time. It is a beast.

You MUST upgrade to the Servo motor. The old clutch motor makes a loud humming noise the entire time it is turned on which gives you a headache. The servo motor is completely silent until you press the pedal and you can run it on a small generator.

Maintenance is very easy. Just make sure you change the oil in the oil pan every six months. If the oil turns dark brown the machine will start to jam. Clear fresh oil keeps it running smoothly for decades.