Wilcox & Gibbs Direct Drive Industrial Cover Stitch Sewing Machine
Brand: Wilcox & GibbsIndustrial Cover Stitch Sewing Machine
Features
- Flatbed design – a flat working surface for hemming and binding garment panels
- Top and bottom cover stitch – the raw edge is covered on both sides of the fabric
- 2 or 3 needles – switch between a narrower and wider cover stitch
- Built-in direct drive servo motor – no belt to stretch, adjust or replace
- Needle cooling – fewer thread breaks on synthetic fabrics at high speed
- Sealed operating plate – less oil leakage and a cleaner sewing area
- Low vibration – smoother running and more consistent stitches
- [Differential feed – confirm] – stops knits stretching or puckering as you sew
- Industrial table, stand and foot pedal included
Wilcox & Gibbs Direct Drive Industrial Cover Stitch Sewing Machine
£1,224.57
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Tested before dispatchEvery product checked by our team
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Repairs & servicingDomestic and industrial machines
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Visit the shop286 Streatham High Road, London
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Delivery & returnsRead the full policy before you order
Brands we supply
- JUKI
- Janome
- Brother
- Bernina
- Singer
- M-Tech
- Silter
- Wilcox & Gibbs
- Necchi
Product Details
Why choose the Wilcox & Gibbs Direct Drive?
If you're finishing knitted garments with a domestic cover stitch or sending hems out to someone else, this is the step up. It's built to run for hours at production speed and give you the same clean, stretchy finish on the hundredth garment as on the first.
● A proper industrial finish on knits – the same hem you'll find on retail sportswear and T-shirts
● Sew with two or three needles, depending on how wide you want the cover stitch
● Direct drive means it's quiet enough for a studio and cheaper to run than an old clutch motor
● Needle cooling helps on synthetic sportswear fabrics, where heat at speed causes thread breaks
● The sealed oil system keeps oil where it belongs – inside the machine, not on your fabric
● Backed by our own engineers, who can service and repair it when the time comes
Who is it for?
Anyone who works with stretch fabrics in volume. Most of our customers for this machine fall into one of these groups:
● Clothing manufacturers making T-shirts, activewear, loungewear and underwear
● Print and merchandise businesses finishing their own garments
● Designers and sampling rooms developing jersey collections
● Alteration shops that regularly re-hem sportswear and knitwear
● Colleges and universities teaching industrial garment production
It isn't the machine for joining seams on woven fabrics, or for heavy materials like denim, canvas and leather. For that, have a look at our industrial lockstitch and heavy-duty machines. And if you're setting up for knitwear, you'll want an industrial overlocker alongside it – the overlocker joins the seams, the cover stitch finishes them.
Information
Turn a T-shirt inside out and look at the hem. Two or three neat rows of stitching on the outside, a looped thread covering the raw edge on the inside, and a seam that stretches with the fabric instead of snapping. That's a cover stitch, and this is the machine that sews it.
The Wilcox & Gibbs Direct Drive is a flatbed industrial cover stitch built for hemming, binding and finishing jersey, sportswear and knitwear all day long. It sews a top and bottom cover, so the edge is finished cleanly on both sides – ideal for necklines, flat seams and decorative hems as well as everyday T-shirt hems.
The motor sits inside the machine head. No belt, no clutch motor humming under the table. You get a quieter workroom, lower electricity bills and the kind of fine speed control that makes tricky curves and slow starts much easier.
Specification
- Brand
- Wilcox & Gibbs
- Product type
- Industrial Cover Stitch Sewing Machine
- Category
- Industrial Machines
- Availability
- In stock
- Stitch type
- Top and bottom cover stitch
- Needles
- 2 or 3
- Threads
- 5 threads with 3 needles
- Needle gauge
- 5.6 mm / 6.4 mm
- Motor
- Direct drive servo, built into head [wattage]
- Presser foot lift
- [X mm]
- Needle system
- UY128GAS
- Lubrication
- Automatic
- Power supply
- UK 3 Pin Plug
- Supplied with
- Industrial table and stand
What is in the box
● Wilcox & Gibbs cover stitch machine head with built-in direct drive motor
● Industrial table top and steel stand
● Foot pedal
● Thread stand
● Accessory kit: needles, tools, oil
● Instruction manual
Looking after your machine
- Check the oil before you start. Make sure the level is right, as shown in the manual. Running a machine low on oil is the quickest way to wear it out.
- Clear the lint. Knits and fleece shed a lot of fibre. Brush out the area around the loopers and feed dogs at the end of each day.
- Change needles often. A blunt or bent needle causes skipped stitches and can ladder knitted fabric. Change it at the first sign of trouble, and always use the correct needle system.
- Use good thread. Cheap thread breaks more often and leaves more lint inside the machine.
- Cover it up. Dust will settle in the mechanism, so cover the machine when it isn't in use.
- Don't force the fabric. Let the feed move the work. Pulling the fabric through can bend needles and damage the loopers.
Why buy from us
Talash vs The Marketplace
A sewing machine is about more than the price. Here's what comes with buying from a specialist.
| What matters | Talash | Typical marketplace listing |
|---|---|---|
| Advice before you buy | Speak to a specialist | Message the seller |
| Installation | Available on selected machines | Rarely offered |
| Tested before dispatch | Every product | Not stated |
| Repairs & servicing | In-house engineers | Find your own |
| Visit in person | Streatham, South London | Online only |
| Experience | 40+ years | Unknown |
Before you order
Delivery, Installation & Returns
What is a cover stitch machine actually for?
Hemming and finishing stretch fabrics. It sews straight rows on top and a looper thread underneath, so the hem can stretch without the stitches breaking. It's how almost every T-shirt, pair of leggings and sports top you own was hemmed.
What does "top and bottom cover" mean?
The raw edge gets covered with thread on both sides of the fabric, not just underneath. It gives a flatter, neater finish and lets you do binding and flat seams as well as hems
Is a cover stitch the same as an interlock?
In the industrial world, yes – flatbed cover stitch machines are often called interlock machines. Neither is the same as an overlocker, which trims the edge and sews the seam together.
Do I need an overlocker too?
If you're making knitwear from scratch, yes. The overlocker joins and neatens the seams; the cover stitch hems and binds. Nearly every garment workroom runs both side by side.
Can I use two needles instead of three?
Yes. Take one needle out and you'll get a narrower two-needle cover stitch. If you're not sure how to thread it up, call us and we'll talk you through it.
What's the benefit of direct drive?
The motor is built into the head and drives the machine directly. Compared with an old-style clutch motor, it's quieter, uses less power when you're not sewing, and gives you much finer control over speed.
Will it sew woven fabrics?
It'll hem light and medium wovens, but it's really designed for knits and stretch. It's not suited to heavy fabrics like denim or leather.
Is it suitable for a beginner?
It's an industrial machine and runs a lot faster than a domestic cover stitch, so it suits people who've been trained on industrial machines. If you're sewing at home, a domestic cover stitch may be the better buy – call us and we'll help you choose.
- Fast UK deliveryDispatched within 48 hours
- Pickup availableUsually ready in 2–4 days
- Tested before dispatchBy our own engineers
- 40+ yearsSpecialist supplier