Superior Threads27449-DLX Alphasew Cone Thread Holder

This got rave reviews here on amazon so I bought it, but I could be happier. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars. I decided to round down because I probably would choose a different one after having used it.The Good: It has a nice heavy base and is nice and tall. The base has an indentation (like a well) where your cone of thread can sit comfortably without sliding. It feeds nicely and fluently with either of my sewing machines. I have found it helpful at preventing snags and tension issues.The Bad: The pieces don't stay together well. I should really say they don't stay together at all if you move it. If it is stationary they stay together and function just fine. There is one screw that holds the large stem in place and I wasn't able to tighten it all the way so it is a little wobbly and pulls out if you try to lift it from this stem because the base is pretty heavy. The pin that you put your thread on has literally no attachment to the base. It is just a small metal bar that sits in a hole in the middle of the well. This means that if you lift the base up the pin will go out the bottom. I was surprised by this. I find this to be a very negative feature..it seems like it was preventable when constructing it. Anytime I want to move this, I pick it up and it falls apart. I'm forced to slide it across the table instead of lifting it to prevent it from separating. I just find this annoying, I don't want metal bits rolling around for my cats to find. I'm constantly working on different things and wish it was easier to take in and out of rotation.

I bought this holder because I didn't want a cheap plastic one-- I needed a solid holder that didn't skip around and was tall enough to accommodate taller cones of thread. It is very solid and very well made, a good step up from a plastic holder I was using before, and heavy. The arm securely attaches with a screw to one side and there's screw holes in the cast iron on either side.I would have liked to give this product higher ratings if not for a couple of things that would have been a lot better. First, the metal pole in the middle of the holder is not attached to the base at all and does not attach to the holder in any fashion. The base just has a hole in the bottom for the pole and I've read other reviewers saying they've had trouble fitting the bar into the hole-- mine does not fit into that hole at all, it just hovers loosely on top and does not feel like it helps the spool. For a product of this quality, I would have liked the pole to screw onto the base or attach with more security. Second, the product itself did not come with any sort of guide or instruction- I would have liked at least a diagram and/or contact information of the manufacturers (especially with my problem with the metal bar)Overall, I would recommend this product if someone is looking for a solid, heavy thread holder but the problems with the metal bar prevent me from giving this product all five stars.

I bought this to have a second Superior Threads thread stand, but received another brand! My original, purchased years ago, had a single long pole, and the centre pole was 4.5 inches, and hammered in, making it all very sturdy. This is anything but. The long pole comes in 2 pieces, and doesn't screw in the entire way, and the centre pole is barely 3 inches, and does not screw in all the way. Both poles are thus not secure; they wiggle and would easily come out if I picked up the stand by the pole, which I am able to do with my original. Save your money, do not buy this product!

If you machine sew and use thread from a large cone, you NEED this. Yes, you can get by with setting the cone on the floor, but that soon leads to dusty thread and comments from passersby about how unprofessional you are. I first tried a slightly cheaper Dritz thread holder, but never even got past the wrapping---it was all plastic and weightless. This Alphasew Cone Thread Holder is very deluxe. The base is solid cast iron and is not likely to move from where you place it. Follow the directions and HAMMER in the center post. The palm of your hand is not a hammer. Don't be afraid to hit it hard! Once it seats, it will not come out. The steel upright rod is secured with a setscrew---so that if you decide to move your little sweatshop to a different location, you can remove the long rod during transport. I sew big heavy things with V-92 thread. The Alphasew thread stand feeds the coned thread to the machine in a perfect manner. A stand like this is the ONLY way one should feed thread to a sewing machine. Coned thread is wound DIFFERENTLY than those little spools that fit on the top of the machine and unwind from the side!You don't have to come from a small town in France to use cone thread...

This is an excellent quality thread stand. VERY HEAVY Cast Iron base plate which is 4 1/2 inches in diameter and the metal thread rod is 14 1/2 inches high and approx 1/4 inch diameter and it screws into the outer rim of the cast iron plate. The metal rod that goes into the center of the base plate is 3 1/2 inches high and is made the same as the long thread rod so every part of the stand is excellent quality. The weight of the stand is 1 lb 5.6 oz. However the center rod will need to be hammered in. It will hold any spool of thread that is 4 inches or less in diameter but does not hold the spool firmly in place. I have no issues with that because the center rod is high enough to prevent the spool from tipping over. The stand sits solid on a flat surface and does not shake or rock side to side like the other cheaply made plastic thread stands.

Thanks to other reviewers, I was prepared to HAMMER IN the center spool rod...like...with a hammer. the thread leader rod, on the other hand is screwed in, allowing you to position the leader loop depending on personal preference.This is a nice, HEAVY, sturdy stand, that doesn't move at all when the thread is pulled. Nice simple application for it's intended purpose...nothing more, nothing less.