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hvl

A couple of newby questions from the mom

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Good morning everyone, I'm so glad I found you and I'm learning so many things! I tend to be longwinded so I'll try to make this short. :) I've been lurking around here for a week or so reading posts and responses but I have a question. I'm looking for a leather sewing machine for my son. In the last couple of years he has gotten into leather work as a hobby (would love to do it as a profession someday) and has rebuilt a couple of saddles for me, several pairs of chaps, belts, sheaths, saddle repair etc. for some of my horsey friends. He has been hand sticthing all of them and I'd like to find him a reasonably priced machine for christmas. I've heard not so good things about the Tippmann "Boss" so am hesitant to get one of them but have heard good things about the Ferdco "Baby Bull 440R". On the Ferdco website they list it as a "tack stitcher". Can anyone tell me what that means? How well do they work at stitching heavier saddle leather and chaps? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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hvl,

There are lot of loyalties among leatherworkers for sewing machines and suppliers. You'll no doubt get a lot of advice. I am keying in on your description of "reasonably priced". Also since you are doing tack work, cylinder arm machine first. You can always make a flat bed for it. If you find more need for a dedicated flat bed machine, those are more available. If there is any way you could get to a trade show, or spend some time in a shop with a few different machines, it would really speed your learning curve along.

I've had both of the machines you mentioned. I bought a Boss when they were the only thing that could sew what they did for any kind of lower price. Even early on they were about $1600. I had very little problems mechanically with mine, and they were taken care of PDQ. It would sew chaps, skirts, or tooled corners on felt pads with ease. Actually ease on the machine, a little tiring and boring for the guy cranking the handle. Once I got the tensions set the way I liked them, the only adjustment I ever had to do was the stitch length. The Boss machine tends to keep a decent resale value. Tippmann will rebuild them and warranty a used machine like new. The throat is only about 6" though.

When it was time to move to a powered machine, the Ferdco 440 was again the only thing available in that price range. The biggest problem I had with it was the feed system. It is a needle feed, and the throat plate has dogs (teeth slanted back) to keep the leather moving through with the needle pushing it, and not back up. Those teeth made a heck of a mess on the backside, and especially going around corners. I know guys who have these same type machines (sold under several names by different sellers) and some like them for what they have them dedicated for. I don't have that luxury. I called Ron and told him this wasn't going to be the machine for me. For not a whole lot more money, he sent me an Adler 205-64 head, and I sent the 440 head back. I was green as a gourd about machines. I didn't ask the right questions, and didn't understand and communicate very well when I ordered the 440. I have since traded up in machines, and sold the Adler for more than I had in it. Those machines are probably past the "reasonbably priced" entry machine.

Now there are more choices. There are at least 4 or 5 sellers that have the short arm Juki clone machines. Looks like everyone has had a recent price increase, so they pretty much are $2100 or better. A much more versatile machine than the Ferdco 440. Most everyone is happy with the machines.

Soooo, what would I do if I was buying right now? If the budget was $1500 or less, I'd get a Boss - new or used (less) and let Tippmann rebuild it - used to be a flat $100 fee. If I could go up to $2500 or so, I'd look at one of the short arms if I had to have a new machine. Figure you are going to pay shipping and need attachments too. Negotiate for some attachments when you buy it. They are not inexpensive usually, and will cost more later. For the same $2500, I'd also think about calling around to the dealers for a bigger used machine. The Adler I had was a great machine, in the end I used it for 4-5 years and sold it for $200 more than I paid for the table, motor and the head. I used it for better than free. There are other good machines sitting. Ron at Ferdco usually has some or knows of them, there are some other dealers who pop up on the forum. A lot of guys use a screen name, so I don't know all the players. ShopTalk has ads from most of them. Tell these guys what you want a machine to do, your level of experience, and most of them will bend over backwards to get you the right machine or refer to someone who has it. They know it won't be the last machine you buy.

Final thing since you probably have not dealt a lot with these big machines - service. Most all of the guys selling machines can service them, and talk you through problems. You normally don't pack them up and take them to the VacNSew guy at the strip mall. Artisan has an exlempary reputation for service, as does Ryan Neel. I have bought 4 machines from Ferdco, because of their service and the way they treated me on the 440. I had a part break on the Adler, and knew zip about it. The tech talked me through the diagnostics until we found problem - over an hour on the phone and quick shipped the part. I work early mornings in the shop. He offered to call me at 4:00 or 5:00 am his time to talk me through installing it, so we could do it before I had to leave for work. I'm pretty happy with them, yep.

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