Need Help Choosing A Machine

[Sorringowl]

I make traditional tobacco pipe accessories (mostly, pipe pouches) out of 2-3 oz. vegetable tanned leather that I hand dye, and have been using a Singer 15-91 almost exclusively for every step of the sewing process.

For being what it is, this little Singer 15-91 machine has served me well, but, of course, not being a true leather machine, and not having a walking foot, I have come to the point where I really need to get something that will work better to make other items that I'd like to make, such as wallets, bags and other accessories that can be made of more than just 2-3 oz veg tan. I'd also like to work with finished leather and be able to sew through more than just the 2 or 3 layers I'm able to with the 15-91.

That being said, I don't really see myself working on items made of very heavy or stiff leathers that are above 6-8 oz, mostly just accessory and garment weight leathers.

Can anyone recommend a good walking foot machine that might work well, is fairly simple to use and won't break the bank?

I also have a Consew 225 but, honestly, I've only used it a few times due to the fact that it seems very fussy and I can't seem to get the right combination of needle, thread size, presser foot and speed so it works for my purposes, and so far (even though the machine has been professionally set up and timed--and I trust the servicer [as they've done work on some of my other machines and they deal with industrial machines]), it seems more trouble than it's worth.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.