HumanToughDesign

Thanks for the follow-up and the recommendations. I spent a few hours on my machine last weekend. It turned out that 30 minutes studying the parts break-down, and looking at the various components of the machine were enough to figure out the problem(s). The biggest one (problem) was that the cam was roughly 15deg off. So the needle arm and the feed-dog were still moving forward while the presser foot was starting to rise. This caused my maximum stitch-length to go from 10mm to below 8mm when sewing. Once the cam was adjusted, I got back my 10 mm forward and backward. Since I had ordered Weaver's timing device, I also retimed the machine (which was also way off). That completely eliminated my skipped stitches as well as the heavy "wrinkling" (if that's even a word) when sewing lighter material. Now I can sew very thin canvas/fabric/leather without any wrinkle or skipped stitches. That also took care of the needle-breaking problem. As for the symmetry of the stitch length (forward and backward), I couldn't find any adjustment that would allow me to fix that problem from the gut of the machine. The neutral was at the right place, and I got 10 mm stitch-length in both direction when set in full length. So what I did is to simply shim the front lower part of the plastic bezel of the direction lever. I found that adding a piece of 1/8" aluminum flat-bar on the flat surface of the lower portion, and beveled to near zero thickness at the neutral point allows for a perfect back-stitch, whatever the stitch-length or the material thickness - without using the metal gliders to adjust the stitch-length in fixed positions. I'm still a bit surprised and shocked that I could fix all my problems in less than 4 hours, with literally zero knowledge of how a sewing machine works, when the folks at Michel Simard spent 14 hours before dropping the ball on me. However, I'm really happy that it all worked out fine, and now I can enjoy my new machine at its best ! Thanks for your comments and suggestions, and have a great weekend ! Danny

Thanks Uwe ! I must admit, I was a bit intimidated when I printed the parts break-down, but after a few minutes, I dug in and figured it out. I can't encourage you enough to put together a video (and even a repair guide) that would explain how to easily adjust those "hidden/under the hood" settings. I purchased the DVD sold by Weaver (great video BTW), but it just doesn't go into the nuts and bolts of the gut of the 205. I called many repair shop, specialized in industrial sewing-machines, and none of them had experience/intimate knowledge of the 205. Since this machine has been out there for a few decades now, and is one of the most copied HD machine, I guess such video/manual would be most welcome by a lot of people (me included) ! Let me know if you need help with the French version ! ;-) Thanks again! Danny

Hello Glenn. Thanks a lot for your comments, and for pointing me to the right contact at Weaver. Contacting them was on my list, but since I was able to fix all my problems myself, that's ok for now. That being said, I am a bit curious about your own experience with the 205. Were all the machine you tested/used able to backstitch in their own holes, independently of the stitch length selected ? As I mentioned previously, my "neutral" point was dead center, and (after tweaking the cam and the timing) I had the same maximum stitch-length forwards and backward (both 10mm). However, when selecting shorter stitch-lenght, I ended-up with shorter stitches in backward. Since I couldn't find any adjustment that would get me longer stitches in reverse, without affecting the neutral point or the stitch length, I ended-up adding a shim on the lower end of the bezel surrounding the lever. It is roughly 1/8 in. thick (with a bevel going up). I had to tweak it a little, but now, I get perfect backstitch, regardless of the stitch-length and the material thickness. I'm ok with that fix (the shim is in aluminium, so it looks good and tough), but I would rather have the "real" fix to this issue if there is one. So (sorry for the long intro), I'd like to you if you have/had a similar issue ? And BTW, did you ever try TEX415 and #280 needles on the Adler 205-370 ? Does it work ? Would I need a bobbin shim to fit the #28 needle (the thickest shim I have is a 250 (best suited for a #27 needle). That's it for the questions ! ;-) Thanks again ! Danny

Hello Uwe Thanks for the follow-up and the recommendations. I spent a few hours on my machine yesterday. It turned out that 30 minutes studying the parts break-down, and looking at the various components of the machine were enough to figure out the problem(s). The biggest one (problem) was that the cam was roughly 15deg off. So the needle arm and the feed-dog were still moving forward while the presser foot was starting to rise. This caused my maximum stitch-length to go from 10mm to below 8mm. Once the cam was adjusted, I got back my 10 mm forward and backward. Since I had ordered Weaver's timing device, I also retimed the machine (which was also way off). That completely eliminated my skipped stitches as well as the heavy "wrinkling" (if that's even a word) when sewing lighter material. Now I can sew very thin canvas/fabric/leather without any wrinkle or skipped stitches. As for the symmetry of the stitch length (forward and backward), I couldn't find any adjustment that would allow me to fix that problem from the gut of the machine. The neutral was at the right place, and I got 10 mm stitch-length in both direction when set in full length. So what I did is to simply shim the front lower part of the plastic bezel of the direction lever. I found that adding 3mm of UHMW on the flat surface of the lower portion of that piece allows for a perfect back-stitch, whatever the stitch-length or the material thickness. I'll probably have this new ensemble scanned, and then milled in aluminium. That should last a lifetime. I'm still a bit surprised and shocked that I could fix all my problems in less than 4 hours, with literally zero knowledge of how a sewing machine works, when the folks at Michel Simard spent 14 hours before dropping the ball on me. However, I'm really happy that it all worked out fine, and now I can enjoy my super 205 ! Thanks again for your helpful comments and suggestions, and have a great weekend ! Danny

Hello Uwe, I bought a brand new Adler 205-370 earlier this year at MSM (Michel Simard) in Montreal, and I've had quite a few problems with it. Even though I love this machine, I'm now at a point where I'm thinking about sending it back (still under warranty) because MSM keeps telling me every problem is normal because they can't solve it (maximum stitch-length of less than 8mm, doesn't backstitch in its own holes, break needles, etc.). I'm seriously considering forgetting about the warranty, and trying to set it up myself. Is this something you have done before ? Have you found any repair/shop manuals, either for the genuine Adler, or its clones (Cowboy, Consew, etc.) ? That would be VERY useful ! Thanks in advance, and have a great weekend ! Cheers, Danny

Hello All, I'm new to this forum, and would like to seek some help/guidance from other Adler 205-370. Earlier this year, I purchased one of the last new 205-370 available from Michel Simard in Montreal. From the very beginning, I've had issues with the stitch-length, or should I say the symmetry of the stitch-length in forward vs reverse. I was told it was normal that the machine would not back-stitch in its holes, when adjusting the rotating knob on the lever. To ensure same stitch-length in reverse, I had to (from Michel Simard's perspective) use the metal (chrome) sliders above and below the lever, and set them to a fixed position where the forward and backward stitches would be equal. I purchased Weaver Leather DVD on the Adler 205, and it's very clearly stated that stitch length should be the same in forward and reverse, solely using the knob to adjust it. I also watched many videos on the 205 and clones, and they all backstitch in their holes. After a few visits, this problem was partially solved. However, now, the machine maximum stitch-length went down to less than 8mm (instead of 10mm) when sewing leather. I was told by Michel Simard to test it on a piece of paper, and if it was 9mm long, it was all right. The spec states 10 mm in forward and 10mm in reverse, and my machine used to reach that length before the last adjustment. Now, also after the last adjustment, the machine has started to "throw" (for lack of a better word - I'm french-canadian) the leather toward me (the front of the machine) when sewing. The needle and the feed-dog move forward as the presser foot rises. This is possibly one of the reason I loose on my stitch-length. Plus, when sewing in thicker material, it makes the needle break, so I don't want to use my machine anymore. It is still under the original manufacturer's warranty, so I need to run this through Michel Simard, but every time, I'm told that it's a normal behaviour. So, I'm reaching out to you, Adler 205 owners, to help me determine if I'm crazy and this is all normal, or if you get completely different behaviours from your own machine. Also, if anyone of you know a 205-guru that would completely readjust my machine and make it work as it should, I would be very grateful ! Thanks in advance guys ! Best regards from Montreal Danny