Grapejuice

Thanks Trox! So the Juki is out of the equation, but I have found a few local dealers that stock Cowboy, Hightex and a few other clone brands... Still waiting on a quote or two, but the front runner at the moment is the Hightex 07440, a Cowboy 4400 clone. It is a flat bed machine, specs; compound feed walking foot system,13mm presser foot lift, 9mm max stich lenght, max speed 2000 s/m, needle system DYXS. My home sewing machine, with all the right extras eg. teflon foot, leather needles, tension adjustments etc., sews thin leather, like nappa, very nicely, so I will use the industial/heavy duty machine mainly for thicker leather, making handbags, belts and luggage. This is the only compound feed system out of all the machines that's in my price range. The others have positive feed and drop feed systems. I have read Wizcrafts' posts on feed systems, but there was nothing on positive or drop feed systems and I'm just wondering what they are? I work with Veg and so I'm sort-of set on a compound feed machine so as not to get any unwanted marks on my products. Also because I work with a variety of leather and this system was rated as the top over-all system in Wizcrafts' post... Would you recommend getting a new machine with the specs mentioned above or sticking with the Adler 267-373? They are more or less the same price, although I think I may have some bargaining room with the used Adler. The Adler's hook might need replacing soon though, and a sewing machine technician advised me that the Chinese brands have better support in SA. Just for interest sake... How much does a new Adler 267-373 cost in Europe? And a used machine? I have the opportunity to ship a machine for free from Belgium and if it works out alot cheaper than buying a new Adler here I might just bite the bullet and purchase one. Thanks again for the feedback, much appreciated!!

Hi All I'm new to leather, been doing hand stitching but need to start using a machine to expand my business.. I design bags, luggage, jackets and belts. I'm located in South Africa and good second hand machines are scarce. I've read alot of the forums and know what to look for in a machine, but finding specs on the old machines are tough and I can't seem to find proper reviews on either. I've located a two machines, an ADLER 267-373 and a Juki DDL 227, but don't know which one would be better suited to my needs? The thickness of the leather I work with ranges from nappa to veg... Quite a difference.. Would one machine do or am I over-estimating the scope of heavy duty machines? Perhaps one machine with different settings? I would really appreciate any info that might help and I'm especially looking forward to hearing what Wizcraft has to say. Thanks