Uwe

This machine is sold.

MJ Foley has a $38 generic bobbin case cap that comes up for the old part number.

Fun and EXPENSIVE! Quite the monster, but the owner may be optimistic about its value. The Ebay listing may disappear without notice, so here's a few screen shots to preserve it for posterity:

Eric posted a detailed case study of this machine some time ago: Value of a machine is exactly whatever somebody is willing to pay for it. Actual sold listings on ebay range from $400-$500, so that's one reference point. The machine you're looking at may be worth more, less, or it may be a boat anchor candidate.

Ouch. One golden rule of sewing machine maintenance is to never loosen a screw unless you know exactly what it does, especially on machines you depend on for production work. Project machines are a different story. Not sure how you "fixed" the timing if you don't have a manual. Some of your statements sent a cold shiver down my spine. You need to get hold of the proper service/adjustment manual for your machine and go through the steps in sequence to get things back in working order. Toledo Bob apparently has a PDF version of the manual, according to another forum post. Neal of Neal's Saddlery may also be able to provide documentation since he's the official U.S. importer for Cowboy sewing machines. Why they don't just make the manuals available online is beyond me. While you're waiting for proper documentation, spend some time to figure out how to post images and short youtube video snippets, which are essential for remote, internet-based support.

Where on this planet you live makes difference as to what's available and supported. Search the Leatherworker.net forums for models you're considering (e.g. google"site:leatherworker.net pfaff 335") Chances are good that almost any machine you're considering has already been discussed and compared at length. Among my current personal favorites in the medium duty cylinder arm arena are the Juki LS-341/LS-1341 class of machines (and their well-done clones like TechSew 2750, SewPro 1341, etc.) These machines have some of the most versatile feature set, big bobbins, large needle and thread range, without the limitations that come with a super-thin arm design like the Pfaff 335 or Adler 69 class machines (which are as good as it gets in the thin-arm designs). A good, used original will cost about the same as a new clone. Make sure manuals and wear parts are available/affordable before you buy (does a new hook cost $35 or $450?) Your budget and access to local service will be a factor in what makes the most sense. Be prepared to learn and do basic maintenance yourself. Shipping a machine around for simple adjustments is no fun.

Holding the top thread as you pull up the bobbin thread, and when you start sewing may help a great deal. Open the bobbin cover, turn the wheel by hand and observe what exactly is happening when you pull up the bobbin thread or start sewing. Don't just step on the pedal and wait for it to jam up. If the safety clutch pops, clear the thread jam and reset the clutch as shown in the video below.

It seems that a combination of high foot lift, high sewing speed and very thin material may cause some apparent banging of the presser foot against the feed dog. In general, the faster you intend to sew the lower the foot lift should be, otherwise physics gets in the way. Your Consew 226R is probably a close enough relative to a Juki LU-563 that my adjustment video might be useful to you, at least to figure how to change certain settings:

The motor in the mock-up picture is actually a stepper motor that I had used in another project. I used it for the mock-up because it's similar in size and weight to modular servo motor setups like the Consew CMS1000, which I had used on the Adler 69 setup shown earlier in the thread. Here's the project I used the stepper motor in:

I don't have any any first-hand experience using the machines, but they did have a fairly big display with a dozen or so machines on display at the recent TechProcess sewing technology trade show in Atlanta. Only a handful of aftermarket/clone manufacturers had displays there. They have their act (and website) more together than some other players in the field. The Zoje post beds are listed here: http://www.zoje-america.com/Post_Bed/index.html The clone that is most closely related (as in identical twin) to the Durkopp Adler post-bed machines is the Global LP2970. It rolls off the same production line at the Minerva factory in the Czech Republic as the authentic Durkopp Adler machines, but lacks some bells and whistles of the DA machines. DA apparently bought the Minerva factory from Global and they have some co-production and product-sharing arrangement. The killer post-bed machine that I personally NEED but will never be able to afford (likely over $10K) is the reinforced version of the DA M-Type H868. This machine is so rare, the staff at the DA stand in Atlanta didn't know what I was talking about when I asked for more info on the machine.

I recommend the original Juki part. When you compare the two versions side by side, the difference are quite obvious. One key difference is the that the top section of the vertical flat slide part is machined to be thinner than the rest of the metal stock. I think it makes a difference and allows for smoother movement and more pin-pushing action. ABC Sewing Machines sells the Genuine Juki part for $7.33, which in my mind is trivial compared to the effort it takes to install it. It may take a week or two to get them (I ordered a bunch of them). MJ Foley has them too for about the same price (and they include the Pin that goes inside the machine.) All my parts from both ABC and MJ Foley arrived in boxes, unharmed. The parts worked perfectly on all my Juki and Juki clone machines. I installed one of these on my Consew 225 today. It took a fair amount of fiddling/filing/polishing to make it work on the Consew (the vertical sliding part was a tad too wide for the Consew mate). But now even my Consew 225 is a happy thread tension releaser.

Looking at the Efka AB60A Manual it appears you are out of luck. It boils down to "Thou shalt not use this setup without the positioner" unless I'm missing something.

The EPS is more of control box thing. The DC1600 is really the motor, which is often combined with the AB60D control box. The manual for the AB60D boggles the mind with nearly 300 parameters you can set. I glanced at it hoping to find some position sensor on/off parameter, but no such luck. My vintage Viking 6570 still has the best needle position control interface I've seen - a simple three-position switch with Up/Off/Down settings.

This machine is sold.

I didn't know, actually, but I'm a tenacious Googler with occasional insomnia. I really thought that the "Kochs Adlernähmaschinen Werke AG" wording on my Chandler 67 machine label was mangled German introduced by some dyslexic contractor who printed the stickers. In my mind the old company name was just poor German no matter how I looked at it. What it actually means is "The factories owned by Koch that make the ADLER branded sewing machines, Inc." What I always thought it meant was "The sewing machine factories founded by Kochs and Adler, Inc." No wonder they eventually changed their name. "Ford's Model-A-Cars Factories, Inc." doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, either.

A wiggly feed dog will cause problems, no doubt.

That Juki-In-A-Box is indeed a nice and compact setup! I hadn't seen that one before.

I got my FamilySew clone of the Sailrite to work and it's okay, but compared to a Juki class machine it just seems crude, weak, and noisy. I think I'm going to make a NYC-apartment-sized portable tabletop setup for my Juki class machines, similar to this concept mock-up pictured below. Weight will be a few pounds higher (just invite that friendly bodybuilding neighbor over for a protein shake), cost will be similar to a new high-end Sailrite, but machine and stitch quality will be significantly better. You'd loose the knee-lift, but then the Sailrite type machines don't have that, either.

Used Fortuna skiving machines similar to yours have recently sold on ebay for $400-$800. Older machines are often hard to price because the condition is hard to judge, and the price difference between a "works" and "needs work" machine can easily be a factor of three or four. Brand new aftermarket Consew brand skivers of the same class sell for around $700 for the head. Fortuna brand machines are the originals and may hold their value a little better. Fortuna machines are represented in the U.S. exclusively by PIMA (Premium Industrial Machines of America), based in Alpharetta, Georgia. The company used to be called Pfaff Industrial of America, but they can't use that name anymore after Pfaff changed ownership. The Fortuna product page of their website: http://pfaff-industrial.us/browse-by-application/skiving/fortuna-skiving-splitting/ They should also know about authorized service centers around the country.

Not exactly pre-war, but old nonetheless. According to this DA historical production document from the year 2000, the 105 class of machines was produced from 1950 through 1980. The 205 series started life in 1979 (and was discontinued in 2014/15). The company changed legal entities from "Kochs Adlernähmaschinen Werke AG" to "Kochs Adler AG" in 1971. I suspect (but haven't seen real proof) that the year 1971 also coincides with the change in logo and script from "ADLER" with eagle logo to plain "adler". So "ADLER" and eagle-logo would indicate pre-1971.

Hey, that looks oddly familiar!

I have a few tape folders in my eBay store (http://r.ebay.com/qwHY3m). PM me if you don't want to use eBay. For some reason few people/vendors carry the tape folders, I'm not really sure why. Joe is the binding expert, though.

I know little about the TuffSew brand and they may actually be of poor quality. At the same time I'm suspicious of a discussion forum on the Sailrite company website where somebody just happens to ask about the quality of a direct competitor brand. It's like logging into a die-hard Chevrolet forum and asking about the latest Ford truck. Nothing good will be said.

My Juki LU-563-3 is ready to go to market. This is the Subclass 3 version of the LU-563 machine, which offers longer stitch length and thicker thread capacity, but lacks reverse. It has an entirely new thread tension system front to back, and I installed a brand new hook that is the "extra heavy thread" version. In real life, this probably means you can sew size 207 thread. Alas, not a single spool of 207 thread was to be found in my stash to verify. It was not entirely happy sewing size 277 Nylon thread, but I'll keep experimenting a little to see if it will do 277 reliably. Of course it sews size 138 thread without any trouble just like the standard version. I was able to get the stitch length to max out at around 8.5mm, or 3 stitches/inch. The spec sheet for LU-563 Subclass 3 machine says this version is capable of 10mm long stitches (2.5 stitches/inch). If anybody knows how to dial that in, please contact me. My local Detroit CL ad is here: http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/bfd/5576277761.html I can ship the head for $150 within the continental U.S. in a custom wooden crate. I'm not shipping tables, sorry. I made a promo/demo video for this machine:

The operator of the trouble machine may stop the machine more often than the others. Every time you stop the machine, there's a slight chance of a skipped stitch, depending on exactly when in the stitch cycle you stop the machine (that brief moment right after the needle starts to rise again, when the thread loop is forming but the hook has not yet caught the loop is the worst time to stop the machine in terms of potential skipped stitches). Pull up a chair and observe that operator and machine for a while - you may see a pattern that contributes to the problem. If the machine's Efka motors have needle positioners that stop in the down position, perhaps that machine's programmed down position has a slightly higher chance of a skipped stitch. If they're using huge spools of top thread, the trouble machine's cone of thread may be a little more lumpy/sticky/rough/brittle than the others and occasionally tug at just the wrong time.