Techsew Ron

Hi Christian, I reviewed all the communications between you and our technicians and we offered to repair the machine for you and ship it back free of charge 4 months ago. The offer still stands. We haven't experienced any ongoing issues or defects with this model and every single machine leaving our facility is tested and inspected meticulously before going out the door. It's hard to speak for the technicians who visited you but a machine wouldn't typically go out of time on it's own unless shaft screws were loosened, a needle hitting the hook, improper needle installation or a serious thread jam. Nevertheless I apologize for the difficulties and we'd be happy to help get you back up and running. Feel free to contact me personally at any time. best regards, Ron

Great chart - I often use the "tug of war" analogy whenever explaining thread tension to someone.

On the Techsew 1660 Pro package we add a needle position motor but can also do so on the regular package - same functionality on both. Ron

There's no reason why one wouldn't be able to install a needle position motor on either machine. Could be that the dealer simply doesn't want to. You should have them do it before shipping it out.

Most of our customers use the curved presser foot which will give you an even skive, the machine comes with a few different sizes. You can get up to 2" on the longest one. There's also the flat feet which will give you more of an angled skive. Roller feet are good for materials that scratch or mark very easily or are a bit slippery.

Sounds like you're on the right track. For leather in the 5-6oz range you'll definitely want a bottom feed skiver which is the most popular type for people doing handbags, wallets, accessories and shoes. Technically you can use it for splitting but you'd have to run it through several passes to split an entire surface which may become a bit arduous. You're looking at about $1200 to $1500 for this type of skiver, or closer to $2000 for one with a vacuum suction device. I highly recommend the vacuum as these machines can generate a fair amount of dust and dirt over time, besides the pieces that will be falling on your feet after each skive. thanks, Ron

Most customers of ours who sew wallets would use a light-medium flatbed walking foot machine (or cylinder bed if they're also doing bags). As Wiz mentioned earlier, find a machine that can use up to #138 or #207 thread and uses smooth presser feet so it doesn't mark leather. Of course you'll want a servo motor for slow and precise stitching. All of the machinery advertisers on LW.net sell this type of machine. Ron

Hi @JD62, the 2301 is a machine that we discontinued about 10 years ago. Our manufacturer stopped producing parts for it and we phased it out. I would recommend taking a look at our other cylinder walking foot machines (model 2600, 2700 and 2750) which are great for wallets, belts, bags and other leather goods. cheers! Ron

Witamy, Bert!

Most shoe and boot uppers are sewn with a post bed, roller foot machine. You'll likely come across bottom feed machines with a roller foot and top and bottom feed machines with gear driven roller foot. The bottom feed only machines are more affordable but top and bottom feed are better for feeding thicker and more multi layered materials. A post bed walking foot machine is another option but the price on these goes up significantly and they're not really necessary if you're just sewing bags and shoes. Ron

Hi there, if something got jammed you may require a timing adjustment - please give us a call in the morning and we'll walk you through it to make sure everything's ok. Ron

It basically goes right into the slide plate, here's one on the Techsew 2700: http://www.techsew.com/techsew-2700-custom-binding-attachment.html

We have a custom binding attachment for the Techsew 2750 so this machine would be a good option if you want the binding option for infrequent use - if you're looking for a dedicated binding machine then I would recommend the Techsew 2800. On the Techsew 2800 it's is a bit more difficult to switch the binding and non-binding parts back and forth. Give us a call with any other questions! Ron

If it comes with a servo motor and the vendor will offer a warranty then go for it! Try it in person first to make sure you're comfortable.

Hi, please send us an email to support@techsew.com and we'll look into this for you. Ron

thanks Greg!

Hi Tom, advantage of a machine like the Techsew 830 is the ability to sew right along the edge with increased visibility due to the proximity of the needle to the roller foot. For sewing 2-3 layers of 6-8oz leather you're better off with a walking foot machine. A roller feed machine like the 830 is great for soft leather and is commonly used for shoe and boot production, however it does not quite have the feeding power of a walking foot machine and you'll be limited if you want to venture into belts and thicker leather. Walking foot machines can also use larger thread sizes and are much more versatile (especially cylinder arm machines). If you're concerned about sewing straight lines with a walking foot machine you can always use an edge guide with a left toe zipper foot for better visibility and edge sewing. cheers! Ron

For holster making we typically recommend a machine that can sew at least 1/2" leather thickness and something that can use size #25 needles with #207 or larger thread. Most of the machine advertisers on here offer such machines, the most popular being the 441-type which can handle up to 7/8". cheers! Ron

thanks Dave, hope all is well buddy ! come visit soon. Ron

For thin leather to beyond 1/2" thickness your best bet would be a 441 clone type of machine. They typically start at around $2500 but will be the closest to an "all-in-one" solution that you can find. Ron

If you're mainly using garment leather/chap leather around 2-2.5oz, the machines you mentioned will all be appropriate for your needs. As someone previously mentioned adding a speed reducer will certainly help if you want extremely slow sewing speed beyond what a servo motor can reduce to. A cylinder walking foot machine would also be good for you as it would add some versatility in being able to sew into hard to reach areas. Ron

I believe this belongs in the toilet forum !

wow! that is something. thanks for sharing Uwe !

For sewing 3 layers of 8-9oz leather I'd say you'd be looking at the Techsew 3850 or Techsew 5100. Even with a 1HP motor and speed reducer you would have trouble sewing that thickness on a Consew 206.

A light/medium walking foot machine in the Consew 206 class would be fine for most of what you're doing but you'll run into difficulty with 3 layers of 8-9oz leather on that type of machine.