kgg

For me I have never felt that I needed to add a speed reducer. I find the plain jane brush type servo motors give me all the speed control that I so far have needed. Like Wiz I still have a couple clutch motor setups for when I need to punish myself. The problem or potential problem when a speed reducer is coupled with a high torque motor as that arrangement has the potential of over torquing the machine head parts. Having to much available motor power and the additional available torque provided by the speed reducer can be worst (twisted parts, unwanted trips of safety clutch, etc.) then an under sized servo motor. The best thing would be to ask the advice of the supplier of your machine for their recommendations as to the proper sizing of both the servo motor and speed reducer. kgg

Another couple of considerations to adding a speed reducer which will depend on the style you choose. Sometimes adding a speed reducer involves cutting the belt slot longer to allow for the new belt angle and location. You are probably going to have to drill additional holes through the table top to mount the speed reducer and sometimes depending on where the K-legs are mounted you may have to relocate the the whole top further to the left, just depends on who mounted the table top to the support K-legs. Even though the 1541 has a front mounted bobbin winder should yours fail you may find it cheaper / easier to just add a belt driven winder which may or may not be able be done if the belt slot has been lengthen. For some not being able to tilt the machine back easily is of no real concern for me it is a major concern as I tilt my flatbeds back all the time to change the bobbin as my fingers are to fat to fit comfortably underneath to remove/ install a bobbin properly. kgg

Nice work, remains me of the old lead shot bean bags we used to hold down engineering drawings but yours is an awful lot nicer. kgg

My reasoning is that in comparison the 1541 is an excellent commercial grade machine weighing in at 80 lbs (head weight), the 1508 is an excellent industrial grade machine weighting in at just over 98 lbs (head weight) and 2810 is an excellent professional grade machine weighing in at just over 123 lbs (head weight). My experience is the heavier the machine head, in a class, the longer it will last. My suggestion is based on the 2810 being properly maintained and properly rebuilt. If you can't go and physically check the machine out ask for very detailed photo's of not only the exterior but the thread guides, hook assembly, top and bottom of machine showing shafts and timing. Best of luck, kgg

For the number of hours of use per day you are planning on using the machine I would probably go for the 2810 over the 1541. kgg

Either machine should do the job but the 2810 is a much heavier duty and larger machine then either the 1541 or even the 1508. If you go with the 1541 make sure it is a 1541"S" having the safety mechanism. My experience is that there is a difference in the Juki's made in China and those made in Japan. I do have a China made 1181n and compared to the fit/finish/operation of my 1541S there is a difference. kgg

Funny how things differ. kgg

This not unique to the Juki 1541 they just gave the consumer an option to save a 100 bucks over the 1541"S" and are willing to run the risk. There are a lot of machines both brand name and clones that do not have this feature. Since you mention the Sailrite Fabricator in your original post, if I am not mistaken, the Sailrite Fabricator does not appear to have a safety mechanism (clutch) that can be reset as easily. Sailrite approached the problem by using basically a shear pin on the sewing machines drive pulley that would need to be replaced should a problem occur. Which is fine if you have a spare laying around. Maybe just me but I think just being able to depress a button and hand wheel to reset the safety mechanism (clutch) is easier with little down time after you clear the jam. kgg

Sorry dikeman, I have to disagree. Most of what is being supplied by the dealers in North America appear to be servo motors that have the small knob speed dial and they come with a spare set of brushes. There are a few dealers like Reliable and Sailrite that offer the 12 coil brushless servo motors and Consew also has a brushless series of motors but I couldn't fine information as to how many coils they have. I suspect 6 or 9 coils. The more coils equals a better brushless motor. My thought is for most use if a brush motor is properly broken in under no load, it should provide a lot of decent service. I would pass on the Juki 1541 for the main fact that it doesn't have the safety mechanism. When you jam the machine up at some point not having that feature could be a costly mistake. I would also pass on the Consew 226 unless it is in the 500 to 600 dollar range. That would put it at about 40 percent of a new equivalent, Consew 206 Rb-5, at around the $1400 mark. Also if I am not mistake the 226 has a smaller bobbin. Some things to consider. kgg

What size of needle and type of needle (leather or fabric needle) are you using? kgg

Yes, Juki has a very wide selection of machines for various applications. The flatbed machines I think that would meet your needs in the upholstery class would be the Juki DNU-1541"S" or the heavier and more costly Juki DNU-1508 either dressed with a 550 watt or better dial not digital controlled servo motor. As far as speed reduction I would suggest you give the standard speed / motor configuration a try first. If it works well for your needs you saved that cost to put into other things. Should you fine you need the extra toque or speed control it is a very simple change/add on. I have a Juki's 1541S, 1181N and Kobe 1341 (clone of Juki 341) that I mainly use with no speed reduction and they work just fine. My personal thought is if I really need to add speed reduction to get enough "torque" to get the job done I am using the wrong machine and need to move up to another class of machine. If it is for speed control then I may have to think about adding a speed reducer or changing the motor. The ideal thing would be to go to a dealer with your thickest stuff, the thread you are planning on using and give a few machines a test drive. Buy Once, Cry Once kgg

That wouldn't surprise me in the least. In Ontario the police raided a large shopping mall a couple of years ago and a lot of stores in the shopping center were selling counterfeit / knockoff/ clone, call them what you may, items. This seems to be a problem right across the board. If the price seems to good chances are something is a miss. kgg

The Juki DNU-1541S, LS-1341 and 441 are still made in Japan. The industrial Pfaff's are made in China. Tolerances on some items from China / Taiwan will vary depending on the clone factory. Whether one clone or another is better has a lot to do with the dealer and their mechanic(s) and how well they are gone through, adjusted, setup and tested. kgg

In your first video at the 3 sec mark the position finger isn't seated in the slot of the basket as seen at the 11.43 mark in the video I linked to. kgg

Not all clones within the same class of machine as those of brand name machines are manufactured consistently equally as well. Some are good and some not so good. Where as brand names like Juki or Alder have the recognized consistent quality needed for durability over the long haul. That recognized durability translates into high initial costs and higher resale values. kgg

That is a wise idea. Bring your thickest sample along that you are planning on sewing and V138 thread, if you have some or have them setup the machine with V138 thread. The major tell tall signs of use are going to be: i) How smooth and polished the bare metal on the nose is. A machine with 30 hours of use should have crisp edges. ii) Look for groves worn into the thread guides that the top thread twists through. A machine with 30 hours of use should have no track marks. They should look almost brand new with freshly punched smooth round holes. iii) Ask them to tilt back the machine so you can see the timing belt and inside the base. Look for i) worn, cracked, frayed timing belt, ii) worn or damaged gears and iii) metal / rubber filings. A machine with 30 hours of use the timing belt a should appear to be new, the gears should appear to have nice crisp edges and there should only be minor amount of rubber / dirt inside. iv) Ask them to remove the front large plate cover and look for signs of wear and build up of dirt. v) Slide the bobbin case cover back and see if there is a buildup of thread anywhere. A machine with 30 hours of use should have no amount of different color thread anywhere. vi) The machine should sew a perfect stitch forward and in reverse. The reverse stitch should go back in the same holes as was made in the forward direction. vii) The machine should have no unusual noises (banging / clunking / vibrations). Shouldn't sound like a bucket of bolts banging around. Just some things to look for and let us know how you make out. kgg

They maybe in lockdown. kgg

The price seems reasonable. I would definitely consider it. kgg

The Juki LS-341 is basically an older model of the current the LS-1341 but is a good machine if it is in good condition. Like anything used you will to go it carefully. I only reason I would hesitate would be if it was used in an industrial setting. The greater the chance it is hammered to death and would require major repairs. Check for visible signs of wear such as deep groves in the top thread path guides. Ask the seller for detailed photo's like closeups of the needle area, thread guides and internal timing belt (maybe frayed and cracked). kgg

My take on things without knowing what the thickness you are trying to sewing: 1) A size 24 needle for T210 (V207) is probably good for softer or thinner material. 2) You may have to move to a size 25 needle to give your thread enough clearance in the material so it doesn't get slightly stuck in thicker heavier material. 3) If you are limited to a max needle size of 24 then you are probably limited to T135 (V138 ) in thicker heavier material. 4) A 135 X 17 needle is meant for fabric so you should change to a 135 X 16 needle for leather and retry. 5) You should check with Techsew as whether the bobbin is capable of taking T210 (V207) particularly when used with T210 (V207) on the top , if not you may have to use T210 (V207) on top and T135 (V138) in the bobbin 6) You may have to ease back on the presser foot tension slightly or change the feet to reduce the blemishes 7) Try a different spool of thread. Sometimes problems can be related to poorer quality thread particularly the smaller 8 oz spools from China. If that doesn't work buy some good quality thread from a company like American & Efird Knowing how much thread you have left just comes from experience. What I find works for me is loading enough bobbins for a project and putting a freshly loaded bobbin in before starting a project. Also it eliminates the thread in the bobbin from developing a "coil" memory from being left to long on the bobbin before being used. Totally agree. Just some considerations, kgg

If I am not mistaken the thread you are using is V270 (Tkt 10) T277 which requires a #25 US sized needle which would be a # 200 metric. The larger needle gives you extra thread head space so it doesn't catch. For tough material you may have to go up to a #26 needle (#220). Also check your top thread path from the spool to the eye of the needle and top tension. kgg

This video should solve your problem. kgg

Yep, expect to pay between $4000 to $5000 for new Juki LS-1341. The used market probably around half the price of a new Juki. Where as a new clone is about half or less the price of a new Juki. kgg

If I am not mistaken, the Juki 246, Pfaff 335 and the Alder 69-373 are rated for V92 max. To get to the V138 rated thread you would need to go to a 1341 class machine like the Juki LS-341 or LS-1341 which is made in Japan while the Alders are made in Germany and the Pfaff's now being made in China. Parts/accessories for Alder and Pfaff tend to be much more expensive then Juki. kgg

Thanks Constabulary, all my own designs and the best part they work. I just could not/ would not pay the $200 for a 90 degree binder setup and having to buy new binders in the various sizes I use. All the attachments I have for the flatbeds are now inter-changeable with the cylinder bed so it was cost effective way around the problem. Yes it is a right angle binder and the tape gets feed / weaved along the metal wire loops into the binder body with the tape exiting the other side and making the sharp 90 degree turn at the other end where the fabric is feed between the loop that is created. What was the approximate cost of the binder from Chris? kgg