tofu

Over here, those singers go for around $650-700 for the head in nice aesthetic (and presumably functional) condition. You're not missing out on a slick deal if you pass. I've been machine shopping for a bit over a month and passed on two of them.

That's very sketchy. The equivalent of "you may not test drive my car before purchasing because the mechanic just changed the oil and spark plugs." Will the guy at least do a sewing demonstration himself with your thread and material? If he won't let you test drive, is he providing a warranty? Personally, I'd tell him to kick rocks.

That 211 is a solid deal. Even the paint is in good condition. I e-mailed the 206rb guy already a while ago asking if there are any apparent problems (since it's a 2 hour drive), but didn't get a reply. On the bright side, I just found a Adler cylinder in PA for a steal of a price. I don't want to say too much for obvious reasons, but i'm going to see it soon . Thanks Tony!

No, I'm looking for a local machine so I don't have to pay 40% of its value in crated shipping costs. Hence my thread title. Unfortunately, it seems the thread has gone sour. I'll just continue my search on the usual channels. Thanks

Please take it to private messaging. Rather not have my thread derailed

Double boxing is key. Make sure everything in the interior box is tight. If the object moves around, it's going to pulverize anything you used as padding. If all you have are flimsy boxes, make sure to fold and attach extra cardboard to the sides for reinforcement. Crating is the best option of course, but it really drives the labor and cost of shipping up -- sometimes it just isn't worth it unless the customer insists. Always purchase insurance.

still looking for a local machine. Cheers

Double box it and use UPS. I ship heavy espresso machines that are far more fragile and they arrive fine.

Sounds like you more or less end up with the same result. Working on a budget, if the larger wheel fits, it seems to be the better alternative. As far as how slow I want it, I've seen some videos where the user is able to control the machine throughout the entire needle movement, not just 1 tap per stitch. This level of control seems like it would make it easier to sew small intricate shapes, which is something I do. The alternative is just spinning the wheel by hand. Thanks for the info everyone. Best, Chris

Speed reducers aren't cheap and they take up a lot of space. From what I understand, it's just a smaller pulley turning a larger pulley. Please correct me if i'm wrong. What would the difference be between using the speed reducer or just slapping a 3x larger pulley/flywheel directly to the machine? Do you not get the torque multiplication? Does it stress the servo more than the alternative? It seems large pulleys with proper bore sizes are readily available for under $50, while speed reducers are around $100-120. One could even 3d print a pulley out of nylon if he or she were so inclined. Best, Chris

I imagine with softer or thinner leather it might pull up/pucker in front of the needle, no?

Agreed. This happened to me. Couldn't figure it out. Rotating by hand was fine, but as soon as I got on the electric, thread would fray and break. It was heating up so much that I saw smoke coming from the needle area when I shined light on it

Hi, thanks for the offer, but I believe after buying a table, servo, and paying for shipping, id be in the price range of a more modern unit. Saw a couple 206rbs go for 500-600 with servo before I decided to buy a "real" machine. Kicking myself now

Not having too much luck finding an "intro" machine near NYC. Maybe someone here can help. Thanks! Chris

Well, a few weeks later, I have an update. I purchased the reliable barracuda from bed bath beyond because of their generous return policy. I am considering making use of that policy. The good: The machine works -- it gets through anything I put under the foot. I've tried scrap veg tan straps of 6-7oz and it gets through it no problem. No skipped stitches, no problem. I do have a knockoff monster wheel installed ($79 on eBay). The bad: 1) Took me 3 hours to set it up. This is my first "real" sewing machine, so I had to start research from scratch. The timing was off, needle position was too far out, motor bracket was too slack and needed to be adjusted so the belt won't slip. 2) Pedal control is weird. Sometimes even if the needle is in the air, the motor won't engage unless I manually spin the crank a bit. It seems it requires me to change the position. No buzz, no sound, just feels dead until I move it manually. 3)Speed is also odd. I can't linearly ramp up the "throttle". I need to lay on it heavy then slow down otherwise it won't move. If I let it "buzz" too long at low throttle, it brings me back to issue #2 where the motor is just dead until I move the crank manually. 4) I'm getting a lot of bobbin tangle, which doesn't affect my stitches. At the end of my sewing session, when it is time to pull the material away after lifting the foot, there are two or four threads going into the bobbin area which seem caught around the hook assembly or something. Doesn't affect my product, but it's annoying and scary wondering if you just screwed up 55" of leather that you just spend the past two hours cutting, gluing, and creasing Conclusion: After spending about $500 after taxes, I am thinking of returning it all. I have an eBay claim opened on the crank because it is out of balance and the handle part isn't threaded, so I won't take any loss on that. And the barracuda is still within return period. In retrospect I can probably find a consew 206rb for around $500 and just top mount the servo motor (didn't know I could do that). Lesson learned.

E6000 if you don't want to stitch. Carpet tape if you need a temporary hold before stitching.

Thanks! Not too many good ones on Craig's at the moment. I went to bed last night considering just making a small custom table so I can use one of those external motor machines like a 31-15. My portable would be left out permanently on a table anyway. My main issue was having to fit one of those large tables that come with the external motor units. They seem to be about 5ft long? Maybe folding flaps on the end to expand the table when in use? No used sailrites in my area anyway I think the cheapest is $675 for a used red one, but that's also a 3hr drive. Wouldn't pay that much even if it were next door, though.

Thank you. Home Depot carries the barracuda and a 90 day no questions return policy, but I may just spring for a used sailrite. I wasn't aware there were major differences in the internals between clones. Cheers

Are you guys implying I should wait for the new tandy machine?

Thanks. I don't mind doing bolt on modifications or repairs within reason. I am just hesitant to buy those series of machines because people seem to really dislike the consew version. Cp206rl? I understand there's a few versions of the machine from rex and techsew also. All basically clones. If I can unbox it, throw a new flywheel on, and make consistent reliable stitches for my project, I'm happy. Not looking to expand into veg tan or more layers any time soon.

Hi everyone, I read the machine faq and did a fair amount of searching, but I'm still confused about which models to focus on. I want a machine to do a specific task - make straight lock stitches for a bag strap made of two layers of 3oz garment and stiffener (texon) between. I'm doing maybe 2-3 straps a week. How cheap can I go? The portable sailrite clones seemed like they'd get the job done, but then I read some posts about how horrible they are. I really don't want to spend four digits on a true industrial machine for such a small task. I would appreciate if someone could offer specific model #s for me to search for on Craig's. I don't mind vintage, and I'd really prefer a portable unit (no under the table motor) because I live in a tiny NYC studio. Thanks!