AlainaZ

Well, I haven't spent much time on it so I can't say, since it was donated to us in not great condition. I am certified only by Juki, and I find most other brands to be unnecessarily frustrating. But a lot of that is because 95% of my experience is Juki, so I'm biased. But yeah, I've been sour on other brands. Poor or non-existent documentation, difficult to get parts. The machine fell over in transport and several pieces broke and Singer says they don't have replacements. We're selling this and replacing it with a refurbished Juki LS-1341

I've got a problem that I've never encountered before. I fixed a badly mistimed hook, but then this started happening. As you hopefully can see inr the video, the feed is pushing forward and then back with each stitch. Does anyone know why it is doing that? Thanks in advance PXL_20250226_000837642.mp4

Great advice, thanks everyone. I didn't know you could even get a flatbed attachment for the LS-1341 but a company in LA is selling a used machine with one. Sold!

A client has this Liebersew walking foot. The model number fell off but I did a search and it looks like a ZJ-0628. My question is: is this a clone of any other machine, a Juki maybe? And if it's not a clone, does anyone have suggestions for how to get replacement parts? Wawak doesn't have them. Specifically the tension post and the feed dial. Thanks for your help.

The makerspace I volunteer at is in the market for a Juki walking foot. We only have room for one machine. The question is which should we buy: a cylinder bed or a flat bed? I have experience fixing both but have spent little time actually sewing projects on them so I don't have a good sense of how versatile each type is. Our members could come in with any kind of leather sewing project: handbags, pants, upholstery, so my aim is to get the machine that will be best overall for the biggest variety of projects. Any opinions?

So... Even after spending several thousand dollars getting certified by Juki, they won't give me the engineer manual for the DDL-8700. They claim it doesn't exist, but I know it does because we referenced something with the information I want in class. The reason I want it is the DDL-8700-7 and all the other electronic engineer manuals that I have don't cover the full set of the standard adjustments. For example- how to set the tension assembly. So, does anyone have this manual? Does it exist or did they show it to us and then burn all copies? Any model of DDL would be something, even if it's not the 8700 specifically. TIA, you all are great

This is very basic and I'm sure you've thought of it, but I have to mention it because it's something I've encountered a bunch: make sure the motor is set to go the right way. I've seen either a switch (servo) or a plug on the motor (clutch)- if you turn the plug upside down it turns the other way.

If it is indeed a Singer 95 clone I sewed with one of those professionally for years and it was probably the best machine I've ever used. I was mostly doing dressmaking, but I managed a wide range of materials on it, including about 5/8" thick of muslin. The only thing you may not like is it is a small machine so the distance between the needle and the side is less. (Note: it's been 12 years since I left that job so my memory about it could be faulty!)

Can anyone recommend a heavy-duty snap? I just bought some snaps from Buckleguy but they aren't anywhere near strong enough and I don't want to have to keep buying samples. This is for a body harness (as well as motorcycle gear) and will take a moderate amount of stress. Thanks in advance!

I encourage beginners to get a simple but quality used machine, which sometimes means an initial outlay of money. My reasoning is that if you get a cheap machine, you won't know whether problems are you or the machine and you'll be more likely to get discouraged and sew less (nevermind all the hours wasted cursing the machine). I say this from experience! The great thing about used industrials is that they keep their value. If you pay $800 for it, you'll get $800 back even if you've been using it for ten solid years. Personally, I think a Juki is worth the higher price. They are great machines, and most importantly, you can easily get parts for them. I'm so tired of trying to get parts for the Singers I work with! Half the time they send me something that doesn't even fit properly because they discontinued the parts ages ago. Every model Juki I've used has been excellent, so get whatever is available to you that is suited to your needs (probably a walking foot?)

Can we see a video of the skipping?

I am making a travel case for my sewing & patternmaking supplies. I would like to use a medium weight leather to cut down on weight. The dimensions are width 24.5", height 14.5", depth 3.5". It will fully open with a zipper. I am concerned about how long the case is, I'm guessing it will probably collapse on itself, and so I was thinking of making two channels on either side of the top long edge and inserting metal rods. I'm wondering if anyone has any other ideas? Metal rods seem a little weird, but I'm new to bag making and wondering if there are materials/solutions I don't know about. The dimensions have to stay the same but I'm open to any other design changes.

I have not tried the Cobra, so I can't answer your specific question. But I've worked a lot with the LS-1341 (helping hundreds of undergrads use it, no less) and found it to be reliable.

Is a WTB post allowed here? I volunteer at a makerspace and I'd like to bulk up their supply of hand-sewing leather tools. Nothing fancy, it's all newbs to the craft. Perhaps you've upgraded and have some old cheap tools you don't need anymore? I'll pay whatever is fair. I prefer to buy multiple items at once to save on shipping. US only, shipping to California. I'm particularly looking for stitching ponies, but also setters, punches, embossing, skivers, etc. Not looking for thread or dye etc Thanks in advance

I second looking up Joe Vais. He's a master with machines and one of the most trustworthy people in the business that I know. (This based on my experience looking for mechanics to supplement my machine work at Parsons. We tried about half a dozen people and Joe was our go-to)