Looking for flat bed, triple feed purchasing advice

[stitchgearhead]

Hello all

I'm looking to buy a flat bed, walking foot machine for my hobby. There's not much to choose from around here, that is not very expensive, and I've found 3 options so far. I would like your advice on these, please, as far as...well, everything that has to do with using the machine, on a hobby (i.e., not professional) situation.

1 - PFAFF 546-748-01 (I think) - twin needle, unison feed (has an aditional roller puller behind the feet, to help pull heavy pieces)  - no table, just the machine head

2 - PFAFF 1245 (2 different machines, from different sellers. One seems younger, and is white).

3 - Singer 211 - don't know the version, but sellers states that bobbins are large, not small.

So, anything you can tell me about these machines would be helpful. As far as I can see, any of them would work for the kind of light-medium work I intend to use it for. May even be overkill, I don't know.

I'm trying to keep it short. Tanks for the help.

Daniel Fróis

 

[TomE]

These machines have been discussed here quite often.  Try a key word search of this forum for each model using quotes, e.g. "Pfaff 1245".

[stitchgearhead]

@TomE: I already did, and learned quite a lot. I didn't want to make a very long post with all I could find on them. But the PFAFF 546, for instance, has not been discussed here at all, that I could find...and, if it's similar to some other model (like the 1245) that has been discussed often, I don't know of those similarities. That's why I asked. The 1245 and the Singer 211 have, but not the 546. I have read the manual, and it belongs to the family of the 141, 142, 145, etc, (but it is a very special version)...so I will go with that.

But that's OK. I will make the choice based on what I know, and hope for the best.

Thanks anyway.

Daniel

 

[fibersport]

Look at the post "buying a used first industrial machine", the poster is looking at similar machines.  I didn't realize that there were different versions of the Pfaff 1245, I would really like one of the newer versions myself.  I believe if you have a twin needle machine, you can always run with just one needld, not sure how that affects the presser foot and such.  I have a Pfaff 545 and really like it despite it being an older machine.  

Edited November 13, 2023 by fibersport

[AlZilla]

18 hours ago, stitchgearhead said:

PFAFF 546

These guys have a manual for it:

https://www.manualslib.com/products/Pfaff-546-3553107.html

[stitchgearhead]

@fibersport: Thanks, I already read that, as well as many, many more posts on this forum. Thanks to the knowledgeable members here, I now know immensely more about sewing machines than I did a few months ago, and was able to get my first machine (a Durkopp Adler 268-263) into beautiful working order. I think I am now capable of working out most issues that I came across. What drove me to this post was the PFAFF 546, a not very often mentioned model.

@AlZilla: thanks, but I already have that particular PDF. It is a manual for a large number of models, all based on the general PFAFF 141 architecture, of which the 145 and the 546 are simply variants. That's what I didn't know. If I did, I might not have posted this.

For the record, the 546 is a walking foot, twin needle flatbed version, which has an additional roller puller behind the needle area, to help pull large/difficult/long  materials. It requires a non standard table cutout, due to the additional area needed for the roller puller.

But, it should do for what I need.

Thanks for the help.

Daniel