Should I buy this Ferdinand 900b sewing machine?

[Gael]

A relative had this old machine and is willing to sell to me for 800$ i usually make belts wallets and such things like that. Would I have to put a lot of money into it if it has been sitting for a long time ? Could I use it daily? Does it matter that it only has one foot and not 2 like a regular walking foot sewing machine? Thank yall

-Gael 

[Gael]

Add on: I always want to get started on saddelry 

[AlZilla]

This thread says needle feed, jump foot and some of the parts are unique to that particular machine: 

If the relative wanted to give you $800 to take it off his hands, maybe it's a nice coat rack.

 

[kgg]

8 hours ago, Gael said:

Would I have to put a lot of money into it if it has been sitting for a long time ? Could I use it daily?

With any sort of odd ball machines finding parts can be a chore and then add only one supplier of parts I would personally steer clear of the machine. That said if the price was dirt cheap, not $800, then maybe.

kgg

[Cumberland Highpower]

12 hours ago, Gael said:

A relative had this old machine and is willing to sell to me for 800$ i usually make belts wallets and such things like that. Would I have to put a lot of money into it if it has been sitting for a long time ? Could I use it daily? Does it matter that it only has one foot and not 2 like a regular walking foot sewing machine? Thank yall

-Gael 

Of course you should buy it!   That's a great heavy machine.   It's a needle feed true jump foot.  Really about the best setup for leather.    

That machine probably sold for 7k new back in it's day 30 years ago.   Parts wise it's 95% a Seiko CH series machine.  Seiko still makes these models and parts are available.  I highly doubt this machine was used enough to wear out anything.  The handful of parts that Ferdinand made for it in the conversion are not available, but any machine shop can make them.   Those parts are just simple metal shapes you could even make with a vise, hacksaw and a file.

Shuttle hooks, bobbins, feed dogs, needles, needle plate, etc are all available.  Presser feet are probably same as Seiko CH7.  Being a true jump foot/needle feed machine, you only really need ONE presser foot. a narrow open toe.  You can do the same work with that as with all the feet combined on a "modern" unison feed machine.
I'd buy it for $800 myself.  Want to sell it?

Don't waste your time calling dealers...Hoffman Bros won't know anything.  Everyone you talk to will try to sell you a Chinese clone of a Juki like it's made from gold and your machine is made from...poop.  

You'll just have to learn your machine and learn how to source your own parts on Ebay, Alibaba, Yahoo Auctions Japan, Cambell-Randall, College Sewing machine, etc.   Study the Seiko CH series. Like I said before, I don't think you'll need anything other than feet/needle plates/dogs.  Seiko builds quality machines.  It seems like allot of folks get into the hobby and when they buy something they don't know what they have, how to work on it, how to tune it, etc and expect a dealer or someone else to hold hands and walk them through it.

The one thing I would try (I've never tried it on a 900b) if I were you, would be to use a 328 needle and lower the needle bar.  A shorter needle will have less flex and give you less issues with breakage.  you don't need a 794 needle for most work.

Edited 11 minutes ago by Cumberland Highpower

[Cumberland Highpower]

5 hours ago, AlZilla said:

This thread says needle feed, jump foot and some of the parts are unique to that particular machine: 

If the relative wanted to give you $800 to take it off his hands, maybe it's a nice coat rack.

 

Well, I think that's a bit of a stretch...LOL.   I think the relative should just give it from love and affection and all that

Edited 13 minutes ago by Cumberland Highpower