Singer 111w155 or the Consew 225 clone

[unclebubba]

Having never owned an industrial sewing machine before, I have found a Singer sewing machine technician about 50 mile away that

has some older black singer 111w155's and some Consew 225's for sale with motor and table. He will deliver and sew them

off for around $600. I would like to know if this is a decent price, and which would you buy the Singer or the Consew. Is there

a benefit for one over the other since the consew 225 is a clone and probably a newer machine

[Luke Hatley]

machines.... $600.00 delivered would be about right. He is making $$$$$$

on the sale. But be sure that the machines will sew well and try sewing with #138 thread

on the top. if he is at your house showing you what the machines can do then this

is a plus.

either one of the machines will be great for lite weight to medium weight leather.

be sure to ask him for leather needles.

Edited July 19, 2009 by Luke Hatley

[captkit]

Having never owned an industrial sewing machine before, I have found a Singer sewing machine technician about 50 mile away that

has some older black singer 111w155's and some Consew 225's for sale with motor and table. He will deliver and sew them

off for around $600. I would like to know if this is a decent price, and which would you buy the Singer or the Consew. Is there

a benefit for one over the other since the consew 225 is a clone and probably a newer machine

I used a 111w154 to make clothes and handbags at my shop in the 1970's. That machine never failed and taught me machine mechanics (it is simple). The 155 is a better machine, more precise and quieter. In those days Consew was considered a knockoff. I would buy the Singer unless the Consew has reverse stitching. You can live without reverse but why? Also, if the guy has them look at an older Juki they're very good.

[Cobra Steve]

Uncle Bubba, the Singer 111W155 and the Consew 225 are basically the same machine. Both are great machines. Neither one has reverse. If you are going to use for leather, you will probably will have to change the motor and possibly add a speed reducer if you want it to perform the way a true leather stitcher does. Other than that, they will last a long time, and parts are always available. Thanks, Steve

[neelsaddlery]

Having never owned an industrial sewing machine before, I have found a Singer sewing machine technician about 50 mile away that

has some older black singer 111w155's and some Consew 225's for sale with motor and table. He will deliver and sew them

off for around $600. I would like to know if this is a decent price, and which would you buy the Singer or the Consew. Is there

a benefit for one over the other since the consew 225 is a clone and probably a newer machine

From the perspective of a dealer, I would say that you would be getting a decent price here, as long as the dealer is willing to go over the machine and replace any worn parts, etc. However, if he is just selling the machine as he gets it, and not bothering to do any reconditioning, then it might be a better idea to look elsewhere.

These old 111 and 225 machines go pretty cheap at auction, and even cheaper when plants close and they are bought out. I have had offers to buy complete units out of plant closings for as little as $100.00-$150.00 each, with stand, motor, table, and machine head.

Auction prices for these machines (for sale to end users) would be anywhere from $200.00-$300.00. I see them go in excellent condition in an average year at the Weaver auction. I see them go for much less in off years at the Weaver auction.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[kevinhopkins]

Hi... The price is ok, but like Steve said, unless you're a "sewing machine person", you'll probably want to put a servo motor and a speed reducer on it. Otherwise, you need to get used to the idea that you're going to have to go thru a learning curve with your happy little foot! Those clutch motors take off like a shot! Good machines tho.

Happy sewing!

Kevin

[neelsaddlery]

If you are trying to buy the machine on a budget, and don't have the extra cash for a servo motor or speed reducer, then you can do the following:

1. If the motor is a 1725 RPM motor, then get the smallest pulley you can find to put on it. The smallest pulleys that we find for most Amco style clutch motors are in the range of 2" to 2 1/8" in diameter. If the pulley on the motor is larger than this, then the machine will go too fast.

2. On the clutch motor, adjust the lever tension to the highest possible setting. This will not only allow the brake on the clutch motor to work more effectively, but will also make it a bit harder to push down on the pedal. This hopefully will stop the urge for you to slam the pedal to the floor, making the motor take off at top speed.

3. You can also wrap a bungee cord around the lever on the clutch motor to increase pedal resistance. This again will make it less likely that you'll stomp the pedal to the floor.

4. Try placing a block of wood under the treadle pedal. This will allow the pedal to go down only so far, which again can help control the speed a bit.

These suggestions should be used only if you don't want to pony up the extra money for a speed reducer or servo motor. The servo motors will run around the $140.00-$160.00 price range, and the speed reducers can run around $125.00 or so. This is over half of what you will pay for the machine.

If you add the $600.00 purchase price to the $300.00 motor and reducer combo, then you are looking at close to $900.00. We sell brand new complete walking foot machines with servo motors installed for this price!!!

If you need to add a reducer and servo motor to it, then it is not worth the $600.00 price tag. Look elsewhere for a better deal.

Edited August 14, 2009 by neelsaddlery

[JoeS]

Uncle Bubba,

From a new guys perspective, if you have some patience you can pick up old machines on craigs list much cheaper. I picked up a 111-154, 2 31-15s and a patcher with tables and motors each for under $100. The down side is they probably have been laying somewhere and need a lot of cleaning and tuning up. I learned a lot from www.needlebar.org forum and you can get many of the old singer manuals online as well. The 111-154 I have is identical to the juki 563 we have at work except for the reverse lever. The thing rips so fast I can't use it but the seamstress at work loves it. A treadle is my top speed now, but I haven't put years in on them yet.

Happy Hunting,

joe

[coheteia]

I just purchased a 111w155 last month. I am having moderate success controlling the speed of the machine by putting a ball under the petal, however, I am still interested in a servo motor and speed reducer per this websites recommendations. My questions are why would I need both? Can I just buy one or the other to reduce the speed and are there certain brands or models that work best with this machine?

Thanks,

Heather

[Northmount]

Motors lose torque at low speeds. So if you are trying to punch through thick or hard temper leather a stitch at a time going around a tight curve, the motor is going too slow to produce the torque needed. The addition of a speed reduce set of pulleys gets the motor speed back up, and increases the torque available to your machine.

If a speed reduce is 4:1 speed reduction, it will give you a 4x torque amplification besides the increased available motor torque due to its higher speed.

Tom