Help Me Choose The Right Sewing Machine

[neelsaddlery]

Thank you as well Johanna.

The OP asked which machine was the best choice for him. The conversation certainly went south from there! I see we have a few raw nerves exposed.

I got a note from a friend today, and I want to share part of it:

We do not see how it is of the interest to potential customers where exactly the machines come from, as long as they work the way they should and deliver solid value to the customer for years to come.

What matters most is that the customer gets a good machine, great service and gets the right information about the products they are buying. I believe this is the responsibility of the moderators in the sewing machine forum, regardless of which companies they have personally dealt with or are affiliated with or work for.

Please keep a professional factual tone if there is anything left to say on this subject. Threads that are not instructive or constructive are closed. Running with scissors is not permitted here. Thank you all for your cooperation.

Johanna

[neelsaddlery]

Art:

1. For the sake of our readers, could you please describe in detail the nature of the license that you hold. Is it an import license? Some additional clarification would be appreciated.

2. I am sorry if I offended you, but it seems that you may be in need of some additional clarification and enlightenment regarding the import process and necessary documentation required. You mentioned in your previous post that you signed off on all of the import documents and were required to list the name of the manufacturer of the goods. I offered a counterpoint stating that US customs prohibits the importer of record from completing any such forms, and that on those forms there is no place for the manufacturer of the goods to be listed. With regard to your assertion that I had asked Steve to ask you to provide import information for me, the only thing I can think of is that when we were at a show a few years back Steve mentioned that you were using Import Genius, which is a generic software program designed to access existing US Customs databases for records of importation into the United States. This software is available to the general public and to anyone who wishes to pay the monthly subscription charge of $299.00. I remember I had asked Steve to see if you could access our import information and also that of several competitors to check the efficacy of the software. Access to such information is dependant on paying the monthly subscription fee only, and does not demonstrate any degree of knowledge with regard to importation and the associated rules and regulations, nor with regard to import policy and procedure as dictated by US Customs.

3. Art, it seems that you have some sort of fixation regarding the name of the manufacturer of our CB-4500 sewing machines. As I have stated in my previous post, all of my replys were directed towards comments that you had made regarding our theater of operations in China. They were not directed toward the OP who asked where the machines were built, and if you will scroll up, the original question asked by the OP was "Were the CB-4500 and the Cobra Class 4 made in the same factory?". The question was not, "Where is the CB-4500 made?". At the present time I cannot provide the name of the manufacturer of our CB-4500 machines, as the current market climate and nature of the the business in China would not make it a wise decision for me to do so. However, in about two months time, I will provide a free release of the name of the manufacturer of our CB-4500 machines. Not sure if you are trying to indicate that I am attempting to be deceptive, but at the present time I simply cannot release the name of our manufacturer.

In any event, I fail to see the relevance of any of this as it pertains to the users of the end product. The users of the sewing machines in the USA never really seem to ask or care about the names, addresses, or locations of the manufacturers of the machines in China. The predominate question that seems to be asked is "Is X's machine made in the same factory as Y's machine". Not, "What is the name and address of the manufacturer of seller Y's machine". The observations being made by the end users of the machines are used only as a basis to compare quality, Not to know the specific name of the manufacturer of the machines. The average end user in this forum could care less where the machines are made, they only want to know how seller X's machine compares to seller Y's machine.

The manufacturer of the machines is also irrelevant in that they have no control over the warranty, customer service, or level of support offered by the dealer here in the USA. They only build the machines. Nothing more. The predominant question that any buyer asks is whether or not the machine is of good quality, as well as what level of customer support and warranty they can expect, as well as price.

For the most part now in China, the quality amongst the major manufacturers of the 441 clone machines pretty well matches up. There are some small differences amongst the major manufacturers, but these differences are so small that the end user would never be able to discern them. Only an importer who knows the machines very well would be able to detect these differences.

Ryan,

1. I am an importer and hold a license.

2. The last thing you need to do is educate me, as you have asked Steve a number of times to have me find out import information for you.

3. You still didn't answer the question, Who makes (what factory) the cb4500.

Art

[broncobuster]

hi im not going to get into this but i do upholstry work n chap work n whatever else work. im still in the stone ages n i use an ols ANKER upholstry machine n i use that one for 30 yrs on just about everything. i use it for zipper replacement in coats, i make rodeo chaps n its goes threw 4 thickness of 4oz leather etc.. I also use a singer 111-153w which is a walking foot n that i put wear leathers on one inch thick wool blankets n it goes threw the 8-9 oz wear leather also. so ive use a very new machine n i have broke that one nothing to major but was an odd break. most all my machines are pre 1940s. not saying the new cowboys or techsew or cobras or whatever will not work for ya. but im an ol time machine operater. n i put a lot of hours on machines n if i spend more time fixing than working im not happy. and the other part is im cheap these machines i bought under 400.00 each. they are both industrial upholstry machines. n they go threw leather just fine. just go places n look at machines and take the thicknesses of leather your sewing threw and try them out. that is my suggestion. im not going to say one machines is any better than another. search ebay, craigslist, industrial sewing places, upholstry shops, shoe shops, n check them out they can let ya try theres out or tell you where to look. hope this helps some. Bronc

[Stocksuspension]

Thanks bronco