Singer 734

[cjstair55]

Howdy!

I was hoping someone might have a bit of info. about a singer 7-34.

I am purchasing one for 1000.00 ( i'm going to pick it up in two weeks)

What I'm wondering is ..... how to date this machine, normally, the serial # can be looked up at singer home page, but someone broke the tag with the# stamped on it.

However, this machine is not black, it is grayish/silver colored. there must be some kind of cutoff date for the color change?

Also, I have not seen older singers that the serial # wasn't stamped on the main casting face. Could this also be an indication of it's age?

I am brand new to sewing leather, ( I mean BRAND new) The current owner of this machine, I trust and I have seen pictures of it, and the machine looks really clean, never abused or dropped. The current owner has had it for 6+yrs. and always taken it in to be serviced. I have seen these machines go for between 100.00(yard sale) to4000.00

and every where in between. Is this a normal price for a good running 7-34? P,S. I am going to be sewing 1/2" leather. I have heard so many glowing reports about the singer 7-33's from so many people that the smaller bobbin 7-34 should be great too. I'm excited. Thanx!!

[CowboyBob]

Over the yrs I have rebuilt & resold 100's of these 7 class we even used to put reverse on them(we always painted them gray too),they really holdup good.BUT they are a flatbed & always a flatbed which can be problems & the feet are very large & make it hard to get close to hardware.The modern machine have different plates & feet available for sewing things like holstarts ,stirrups,knife sheaths that can't be done on the 7 ,some parts are real hard to find for it too.The ser# is on the casting below the mod#

They also just have a bottom feed on them which can still mark your leather,the new style of machines have a smooth feed dog & even have a slotted plate available for fine leathers as they feed even with a feed dog with the walking feet & needle feed system.

The main reason I like to inform people is alot of times after they spend most of their money on a machine then after a few months they find out it doesn't work 100% for them THEN they call me & want me wanting to buy a machine provided I can give them what they have in the machine that doesn't workI really want to help them as much as I can BUT we have these machines on the shelf now & have to tell them we just don't have much call for them anymore.

Let me know if you have anymore questions or need any help.

Bob

[Art]

I think a lot of what you hear about the 7 Class machines was from years ago when there wasn't much to choose from when building a machine for leather. Don't get me wrong, the 7 Class is still a good machine for sewing heavy canvas tents, not heavy polyester or nylon tents, but heavy canvas tents. I just can't imagine anyone getting $4000 for one of them, few of them sell for $1000 anymore. The 441 machines have replaced them. When Juki 441s were still in patent, and for some time after, they were quite expensive, and the 7 Class was an alternative, when the 441 clones came in, the 7s went out. The 441 is also cylinder arm which is not only helpful, but necessary for some items.

I had a 7-33 once that I never used other than to get it running. It just sat around because I also had a 441 that just worked better. The feet on the 7 were what someone called canoe feet, probably because they looked like small boats; not great for leather. I eventually was talking to a guy that does tent rentals and I convinced him to take the 7. He is still using it to this day and wouldn't part with it. It is finally doing what it was made to do.

A 441 clone, set up for leather (smooth specialty feet and dogs, speed reducer, servo motor) will cost you under $2500, and for a short arm version as low as $1600. This is a way better bang for your buck than the old 7.

Some oldtimers remember the 7 fondly, but they have probably never used a 441.

Art

Howdy!

I was hoping someone might have a bit of info. about a singer 7-34.

I am purchasing one for 1000.00 ( i'm going to pick it up in two weeks)

What I'm wondering is ..... how to date this machine, normally, the serial # can be looked up at singer home page, but someone broke the tag with the# stamped on it.

However, this machine is not black, it is grayish/silver colored. there must be some kind of cutoff date for the color change?

Also, I have not seen older singers that the serial # wasn't stamped on the main casting face. Could this also be an indication of it's age?

I am brand new to sewing leather, ( I mean BRAND new) The current owner of this machine, I trust and I have seen pictures of it, and the machine looks really clean, never abused or dropped. The current owner has had it for 6+yrs. and always taken it in to be serviced. I have seen these machines go for between 100.00(yard sale) to4000.00

and every where in between. Is this a normal price for a good running 7-34? P,S. I am going to be sewing 1/2" leather. I have heard so many glowing reports about the singer 7-33's from so many people that the smaller bobbin 7-34 should be great too. I'm excited. Thanx!!

[cjstair55]

Howdy!

I was hoping someone might have a bit of info. about a singer 7-34.

I am purchasing one for 1000.00 ( i'm going to pick it up in two weeks)

What I'm wondering is ..... how to date this machine, normally, the serial # can be looked up at singer home page, but someone broke the tag with the# stamped on it.

However, this machine is not black, it is grayish/silver colored. there must be some kind of cutoff date for the color change?

Also, I have not seen older singers that the serial # wasn't stamped on the main casting face. Could this also be an indication of it's age?

I am brand new to sewing leather, ( I mean BRAND new) The current owner of this machine, I trust and I have seen pictures of it, and the machine looks really clean, never abused or dropped. The current owner has had it for 6+yrs. and always taken it in to be serviced. I have seen these machines go for between 100.00(yard sale) to4000.00

and every where in between. Is this a normal price for a good running 7-34?   P,S. I am going to be sewing 1/2" leather. I have heard so many glowing reports about the singer 7-33's from so many people that the smaller bobbin 7-34 should be great too. I'm excited. Thanx!!

[cjstair55]

Howdy!

I was hoping someone might have a bit of info. about a singer 7-34.

I am purchasing one for 1000.00 ( i'm going to pick it up in two weeks)

What I'm wondering is ..... how to date this machine, normally, the serial # can be looked up at singer home page, but someone broke the tag with the# stamped on it.

However, this machine is not black, it is grayish/silver colored. there must be some kind of cutoff date for the color change?

Also, I have not seen older singers that the serial # wasn't stamped on the main casting face. Could this also be an indication of it's age?

I am brand new to sewing leather, ( I mean BRAND new) The current owner of this machine, I trust and I have seen pictures of it, and the machine looks really clean, never abused or dropped. The current owner has had it for 6+yrs. and always taken it in to be serviced. I have seen these machines go for between 100.00(yard sale) to4000.00

and every where in between. Is this a normal price for a good running 7-34? P,S. I am going to be sewing 1/2" leather. I have heard so many glowing reports about the singer 7-33's from so many people that the smaller bobbin 7-34 should be great too. I'm excited. Thanx!!

[cjstair55]

Thanks, Art and Bob.

Thanks for your input about the 7-34. I did buy it, I just got it home, started sewing and, broke a needle. When I looked to see why, I noticed the new needle was coming down and hitting on the bobbin hook holder(it's the best way I know to describe it)

I guess I need to get ahold of a singer 7-34 repair manual and find out how to set the timing. I just wouldn't be happy not having to fix something on it.Any ideas where to get the repair manual? Singer has a user manual and a parts list for free, but no repair manual for the 7-34 Thanx guys

Christopher

[CowboyBob]

Christopher,

How much side play does the hook have?The race(the part that holds the hook)has a plate on the backside that sometimes gets old thread & dirt behind it,so you can take out the 2-screws that hold itin & take the screw out of the back that holds the spring & this plate on & clean it out.#2 If there's still alot of play the race can be wornout.

#3 looking underneath just to the laft of the hook area you'll see a screw w/a big head on it that goes into a clamp you can loosen this & move the whole race left & right re-tighten the scew as tight as you can get it when your done.

Bob

[cjstair55]

Christopher,

How much side play does the hook have?The race(the part that holds the hook)has a plate on the backside that sometimes gets old thread & dirt behind it,so you can take out the 2-screws that hold itin & take the screw out of the back that holds the spring & this plate on & clean it out.#2 If there's still alot of play the race can be wornout.

#3 looking underneath just to the laft of the hook area you'll see a screw w/a big head on it that goes into a clamp you can loosen this & move the whole race left & right re-tighten the scew as tight as you can get it when your done.

Bob

[CowboyBob]

I forgot to mention that I don't know of a repair manual for the 7 class.

Bob

[cjstair55]

Hey Bob,

I just checked the hook area, real clean, and almost no slop. I took out the screw holding the clamp in the backside of the race, it was nice and clean. I put it back in until the shoulder bolt bottomed out.

My problem is, the damn needle wants to come down and hit the race holder...bam! right into it. Somehow I need to change the timing of the needle and the shuttle. I downloaded a repair manual, but I can't tell from the picture exactly where screw/bolt is under the machine. Anyway, I'm beginning to think the only place to adjust the hook assembly is at the back of the machine at he crankshaft. I just don't understand how I could have caused such a huge problem so quickly. The only thing I could have really done wrong was to lift my foot off of the reverse before letting up on the run pedal, which would, I believe throw the feed from reverse into forward. I don't think it affects

the needle timing as it doesn't change. Do you have any info on how to set the timing? So far, I have had this machine set up and running for a maximum of one half hour in my dining room. Now that I have broken it, my wife is now thrilled to have a 5'x3' machine with me laying under it for hours. Thanx!

christopher

[CowboyBob]

Ok,you knpow the part that holds the race in follow it over the the right & it looks like a bushing just underneath it is the screw to loosen.