226R-1 Vs 226Rb

[krista]

what do the letters in a machines name stand for?

for example a Consew 226R-1 vs a Consew 226RB

thanks in advance

[CowboyBob]

The RB-1 is alittle newer machine with a different handwheel (stamped steel) the RB should have a cast iron wheel the look similar to the old Singer 111w machines.

Bob

[Wizcrafts]

Maybe the R stands for Reverse. This Singer 111 machines lacked reverse, except for one sub-class (156).

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Consew 226, 226R, 226R-1, 226R-2 has three different casting frames. The oldest has an 'old style' reverse that dates back the the '60s, one of the first Seiko Mfg. machines seen. 226R-1, 226R-2 has a new style casting, with a 'notch', or flat above near the take up Lever, for lack of better description. This very popular machine was discontinued and replaced by Consew with the new current Consew 255RB-3. Different casting, large dial stitch length regulator, centralized lube, large bobbin.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Gregg From Keystone Sewing

[krista]

awesome, thanks for the info Greg. very helpful

[xtown]

I've been reading and lurking for a little while and love the site and depth of knowledge. Thank you.

A local Detroit gal retired from her car upholstery hobby and I bought her Consew 206RB-2 and Table with clutch motor. When I picked it up she threw in a Consew 226RB head she didn't use for a few $ more.

My wife wants a machine for furniture re-upholstery including some leather. I want to play with backpacks and bags. I thought I would sell one head with the clutch motor and buy a Servo for the table and head I'm keeping.

I've read through related threads and don't see a clear advantage for keeping one over the other beyond possible bobbin size, etc. Is there an advantage of one over the other or easier to set, etc.?

Any suggestions? Thank you.

[CowboyBob]

Yes,the 206 has a larger bobbin,it is also easier to adjust the stitch length than on the 226.

[cdthayer]

On 2/12/2012 at 6:27 AM, Gregg From Keystone Sewing said:

Consew 226, 226R, 226R-1, 226R-2 has three different casting frames. The oldest has an 'old style' reverse that dates back the the '60s, one of the first Seiko Mfg. machines seen. 226R-1, 226R-2 has a new style casting, with a 'notch', or flat above near the take up Lever, for lack of better description.

I’ve come up with three old basket-case Consew 226 machines, and would like for Gregg or someone else to expand a little more on identifying the differences between the older and newer machine castings.  I don’t know what the “'old style' reverse that dates back the '60s” looked like, and since parts are so readily swapped from one machine to another (even from Singers), I’m hoping that the castings will help date them.

Ignore the balance wheel on the first machine (596).  It’s not the correct wheel, and causes the belt to rub the near side of the belt slot.  The power stand that it was in has a “smoked” black spot on the side of the belt groove where it was rubbing pretty hard.  It rubbed on the belt slot of my treadle too.  The set screws are inside the belt groove (three set screws and a fourth oil hole), throwing the belt groove too far to the left when positioned for the set screw to be on the “flat” on the upper shaft.  There is not a “'notch', or flat above near the take up Lever” on this machine, but more of a domed or rounded area. It has a large reverse lever, but those can be swapped out too.  Does the domed vs flat area mean that this machine is newer than the ones with the flat area?  Serial number is WB8404192.

The second machine (597) with the narrow wheel has two set screws in the belt groove, a flat area above the take-up lever, and a short, stubby, more plain reverse lever.  Serial number is MH6404073.

The third machine (598) with the narrow wheel (chipped deep into the belt groove and not useable) has two set screws in the shoulder of the wheel to the left of the belt groove (like my Singer 111s).  Maybe it’s got a Singer wheel on it?  And it too has a flat area above the take-up lever and a short, stubby, more plain reverse lever.  Serial number is WB6907098.

All three machines have tags on them that only say “226” without any “R” or anything else following the numbers.  From what I understand, all of the Consew 226 machines had reverse.  The first machine (with the wrong balance wheel) test sewed good after adjustments (in my treadle, on a pair of insulated coveralls) and will go to my daughter in OKC.  She has one of the two power stands that came with these machines.  It will need a servo motor.  She’s active in a Chevy “square body” club, and has expressed an interest in learning about auto upholstery, so I’m trying to help get her going.  I’ll keep the other two and see what I come up with for me (maybe one good machine out of the two?).

CD in Oklahoma

 

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

I can't really add too much to this one, but I DO have a parts book for the 226 Old Frame that I don't think is on Consew's website for download, this may help separate the two;

Consew 226 Old Frame with Old Reverse Mechinisim

[cdthayer]

Thanks for responding Gregg, and I appreciate the parts book. The short reverse feed levers on mine don’t appear to match either of the two levers in the parts book, so I’m going to have to study the differences between the actual mechanisms. I was hoping that photos might help in the identification, but you probably need to see under them.

I don’t really need to know more about the age of my machines.  I was just curious if they were Seiko or something else.  I’d say that they were made some time between 1960 and 1982, because I have the 1960 issue of the Consew “New Industrial Sewing Machines, Parts, and Accessories” and while the 225 was in the lineup as the newest thing, the 226 wasn’t even mentioned.  My wife and I have depended on our 225 for the bulk of our combination feed sewing for the past 10 years, and will probably continue to do so.  We do mostly just alterations and repairs, and it’s been an excellent machine for that purpose.

I’m going to need to get a balance wheel for my daughter’s 226 machine and then it will be ready for her.  Later on, I’ll see what the other two are going to need.

Thanks again.

CD in Oklahoma

 

[cdthayer]

On 8/8/2016 at 0:37 PM, cdthayer said:

I’m going to need to get a balance wheel for my daughter’s 226 machine and then it will be ready for her

My daughter’s Consew 226 looks a lot better with the correct balance wheel on it that I got from Gregg.  I gave it a spin in my Singer Industrial Treadle Stand and snapped a photo of it.  It should make a nice machine for my daughter, once she gets it mounted into her K-leg power stand, and gets the new servo motor that just arrived from Bob hooked up to it.  She’s still re-arranging her furniture in an attempt to get her machine worked in with the common “too much stuff - too small of a house” problem, so no telling when it may actually get to sewing, but it’s ready for her.

Thanks to Leatherworker(dot)net for having such good Vendors on-hand to introduce me to.  Gregg and Bob have been great to work with for these parts.  I may never have met them if it hadn’t been for this forum.

CD in Oklahoma