Ga5-1

[marcos89]

Ok so i been thinking of getting a GA5-1(not with the R) and im having mixed feeling about it. i mainly do belts, wallets and stuff like that. In recent days i been asked to do breast collars horse tack and hopefully one day move up to saddles BUT i dont know if this machine is right for me. I want something a little versatile that i can do some "light" projects yet it can tackle 3/4' projects. according to the specs it will sew 1/2 inch and the foot can be raised up tp 3/4 of an inch. im fairly new to sewing machines and im not really sure if this would be something that i could use for light and HEAVY projects. I know people say dont base your purchase on money but when the money aint there well it aint there no matter how much you want it to be. Who has a GA5-1 and can give me a review on the machine. how well it works and how thick in your personal experience have used it for?

thanks

Marcos

Edited June 22, 2012 by marcos89

[Wizcrafts]

Marco;

I don't have a GA5-1, but I have spoken to dealers who sell that type of machine and all seem to agree that it is maxed out even sewing 7/16 inch. I have never seen a spec that shows the presser foot being able to lift over 1/2 inch. Would you mind providing a link to the machine you are considering?

[marcos89]

Marco;

I don't have a GA5-1, but I have spoken to dealers who sell that type of machine and all seem to agree that it is maxed out even sewing 7/16 inch. I have never seen a spec that shows the presser foot being able to lift over 1/2 inch. Would you mind providing a link to the machine you are considering?

heres a link of the ebay post. this person is 2 hours away from where i live and i wanted to go check it out but before i went i wanted to do as much research as i could.

it states that it lifts up to 3/4 of an inch on the post but i been getting mixed reviews online.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HEAVY-DUTY-SADDLES-HARNESSES-Cylinder-Bed-SEWING-MACHINE-LEATHER-BUSTER?item=251056380627&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D99449558345895772

thanks

Marcos

Edited June 22, 2012 by marcos89

[Wizcrafts]

it states that it lifts up to 3/4 of an inch on the post but i been getting mixed reviews online.

http://www.ebay.com/...449558345895772

thanks

Marcos

The 7 dimes, at about 1/16" each, show the actual maximum lift and sewing thickness you can expect in the real world. The type of material will have an impact on how much higher you can cheat and pre-raise the presser bar. If you have to sew 5/8 inch of nylon webbing, or buffing wheels, you can loosen a set screw on the foot bar clamp and raise the foot to clear that much material. In return, you will have about 1/8+" of free space under the raised foot. If you need to sew something thin, you'll need to reposition the foot.

The spring used to hold down the foot is not heavy enough to keep 1/2 inch of veg-tan leather from lifting with the needle. When the needle gets stuck, you have skipped stitches.

The feed is bottom only, via feed dogs with serious teeth. The more top pressure you apply, the deeper the tooth marks will be.

The needle system used in these machines normally starts at #22, which is the right size for #138 thread. If you want to use thinner thread, into thin wallet parts, you must hunt down thinner needles, in size 18.

You can learn more about these machines here

Here is another GA5-1

Edited June 22, 2012 by Wizcrafts

[marcos89]

The 7 dimes, at about 1/16" each, show the actual maximum lift and sewing thickness you can expect in the real world. The type of material will have an impact on how much higher you can cheat and pre-raise the presser bar. If you have to sew 5/8 inch of nylon webbing, or buffing wheels, you can loosen a set screw on the foot bar clamp and raise the foot to clear that much material. In return, you will have about 1/8+" of free space under the raised foot. If you need to sew something thin, you'll need to reposition the foot.

The spring used to hold down the foot is not heavy enough to keep 1/2 inch of veg-tan leather from lifting with the needle. When the needle gets stuck, you have skipped stitches.

The feed is bottom only, via feed dogs with serious teeth. The more top pressure you apply, the deeper the tooth marks will be.

The needle system used in these machines normally starts at #22, which is the right size for #138 thread. If you want to use thinner thread, into thin wallet parts, you must hunt down thinner needles, in size 18.

You can learn more about these machines here

Here is another GA5-1

thank you for your feed back it help to understand all this alot better =D

[Techsew Ron]

I should warn you, most people who make the mistake of buying this machine from one of the ebay drop-shippers end up calling me a week later looking for replacement parts, accessories, instruction manuals and technical support since the seller doesn't offer any of these. Keep in mind the few hundred in savings will easily be spent on getting a technician to set up your machine properly, accessories that aren't included, replacing parts that break (if you can find them) etc..

Buying it from a reputable dealer will save you MANY headaches.

Ron

[jrivera]

Ron thanks for the advice. Soi myself have GA5-1 sewing machine and would like to get a manual for it so that i can do some adjustments on it. my thread seems to be bird caging as it goes through the leather. can you help with this?

[CowboyBob]

This is almost always when either the top tension is to loose or not threaded correctly.Do you know you need to go around the 2nd tension 1&1/2?

[Colt W Knight]

I want something a little versatile that i can do some "light" projects yet it can tackle 3/4' projects

 

I just want to point out that there probably isn't a machine out there that will sew light and really HD projects equally well without a ton setup work switching between the two.

[Techsew Ron]

15 hours ago, jrivera said:

Ron thanks for the advice. Soi myself have GA5-1 sewing machine and would like to get a manual for it so that i can do some adjustments on it. my thread seems to be bird caging as it goes through the leather. can you help with this?

sure what is your email address?

[jrivera]

3 hours ago, Techsew Ron said:

sure what is your email address?

jrivera608 AT gmail DOT com

Edited June 22, 2016 by Wizcrafts
Obscured member's email address against harvester bots