Witchydmg Report post Posted May 14, 2013 Hi, I sew bags using medium to heavy weight upholstery material, and I am looking to purchase a machine that can handle the thickness. The sewn part is usually not more than 1/2" thick, but often it is next to a spot that is almost 3/4" thick that one side of the foot has to maneuver over. Hopefully that makes sense. My heavy duty Janome 3000 and my Pfaff 260 just cannot handle it cleanly and consistently. I have been researching the Juki 1541s and just came across the Cobra 18. I am also interested in possibly sewing with some leather in the future, or at least to have the ability to do so. (My husband wants me to alter his leather motorcycle jacket). If I'm going to pay $1000+ for a machine, I want to make sure that I get a machine that can do what I want, not just barely do what I want. Any advice? Any other machine suggestions? Thanks, Danielle Guyear Monteagle, TN Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Techsew Ron Report post Posted May 14, 2013 Hi Danielle, Typically bags are sewn using a medium-weight machine however if you're sewing anything over 3/8" you'll need a more powerful machine than a Juki 1541 or Cobra 18. The most popular one would be a Juki 441 or a 441 clone that is offered by the dealers on this website. This kind of machine can sew anything from light leather up to about 7/8" thick. Ron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Witchydmg Report post Posted May 14, 2013 Thanks for your input Ron. I am going to focus my search on the Juki 441 clones that you suggested. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Witchydmg Report post Posted May 14, 2013 (edited) There is a Techsew 5100 for sale in these forums for $2500. Anybody have an opinion about these machines? And the price? Edited May 14, 2013 by Witchydmg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesmith648 Report post Posted May 15, 2013 A new one is 2695..........also a Cobra 4 or CB4500 are about the same price new..........check out the banners at the top of the page for our supporting vendors. Also there is a Union Lockstitch just listed for 1500.........now that is also a great machine!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tparrish Report post Posted May 16, 2013 That is my Techsew for sale. It has about 5 hours of use and lifetime warranty. Also just a heads up, shipping for my machine was $400 so keep that in mind. Good luck with the search! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
