What Machine Do These Presser Feet Fit?

[Darren Brosowski]

Yes, there are 100 year old vehicles on the road but they get 2MPG and cost a fortune to keep on the road as parts have to be custom made.

Life expectancy is directly related to cost of materials and accuracy of manufacture. As I said before - Chinese heavy machines cost a months wages but a Pearson 6 when new was worth several years wages. Would you pay $100,000 for a new sewing machine?

A well cared for modern Chinese machine will easily run for 20 years or more before needing major work as the leather machines we are talking about rarely run at more than a couple of hundred stitches per minute. Bearing wear is directly related to RPM and the bearing areas are huge for the loads involved.

The Australian and US sewing industry folded because they tried to compete with Japan and then China while using machines that were 50 years old while the Asians poured money into modern technology.

China uses ultrasonic sewing machines for synthetic materials in the underwear industry and fully automatic machines for sheets and towels. The automotive comparison is relevant as it is the equivalent of using a Model A tray back to compete with a modern diesel prime mover for interstate deliveries.

The same goes for any production machinery.

But we aren't talking about vehicles here darren,we are talking about sewing machines. They're a whole different ball game. The only similarity is that they're both mechanical devices. There is another slight similarity tho...
Modern cars are designed and built to last 10-15 years and be scrapped.
Classic cars were much simpler and made to last. There are still cars driving on our roads that were built in the 20's,30's,40's etc. ..
That's almost 100 years!
How many ford focuses do you think will be on the roads in 100 years?
As for sewing machines,especially vintage singers, yes...They can be expensive to repair and somewhat difficult to source parts. But if they are maintained as per schedule they will still outlast modern machines because the build quality Is far superior to anything modern that I've seen.
One of the biggest factors that contribute to older machines' longevity is the quality of the steel from which it's made. British steel is by far the best steel that had ever been made,Barr none...As opposed to the scrap that the Chinese are pumping out which modern machines are made from,there is no comparison. Hence my reasoning behind choosing older singers over modern tin...
But hey,I guess we all have our own personal preferences! Nobody is right or wrong...its down to the individual and what works for them.

[Darren Brosowski]

Maintenance is a different issue altogether and I have seen ADLER machines that stop working after a year because the owner did not bother to remove the needle plate and clean out the crap. Price/quality are no insurance against stupidity.

'Everything mechanical is subject to wear'

Yes,you are correct. But the amount of wear would be far greater on a machine made from cheap metals and especially so on a machine that has a poor maintenance schedule...

[bikerdaz]

'A well cared for modern Chinese machine will easily run for 20 years or more before needing major work as the leather machines we are talking about rarely run at more than a couple of hundred stitches per minute.'

As opposed to well cared for singers that are still thumping away 100 years down the line. And singers weren't really extortionately priced. Darren,you keep quoting really expensive machines to suit your argument, but we weren't talking about any of these. Obviously there are machines that have been made that have been ridiculously priced,but you can't compare them to run of the mill stuff. you quote a cowboy 4500,then compare it to a pearson 6. Nobody mentioned pearson machines...We are talking about a 45k here. And even tho 45k parts are getting a bit thin on the ground, I still reckon they'll outlast most modern machines. Don't get me wrong tho,modern machines have their place. But ultimately,they all do the same job. They all create stitches....You say technology has come on,but what exactly does a modern machine do that an old singer doesn't? Not much I'd say...

'Price/quality are no insurance against stupidy'

I completely agree with you darren. I service/repair/rebuild machines in my down time. You can advise people to clean/oil machines routinely but you can't make them! It's just frustrating when you try help people that won't help themselves...

[Trox]

These presser feets will also fit Adler class 5-27,5-8 and 105/104 with jump foot. There are a couple of new members that has acquired such Adler machines that might want to buy them. If they still are available?

Tor

Edited January 5, 2016 by Trox

[Darren Brosowski]

Firstly I want to make it clear that I am enjoying this debate and no nastiness is intended!!!!! I hope you understand that I love old machines and it is a huge part of my business.

It is difficult to compare apples to apples and I used the Pearson as an example as it is equivalent to the CB4500 which seems to be the most popular machine on this forum. Personally I love the 45k25 and I know master saddlers who still use them for the majority of their work despite owning more modern machines.

Is the GA5 as well built as well as the 45k? Possibly.

Are the materials and heat treatment as good? No, No, No and No!!

Will they improve? Yes.

Japan built many of the Singer machines from the 1960's and even improved on them but the difference is that they were doing it to Singer specifications so had a great starting point. China is starting from a lower point and in many - not all - cases is reverse engineering machines.

The great news is that many Chinese parts fit the Singer 45k so there will be a supply of wear parts for decades to come!!

I disagree with you on pricing. As a comparison you only need look at domestic Singer machines where they pretty much invented Hire Purchase so people could afford them. Today a domestic machine is extremely cheap if we compare base models. The same comparative pricing goes for industrial machines.

'A well cared for modern Chinese machine will easily run for 20 years or more before needing major work as the leather machines we are talking about rarely run at more than a couple of hundred stitches per minute.'
As opposed to well cared for singers that are still thumping away 100 years down the line. And singers weren't really extortionately priced. Darren,you keep quoting really expensive machines to suit your argument, but we weren't talking about any of these. Obviously there are machines that have been made that have been ridiculously priced,but you can't compare them to run of the mill stuff. you quote a cowboy 4500,then compare it to a pearson 6. Nobody mentioned pearson machines...We are talking about a 45k here. And even tho 45k parts are getting a bit thin on the ground, I still reckon they'll outlast most modern machines. Don't get me wrong tho,modern machines have their place. But ultimately,they all do the same job. They all create stitches....You say technology has come on,but what exactly does a modern machine do that an old singer doesn't? Not much I'd say...


'Price/quality are no insurance against stupidy'
I completely agree with you darren. I service/repair/rebuild machines in my down time. You can advise people to clean/oil machines routinely but you can't make them! It's just frustrating when you try help people that won't help themselves...

[bikerdaz]

Hey,there is nothing wrong with a bit of friendly banter darren! No bad feelings here at all fella. :-)

I think it's just a personal stickler of mine when it comes to chinese stuff. Whilst there are some good chinese products,I just think that China overall is pumping out billions of pounds worth of cheap,nasty,poorly made crap into the world and it's destroying good reputable businesses in its wake. Companies are producing good quality products,as they have been for many years then along comes a Chinese company that clones it and sells it for half the price. And they get away with it because the metal used is just reformed baked bean tins and let's face it,labour is virtually free in China. The end result is a consumer that has to buy twice due to poor manufacturing...

This is why the modern world in which we live our lives has become a throw away society.the Chinese couldnt make decent steel if they tried!

[Darren Brosowski]

Unfortunately a lot of what China builds is price driven by us - the consumers.

The top end product is pretty good and will get better over the next few years. The CB4500 is not yet as good as a Juki 441 but at 1/3rd the price it is 10 times the value.

Almost every product fault I have seen in a Chinese sewing machine has been due to poor initial adjustment and lack of oil in critical parts. I have been guilty of this myself with a machine where I missed the fact that the two grub screws that hold the top bushes in place were not tightened during assembly. The customer moved the machine from workshop to another and when he put the (tight) balance wheel back on the bushes moved - shit happens - but it is something I now check on every one of these machines.

When it comes to a whole range of consumer products I disagree with how most companies have responded. An example is a quality boot manufacturer in my home town who initially tried to compete with China and then decided to just make the product over there. If I was the marketing manager - and yes I have studied marketing as part of a business degree course - I would have kept making the product here and raised the quality. There is no point fighting to the bottom where there is no profit. Make the best, raise the price and be loud and proud about it. People quickly get sick of cheap rubbish and will go back to a product that they know will last.

Obviously there is a huge difference between a $200 pair of boots and a $2000 sewing machine when it comes to putting out the hard earned dollar

[Lasse]

On 5/2/2015 at 4:12 AM, Evo160K said:

The presser feet in the picture are being offered to me along with some Singer 45K parts I'm buying. The feet don't fit the Singer 45K25 I'm restoring, so I'm not going to buy them unless someone here on LW wants them. I'm told they fit a Singer machine.

Can anyone identify what they fit?

Does anyone need them?

Hi! Just found this 10 years after it was posted Did the feet ever turned up? Looking to get som to my 45k89