Cowboy 3200?

[l2bravo]

So I am thinking about getting a machine. How is the 3200 thought of? I will be sewing mostly oil tanned, with some veg and latigo. All told, less than 20 oz. for the majority.

i would love to hear some opinions, prior to making a mistake. Thanks for the help, Josh

[cleanview]

I bought my 3200 about 10 months ago..........It is my only experience ...........I like it.

Edited September 12, 2015 by cleanview

[dfrensdorff]

I have one that I purchased this last summer and am still experimenting with it and learning its limits......Nice machine all in all......

[Toolster]

Josh,

I've owned my CB3200 for almost two years and the honeymoon aint over yet. It has never failed to pick up the bobbin thread and never missed a stitch. I run 277 thread top and bottom......mostly stitch holsters and thicker gun belts. I know it can be set up for a wide range of threads/needles (69-346) but I've only run 277. Last spring I purchased a flatbed CB0797 and it's great for my lighter work (dress belt, wallets, etc). That way I don't need to dumb down/readjust my CB3200 for the light items. I have yet to hear anyone complain about the CB3200. IMHO it's a great machine and very reasonably priced. Bob Kovar and Ryan Neels are both great resources if you ever need support.

[25b]

I've owned my CB3200 for almost two years and the honeymoon aint over yet. It has never failed to pick up the bobbin thread and never missed a stitch. I run 277 thread top and bottom......mostly stitch holsters and thicker gun belts.

What does the back side of your stitching from your CB3200 look like? Care to share? Because mine looks like garbage and no one apparently has any ideas to offer to fix it. It's not a rat's nest....(I know how to use the machine correctly).....the back side stitches just look pulled in really tight, even with the presser foot pressure almost all the way off.

I've seen other people post the same problem with their CB3200 on here and never get a solution either, so.....not sure why that is..

[Toolster]

Here ya go 25b....First one the front, second is the back. This is a thick (16oz) belt. Not as good on the back but more than acceptable.

[Nhfarm50]

25b - that is the problem of have with both my Cowboy machines... The tension can be quite hard to get just right. When it is really loose on the back I have found that I am using too large of a needle for the thread I am using. That is the only complaint about my 3200 or The Cowboy Artisian clone.

25b - that is the problem of have with both my Cowboy machines... The tension can be quite hard to get just right. When it is really loose on the back I have found that I am using too large of a needle for the thread I am using. That is the only complaint about my 3200 or The Cowboy Artisian clone.

[msdeluca]

I get very similar results as Toolster and can dial in the tension on anything from sunbrella to 3/8" thick leather laminations. I always back off both upper tensions and then turn them up 1/2 turn at a time until the knot finds its way into the center of the material.

I use Wiz's info below:

From Wizcrafts:

I try to match the size and breaking strength of the thread to the project. Plus, one has to choose a

combination that conceals the lockstitch knots between the layers. So, here are some of

my general recommendations for you.

•  For very thin and/or soft projects, 3 - 5 ounces: #69 thread with a #18 needle (below 441 practical limit. Round point only.) (8 /inch)

•  For thin projects, 6 - 8 ounces: #92 thread with a #19 or #20 needle (at practical bottom 441 limit. Round point only.) (7 /inch)

•  For 9 - 12 ounces: #138 thread with a #23 needle (typical, consistent 441 bottom limit. Smallest leather point 794 needle) (6 /inch)

•  For 13 - 20 ounces: #207 thread with a #24 needle (great for stitched belts, single and double leather) (5.5 /inch)

•  For 21 - 28 ounces: #277 thread with a #25 needle (5 /inch)

•  For 1/2" to 3/4": #346 thread with a #26 needle (4 /inch)

 Extra heavily stressed projects, 3/4" to 7/8": #415 thread, with a #27 needle. (3.5 to 4 /inch)

Another thing that I do is always wrap the thread 1.5 times around the lower tension so that the thread exits the tensioner next to the faceplate rather than away from the faceplate.... and don't forget to run the thread through the last hole in the bottom of the needlebar.

Hope that helps,

Mike

www.conceptleather.blogspot.com

Here ya go 25b....First one the front, second is the back. This is a thick (16oz) belt. Not as good on the back but more than acceptable.100_2976.JPG100_2977.JPG

Edited September 20, 2015 by msdeluca

[jeffss]

Try the Global WF 9205 , just as good as the discontinued Adler 205 for 1/2 the price.

[Art]

25b and others with tension problems, Try reducing the bobbin tension a little and then readjusting the top tension for the lock to be in the center of the leather. I have seen machines where the top tension is so tight that you can play high C on it. The problem with the tight tension is that the tighter it gets, the less variance it takes to make big moves in the tension. In other words, less tension allows for more variance in the thread and other sewing factors. Now keep in mind that you need enough tension to keep a tight stitch, especially on the smaller thread you use.

Art

[JLSleather]

Here ya go 25b....First one the front, second is the back. This is a thick (16oz) belt. Not as good on the back but more than acceptable.100_2976.JPG100_2977.JPG

Did your leather come with the grain crinkled like that, or did the machine do that?

[Toolster]

Did your leather come with the grain crinkled like that, or did the machine do that?

Ha Hee, you noticed the lousy five year old "Tandy Craftsman" leather I used. I wanted a heavier belt for CC at work, figured it was a good way to use it up. Even my machine was sayin "What's this crap you want me to sew?" Just for shit's and giggle's I went by Tandy last week and didn't see anything that impressed me, even their good leather was hideous.

[Colt W Knight]

Ha Hee, you noticed the lousy five year old "Tandy Craftsman" leather I used. I wanted a heavier belt for CC at work, figured it was a good way to use it up. Even my machine was sayin "What's this crap you want me to sew?" Just for shit's and giggle's I went by Tandy last week and didn't see anything that impressed me, even their good leather was hideous.

I quit buying from tandy, the leather quality is pretty bad at my local store.

[Toolster]

I quit buying from tandy, the leather quality is pretty bad at my local store.

I'm gonna distance myself from Tandy. Think I'll try Springfield Leather for my next order.....

[JLSleather]

It's not just your store.. Last time I was at tandy I went through at least 50 hides (I want to say closer to 100) and just couldn't talk my self into any of it. Left without it... not even good for un-carved innards.

Say tandy and I 'get' it.. I just wanted to know if the machine was doing that!

[SmokeyPoint]

l2bravo,

Back to the original question...

I've owned a 3200 for about a year now. I get great results from it and it chugs along nicely. There are only three issues I have with it:

• My wife asked me when we bought it "Are you ever going to need to stitch something thicker than 1/2 inch?" "No way" I replied. Hmmm. First stacked leather sheath I made was well over 1/2 inch thick. Ate those words.
• There are no options for a drop-down edge guide. I didn't even know I need this, but I do. Or rather I did, until I decided to go with more hand-sewing. Any time you sew a long strap to something, a drop-down guide would be nice. It can but up to the edge of the strap and not worry about where the leather underneath is. Without this, you have to scribe a line and try to follow it with the pressor foot. Now, I can sew a straight line, but just not as straight as I can get using a guide.
• There's no option for a flat table. Sometimes it would be nice to have a flat surface to lay my project on and pivot it around the needle as I sew.

The 4500 kit they offered last time I checked out their site is what I would get now if I could do it all again. It addresses all three of these issues with a couple additional options thrown in. Although I think it's a standing machine only.

The only other issue is that the only edge guide they offer for the 3200 covers an oil port, so you have to almost completely remove the guide to oil the machine properly.

Other than that, I love the machine. I like that it's a sitting machine and it's on castors so I can wheel it place-to-place. The motor is plenty powerful and it adjusts for speed and stitch length easily. Tension can be a bit of a bugger. Bob ships it cranked all the way down, so you can see it sew the thickest, densest leather on the planet, then you have to crank it down to meet your needs. I had to spend some quality time with the manual to get it right and figure out how to quickly adjust for different projects.

-Sean