Seiko What?

[dikman]

Here's a challenge for the more knowledgeable on here - what model Seiko is this? A woman is selling it on behalf of her parents, who had a leather business and closed up. There's no model number on it (her mom said it fell off and she didn't bother putting it back) and the woman knows nothing about sewing machines. When I asked if it was a walking foot she had no idea what I was talking about, so I got her to send a couple of photos - and it is. She was asking $650, but said she has dropped it to $350 because she just found out from her mom that it has a timing problem!

It sounds promising, BUT it's located interstate, so it's a 2-day return trip to get it.

Decisions, decisions.......

[LumpenDoodle2]

It wouldn't be the STH-8BLD? Just going by the position of the stitch length dial.

[Constabulary]

agree - I guess the Consew 206 is about the same machine - just for comparison. $350 sounds quite good if just the timing is off.

[dikman]

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/thomastown/sewing-machines/seiko-industrial-leather-sewing-machine/1090045715

This is the link to the ad, shows the machine a bit better.

If it's only the timing then $350 is a bargain for Australia! There is also a Juki LU-563 which is a bit closer but a lot dearer - $950. (It's going to cost me about $200 to get either one, so I have to take that into account). I'm guessing that both machines are pretty similar in their capabilities?

Edited September 28, 2015 by dikman

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Seiko STH-8BLD / Consew 206RB-3. Really good model.

[dikman]

Amazing how quickly things can change. I rang the woman and said I'd take it, and then a few minutes later I was checking Gumtree (selling site) and saw 3 walking foot machines for sale here! A Mitsubishi, a Singer 132-K6 ($800) and a Singer 211G-166 ($490). A bit of searching and I thought the 211G-166 might suit me nicely. I rang the chap and he said the Mitsi had already gone and he'd had a few calls about the Singer. Quick decision time........I said I'd take it ($475). I'll pick it up tomorrow, and he said he'd keep the K6 until then and give me the choice of either one.

I then rang the woman about the Seiko and she was very understanding as it just saved me a 1,000 mile round trip. I gave her the model number and suggested she re-advertise it as a walking foot (shouldn't have much trouble selling it at that price. If it was closer I'd still buy it anyway!).

So, you experts, is the K6 that much better than the 211G-166? I mainly want it for belts/gunbelts and holsters, although I realise that I'll probably still have to handstitch the holsters where they are double thickness along the edge.

Edited September 30, 2015 by dikman

[dikman]

I may have just found the answer to my last question, after re-reading whiz's sticky. The 211G has a compound feed, the K6 has a snap feed, so the 211G would appear to be the better choice for me.

[DrmCa]

I would say that $400 should be generous for a flat bed walking foot machine. $350 for a machine with a problem that does not stitch is too much.

[dikman]

Unfortunately, DrmCa, you are looking at it from a Canadian perspective. Trust me, $475 (Australian) is an extremely good price for a walking foot machine, let alone a compound feed. Used prices generally start around the $900 mark - and then go up!! There are 211G166's for sale at $1800 and up. Australia is a relatively small market, compared to Canada, the US and UK and while there are lots of industrial sewers for sale, even where I am (some at pretty good prices) walkers are rare. I missed out on two because I hesitated and didn't realise how quickly they can go.

What makes this one even better is that it's been maintained and serviced by a sewing machine company and has a relatively new motor fitted.

As for the Seiko, it works (the mother still uses it occasionally) but the mother said it had a timing issue (and she would know, as she used it for making leather jackets for years), so I consider that a real bargain. Pity it's so far away.......

[DrmCa]

Oh, no! That is terrible, perhaps it is the prohibitive shipping cost from anywhere in the world that keeps the prices up.

I had a prospect customer from NZ asking me for a quote on a 10kg package and it was near $300, so they backed out.

However shipping from Au seems to be quite reasonable. Go figure!

[Colt W Knight]

I would say that $400 should be generous for a flat bed walking foot machine. $350 for a machine with a problem that does not stitch is too much.

Back when I was looking for a walking foot machine that would sew leather, used machines were nearly the cost of new machines in Arizona. I got lucky and found a consew 206 for $400, and I was tickled pink. I hadn't seen one for less than 800$ the entire time I was looking. Nearly a year.

[dikman]

New machine , new post.