Budget starter machines

[GPaudler]

I like the way you framed your question and here's my answer to what I think you asked:

In 1980 I bought a Necchi Nora at a pawn shop in Pensacola for $50. I used it to make my living doing marine canvas work - awnings, Biminis, dodgers, upholstery, etc. It sews garment-weight leather just fine, does zig-zag, which I use all the time, and a bunch of decorative stitches with cams, that I've never used. It will sew through as many layers of nylon webbing as you can jam under the presser foot. I've rarely used any thread lighter than 69. It's a simple drop-feed and it has never even needed to be re-timed! Not one repair or adjustment in 36 years of hard use. I even use it with the zig-zag length shortened to sew eye splices in 7mm polyester double-braid rope that are as strong as the rope's 2,100 lb. rated strength. They are much more expensive these days, sometimes over $100.

I have a Pfaff 335 compound-feed cylinder bed machine, 2 Brother TZ1-B652s, a Singer 29-4 and an Adler 105, all industrial machines with more power, thread size capability and foot lift than the little, portable Necchi, and I'm crazy about each of them, but for anybody just learning the craft, not holsters, saddles or harnesses, I'm happy to recommend something like the Necchi, even if you outgrow it in 6 months. Everything about it makes me happy.

Gary

[makitmama]

I have a background in textile work, and learned to machine sew on my gran's singer 15 treadle and electric 201. I have both these machines, and about 50 other vintage machines. I am nuts about class 15 japanese clones(same basic mechanism as the singer 15, readily available parts, great casting, etc). I have several machines built by toyota in the 1950's that are workhorses.

To effectively sew with a vintage singer 15 or clone, you are going to need a 1 to 1.5 amp motor. A walking foot doesn't hurt. However, you are still limited to size 69 thread. I prefer to use thread lube if I am going to be sewing a lot of long runs.

I also have a Pfaff 130, which can use a slightly larger thread. Limitation is still about 5 oz of leather total. So if you want a bunch of various machine specs, let me know...

 

[GPaudler]

I hadn't tried so thought I'd see what the little Necchi could do in leather. Here's three layers of veg tanned leather totaling an honest 1/4" thickness sewn with 69 thread and a probably too-big needle. I'd just used the same thread and needle to sew two layers of cotton flannel with the same tensions. About 6-1/2 stitches per inch are as long as the machine will sew. 

Then I sewed a line with the Adler 105, 346 thread, 3-1/2 stitches per inch.

Edited September 2, 2016 by GPaudler

[chrisash]

I think the OP has a great idea

The trouble is that the experienced people tend to be doing jobs that demand a "Proper machine" where as the newbie is just looking for a cheap solution to make the more basic items be it wallets or tote bags and the like

Good advice is buy the best you can afford; but that severely limits what a newbie can but as a selection of tools, so buying cheap tools may be seen as a better option to start with , see if you like the hobby and then as skills grow buy better tools when you understand what you need

Does not the same thing apply to sewing machines and cheap hand cranked 99 or 201 may well fit the bill and get used far more than a heavy duty beast that eat's double 5mm veg tan.

From following this forum for a few months now, I imagine but have no facts to prove it, that Europeans tend to use lighter weight veg tan to the states probably considering 3mm to be thick and 1 to 2 mm the norm. As I said no proof just looking at what people show on the forum

[justingschneider]

http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/model-list/classes-200-299.html

 

here is a good guide for all the singer sewing machines. lets you know what they are and what they are made for.