Cowboy cb341

[Kaje]

I'm in the process of turning my hobby into a business so I've been looking for a sewing machine.  I was originally thinking of getting the cowboy 3200 or consew 206rb but something in between the two would suit my work better.  I looked at the 227r but the 341 seems to be a better machine with larger bobbin and thicker sewing ability.  I typically make wallets but want to get into bags and belts as well.

Does anyone have any experience with the cowboy cb341?  They don't have it listed on the toledo industrial site but I did see a video on youtube and this website http://www.solar-leather.com/cowboy-cb341/

[bikermutt07]

Thanks for posting the link. I don't have an answer for you, but I'm glad there is a cowboy dealer within driving distance of me.

[MADMAX22]

Looks like a good machine.Looks like a 153w but beefed up with reverse and large bobbin.  Looking at there site I dig the effort with the special edition 4500 but wow is it ugly IMHO.  

[Kaje]

4 minutes ago, MADMAX22 said:

Looks like a good machine.Looks like a 153w but beefed up with reverse and large bobbin.  Looking at there site I dig the effort with the special edition 4500 but wow is it ugly IMHO.  

Wow I didn't see that special edition, certainly not to my tastes...

[Kaje]

Here is the link to the youtube video as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJ9_3AbmO4

[TinkerTailor]

21 minutes ago, Kaje said:

Wow I didn't see that special edition, certainly not to my tastes...

Don't like that paint but i have been planning a non-standard paint job for mine for a while.....Might be death star related....

[dikman]

The 4500 S. E. - "True American style" they say........

I'm a little surprised that the 341 can handle 1/2" of leather but only up to #138 thread, otherwise seems like a nice enough machine.

[TinkerTailor]

It appears to be a juki 341 clone, it is listed on cowboys site as a 7341.

If i had my choice i would get a cowboy 7335 pfaff 335 based machine because it has a cylinder arm that is over a full inch smaller in diameter, with basically the same specs for lift and whatnot. If you are going to be limited to 138 thread anyways, might as well have more clearance.  Not sure if the 335 bobbin is smaller however.

[Uwe]

I'm under the impression that all Cowboy machines enter the country through Ryan O. Neel of Neel's Saddlery in Ohio (sad looking website but big YouTube presence with Cowboy demos) If a particular dealer doesn't carry a certain Cowboy machine, Ryan should have access to all Cowboy machines and he sells them directly, too.

I personally favour the Juki-LS 341 design over the Pfaff 335, mainly because of the vertical axis hook, comparatively huge bobbin, and descending feed dog. That slim 335 arm comes with a few compromises, I think. Each machine design has its own advantages and shortcomings, you just have to decide which ones are important to you.

Edited November 7, 2016 by Uwe

[TinkerTailor]

33 minutes ago, Uwe said:

I'm under the impression that all Cowboy machines enter the country through Ryan O. Neel of Neel's Saddlery in Ohio (sad looking website but big YouTube presence with Cowboy demos) If a particular dealer doesn't carry a certain Cowboy machine, Ryan should have access to all Cowboy machines and he sells them directly, too.

I personally favour the Juki-LS 341 design over the Pfaff 335, mainly because of the vertical axis hook, comparatively huge bobbin, and descending feed dog. That slim 335 arm comes with a few compromises, I think. Each machine design has its own advantages and shortcomings, you just have to decide which ones are important to you.

I guess i am a little biased because i already have a big 441 style machine to handle the bigger stuff, and was thinking more of a second machine to compliment what i have and not as a first. All week i have been fighting arm clearance. Serves me right for designing my stuff to the limit of what i can do. You are definitely correct on the compromises though, that's how we ended up with a thousand different machines that all do the same things just a smidgen different.