Help me get the right machine, my budget is $1,700

[EdwinKnight]

I am a part time hobbyist and my projects will be mostly heavy fabric, making things like awnings, tents, back packs, and maybe some leather projects using 3 layers of 8-9 oz tooling leather. I will say I love the old machines such as a Juki LU 562 BUT I am really concerned about spending that amount of money on such an old machine unless I was assured it was in good working order. So I am leaning more to the new machines and I have two in my sights and that is the Consew 206RB-5 or the Juki DNU 1541S.

What are the thoughts on Techsew brand? 

Consew 206RB-5 VS. Juki DNU 1541S ?

Older used suggestions?

I will say I would rather spend $300 more on a comparable machine if the quality and design is considered to be better.

Thanks!

[Uwe]

The Consew 206RB-5 is a made-in-China copy of the original made-in-Japan Seiko STH-8BLD-3, which you can buy for around $1,500. Seiko made the older versions of the 206RB for Consew. So if you want a new Consew 206RB-5 with the same quality and reputation as the older ones, buy the Seiko STH-8BLD-3. Very nice machines.

Made-in-China by itself is not bad thing per se. You just have to pick the right factory or suppliers. 

A few decades old is good when it comes to industrial sewing machines. Buy an Adler or Pfaff from the 70's or 80's when Engineers ruled and happy, well paid workers in Germany assembled the machines.

TechSew has done their homework and picked good suppliers for their machines from what I can tell.

 

 

Edited May 1, 2017 by Uwe

[TacticallySharp]

I use two Cobra 3 short beds. You can find a used one for about your price. One is setup for thicker materials, the other for my thinner stuff at a friend's place two min away. 

Call Cobra Steve at Cobra and ask if he has any used ones available.  They carry a lifetime warranty. Even used!!!

That gives you a good answer to what you need. Get the first one first you can ajust it for both of your needs and if it works for you look for the the next one. wwwCobraleathertools

Googly them.

Edited May 1, 2017 by TacticallySharp

[EdwinKnight]

 

The Consew 206RB-5 is a made-in-China copy of the original made-in-Japan Seiko STH-8BLD-3, which you can buy for around $1,500. Seiko made the older versions of the 206RB for Consew. So if you want a new Consew 206RB-5 with the same quality and reputation as the older ones, buy the Seiko STH-8BLD-3. Very nice machines.

Made-in-China by itself is not bad thing per se. You just have to pick the right factory or suppliers. 

A few decades old is good when it comes to industrial sewing machines. Buy an Adler or Pfaff from the 70's or 80's when Engineers ruled and happy, well paid workers in Germany assembled the machines.

TechSew has done their homework and picked good suppliers for their machines from what I can tell.

 

 

I just realized I made a typo I was actually looking at Tacsew T111-155 again I had know idea there was a Techsew 0302.

I did not know this about the Seiko STH-8BLD-3, so I added it to my short list. I agree with you about the Engineers back in those good old days when quality was everything.

 

[Darren Brosowski]

Go for a compound feed rather than the 0302..

[EdwinKnight]

Thanks for the advice!

I am still looking at both old and new machines and the knock off brands too. Today I came across a Chandler 406RB-1 that has an oval logo and a pained different style logo and how do these compare with the new Consew 206RB-5?

 

[Wizcrafts]

The Chandler CM406RB-1 was built by Consew. It was their B brand, sold at lower prices than the same machines wearing a Consew badge. A dealer could explain the differences to you. I'm guessing they are all inside the body. But, despite any internal differences, I think it would be a fine acquisition for a slow speed hobby sewer.

[Techsew Ron]

On 4/30/2017 at 9:27 PM, EdwinKnight said:

I am a part time hobbyist and my projects will be mostly heavy fabric, making things like awnings, tents, back packs, and maybe some leather projects using 3 layers of 8-9 oz tooling leather. I will say I love the old machines such as a Juki LU 562 BUT I am really concerned about spending that amount of money on such an old machine unless I was assured it was in good working order. So I am leaning more to the new machines and I have two in my sights and that is the Consew 206RB-5 or the Juki DNU 1541S.

What are the thoughts on Techsew brand? 

Consew 206RB-5 VS. Juki DNU 1541S ?

Older used suggestions?

I will say I would rather spend $300 more on a comparable machine if the quality and design is considered to be better.

Thanks!

A light/medium walking foot machine in the Consew 206 class would be fine for most of what you're doing but you'll run into difficulty with 3 layers of 8-9oz leather on that type of machine.

[EdwinKnight]

2 hours ago, Techsew Ron said:

A light/medium walking foot machine in the Consew 206 class would be fine for most of what you're doing but you'll run into difficulty with 3 layers of 8-9oz leather on that type of machine.

So lets say 3 layers of 8-9oz leather is what I sew on the most, in this case what Techsew machine can you recommend? Could a motor upgrade and a reducer pulley added to say that Consew 206 head only purchase then make this job doable?  

 

Edited May 6, 2017 by EdwinKnight
spelling grammer

[EdwinKnight]

18 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

The Chandler CM406RB-1 was built by Consew. It was their B brand, sold at lower prices than the same machines wearing a Consew badge. A dealer could explain the differences to you. I'm guessing they are all inside the body. But, despite any internal differences, I think it would be a fine acquisition for a slow speed hobby sewer.

Interesting I like the history, and I have a ton of questions about where the different designs came from such as with the MITSUBISHI LU2-410, does anyone know if this is a good design and the history of it? Looks like this design is being copied by Yamata FY5618 and Reliable 4000.

I just worry a bit about these knock off machines using poorly hardened screws, poor quality bearings and shafts. So I got some money to spend but I want to research it all and make a good choice.

[Darren Brosowski]

8 hours ago, EdwinKnight said:

Interesting I like the history, and I have a ton of questions about where the different designs came from such as with the MITSUBISHI LU2-410, does anyone know if this is a good design and the history of it? Looks like this design is being copied by Yamata FY5618 and Reliable 4000.

I just worry a bit about these knock off machines using poorly hardened screws, poor quality bearings and shafts. So I got some money to spend but I want to research it all and make a good choice.

The bigger importers spend more time sourcing to get the right product.

Tracing design histories is interesting but most Japanese machines have a touch of Singer in them from when Singer started having machines built in Japan

 

[Techsew Ron]

On 5/6/2017 at 4:48 PM, EdwinKnight said:

So lets say 3 layers of 8-9oz leather is what I sew on the most, in this case what Techsew machine can you recommend? Could a motor upgrade and a reducer pulley added to say that Consew 206 head only purchase then make this job doable?  

 

For sewing 3 layers of 8-9oz leather I'd say you'd be looking at the Techsew 3850 or Techsew 5100. Even with a 1HP motor and speed reducer you would have trouble sewing that thickness on a Consew 206.

[Wizcrafts]

On 5/6/2017 at 4:48 PM, EdwinKnight said:

So lets say 3 layers of 8-9oz leather is what I sew on the most, in this case what Techsew machine can you recommend? Could a motor upgrade and a reducer pulley added to say that Consew 206 head only purchase then make this job doable?  

 

The best way to explain the limitations of the 206RB and similar compound feed walking foot machines is that the way they are built, the inside and outside feet are linked together to alternate up and down, with a maximum height that is reached when the descending needlebar's bottom thread guide hits the top of one or both feet, or when the inside crankshafts hit the presser bars and stop moving. Further, walking foot machines require at least 1/8 inch clearance on top of the material to allow them to alternate and do their thing. This usually happens at a maximum material thickness of 3/8 inch, but can occur at a lesser height. An eighth of an inch is equal to 8 ounce thickness leather. This works out to a maximum sewing thickness of three layers of 7-8 ounce leather, not 8-9 ounces. IOW: 24 ounces would be the usual maximum sewing thickness on a Consew 206RB or equivalent.

If you need to machine sew 27 ounces of veg-tan leather, the Consew 206RB is not the machine for that job. Not only will it be trying to climb higher than its mechanical limitations, but the maximum thread size it's meant to handle is too light for such a thick stack. You will need a stronger machine that is built to sew thicker leather with thicker thread and bigger needles than the 206 and similar machines.

[Don Ayres]

I have a chance to buy a 7 year old Seiko refurbished machine that looks in very good condition for $1,150 with a table and servo motor, a speed reducer is $100 extra, Is this a fair price?