aroh99 Report post Posted April 8, 2018 Hello i recently got into making leather goods. I am beginner that needs help, I am looking to buy a leather strap cutter. I got lucky and got a steal for a fortuna splitting machine. the same guy that sold me the splitting machine is also selling this strap cutting machine. I had already been looking into strap cutting machines and was leaning towards the cobra ak-20. i dont know anything about this machine i have uploaded some picture of the machine. I know its an associated pacific machine. I remember as a child i would see a building near downtown LA with associated pacific on the side. they are no longer located there and dont know much info on this machine. the guy selling it mention it was a 3 phase machine and i dont have 3 phase at my shop.the guy is selling it for $2k and for that price i think i can get a cobra ak-20. i love old school machines and if this machine works and can change it to 220v it would be a great addition. does anybody know anything about this machine? is it worth the $2k he is selling it for? am i better off getting a ak-20 that is a 110v ? please any info will help as i am new to this. thank you in advance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sonydaze Report post Posted April 10, 2018 I have the same machine, mine is labelled by Michel Simard, a eastern Canadian supplier. The machines are made in Italy and are well made. They can set up with 110, 220 single or 220 triple phase motors. I put a 400 watt servo motor (110 volt) on mine (for control-ability) and it works well. I paid less than a thousand for mine (used) with lots of different spacers and blades. The one I have also has a bit of a table off the back to guide the straps out a bit. $2000 sounds like a lot of money for it. Here is the same machine set up by Campbell Randal: https://campbell-randall.com/product/r300301-strip-cutting-machines-1 I haven't used any other similar machines for comparison, but I am very happy with mine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RockyAussie Report post Posted April 10, 2018 Anything over $1000 and I would be going with a new one. That means new knives and new bottom roller and no wear and tear etc. Push heavy for the different size spacers when buying though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sonydaze Report post Posted April 10, 2018 4 hours ago, RockyAussie said: Anything over $1000 and I would be going with a new one. That means new knives and new bottom roller and no wear and tear etc. Push heavy for the different size spacers when buying though. I agree with #RockyAussie. The new Cobra machine is only $200 more than the asking price on the used machine you are looking at. The Cobra can cut up to 20" wide (vs. 12") and comes with 15 knives as well as multiple size spacers. http://www.leathermachineco.com/product/cobra-ak-20-leather-strap-cutting-machine/ In Canada, rotary knives cost $13/ea, spacers are $18/ea and the bottom roller costs about $85. If you have to buy a bunch of different spacers for different widths and new knives, it can ad up. As well with a new machine you should have both warranty and dealer support. If you are buying a new machine, put some thought into what all widths you need to cut. You will likely get a better price on a package deal rather than going back for extras later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anubis78 Report post Posted April 10, 2018 (edited) I agree with everyone above. Go with the new machine. I got this one from Serge at SewPro... http://sewprousa.com/sewprousa1_010.htm on their site or https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F120943208925 on ebay. When I was looking at machines, his was cheaper than Cobra and Weaver with a larger cutting area. The cutting area on the Leather Pro AK-20 is about 14". The machine comes with metric spacers, however Serge made perfect imperial spacers for me in the sizes that I needed. I was lucky enough that his location is in driving distance as I saved money on shipping costs (I think that freight shipping to me was between $175-275) by picking it up myself. So for $2000, get a new machine! Also is that the bottom/stand of that cutting machine? I wouldn't want that bulky mint stand. The machine I have sits on a nice table that isn't an eyesore. Edited April 10, 2018 by Anubis78 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
