Are sewing machines worth the money

[Horsewhishper]

Hey guys and gals just looking for opinions on sewing machines. I am looking at a cb4500 for 2400 dollars but that is a large chunk of change . I hand sew everything right now and enjoy it but am enthralled with how well this machine stitches straight, true and fast , was going to buy cheaper but I figured if I am gonna spend the money might aswell get one for everything I will ever need to do. Any thoughts welcome 

[bikermutt07]

I just got my first machine today and it's no 4500.

And a 4500 won't sew absolutely everything, as no machine does everything ( just info, not harping).

But here's my testimony. In 4 years I have made only 2 totes. I have not made purses, stitched belts, or made even close to as many bags as I have wanted. 

Why? All that stitching. 

I got a great deal on a 206rb-1 that will sew all the above. Now I don't feel so intimidated.

Some day I may find a great deal on a 4500, then I can make all the holsters, gunbelts and armor I want. A guy can dream

Edited August 30, 2018 by bikermutt07

[JJN]

@bikermutt07 Congratulations on your Consew! I hope to see what you make over the next few months.

@Horsewhishper When I have the need to sew thicker than 3/8" leather, I will be looking at a cb4500. I have read very good reviews about that machine on LW.

Edited August 30, 2018 by JJN

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, Horsewhishper said:

Hey guys and gals just looking for opinions on sewing machines. I am looking at a cb4500 for 2400 dollars but that is a large chunk of change . I hand sew everything right now and enjoy it but am enthralled with how well this machine stitches straight, true and fast , was going to buy cheaper but I figured if I am gonna spend the money might aswell get one for everything I will ever need to do. Any thoughts welcome 

You could start with a CB3200 that sells for $1695, plus gas or shipping. It sews from just under 1/8 inch up to 1/2 inch. Also, it is possible to sew into thinner material by dumbing down the machine.

[dikman]

Are they worth the money? Yes and no. If you're in business or have a ready market as a hobbyist then yes, the right sewing machines will make life much easier. If, however, you just dabble in leatherwork (as many of us do) then it's doubtful you will ever recover the cost of, for example, a CB4500. Of course some of us just enjoy having the machines for what they are and accept that it won't pay for itself.

As bikermutt said, however, one machine won't "do it all". If you buy a CB4500 (or its equivalent) you'll find that you'll need a smaller machine for lighter materials. By all means if you can afford it go for it, just don't expect it to do everything.

[Constabulary]

For sure everyone wants the best machine but often they are over the budget. Charging the credit card is easy but could cause other problems in the following weeks or month. You sometimes see people here who sell their expensive machines after a few month or so. Probably because of being short of money for too long cause hobby / business did not pay off, it was not the right hobby or just other things (or bills) took priority - lots of different stories.

So why not staring with a used machine - I know you barely find the heavy 441 type machines used but why not starting with machines like the Singer 45K or other vintage machines heavy leather sewing machines? It for sure depends on the local market and often people have better access to new machines than to used machines but I would consider vintage machines at least as an option. These machines have been used for decades in all branches of the leather trade, they for sure do not have all the advantages of modern triple feed / unison feed machines (well, new machines have their issued too) but they are reliable and some of their "drawbacks" are often neglectable and depend on the product you want to sew.

I don´t want to hold you back from buying new but used machines can be a good and affordable start into machine sewing. And I tell you - restoring AND using them later on is very satisfying. But restoring is not everyone's cup of tea.

My 2 cents

[brmax]

In reality only you can determine your options to sell a product. I say that because that is first, before the tooling. 

Im sure you have read many articles on these in particular leather sew machines. They consist of some great tips to more effectively produce good results and operator usage. I want to respectfully emphasize how some here in or on the forum can adjust a machine in Very short order. This ability can be understood as only a lifetime of experience with these machines.

In this I can positively say the only quick or in short order change to smart’n up or the dumbing down a sew machine is the change of thread color. Anything else is uh well the very reason factories dont do it quickly. 

The tip I can provide is selecting projects that don’t require much if any machine change. This will be easier to focus on machine, budget and a sales goal. 

 

good day 

Floyd

 

[chrisash]

My own knowledge is Embroidery machines and not leather machines , but what I have gathered on this forum that a good middle of the road seems to be the 3200 which seems to cover many requirements at a lesser cost or as stated above a good secondhand machine may be a wise choice and will not loose money but may also be kept for when you need both a larger and lower requirements

[JLSleather]

Some guys will buy machines because they want to earn money, others will have them because they like doing it.  Either way, up to you if it's "worth it".

Determine what you want to sew.  Making yourself one holster?  Probably not "worth it" getting a machine.  Sewing one belt?  I'd pass.  Sewing TEN belts, total, I'd still pass.  You want to sew 10 belts per week, I'd get a machine.

"They say" that the 441 machines will sew leather an inch thick.  Personally, I don't see myself ever needing to do that.  Most of my belts and holsters range from 3/16" to 5/16" thick.  The machine that sews those "can't" sew my wallets (it "can", but I don't care to change it, only to change it back).

So, decide if it's "Worth it" to get a machine.  And IF it is, decide what you want to sew (leather thickness AND thread size you want to use) and there's your starting point.  For a good while, I made more wallets than holsters, so I had a machine that stitched the wallets very well, and hand stitched the holsters (which are short).

 

[Yetibelle]

The machine will last a lifetime, unlike my computer or phone, and if I wanted to sell it they really hold there value.  One of the less discussed benefits of this investment is the ability to quickly prototype new projects that I was not willing or able to tackle before.  I can grab some low grade veg-tan, trace out a project and sew it up in 20-30 minutes and typically the first draft looks pretty good.  This is a really big deal, it helps you flush out ideas and concepts that you would never want to take 2-3 hours and hand-sew.  So your skills and designs will improve very quickly.  This flexibility is really amazing you will be making things left and right just because you can and it become rather addictive.  I grab some scrap from one project and make a small leather case out if it, pound a snap on it and give it away as a gift.    Also people will start bringing you there stuff to fix and unlike before when you had to hand-sew, you will be excited and patch a bag or a backpack in a few minutes.  Its really great feeling. 

 

 

[DonInReno]

There’s a 4500 on eBay for $1,500 ... but they won’t ship it.....these deals are out there if you’re lucky enough to be within driving distance.

[Colt W Knight]

I paid off my first sewing machine, Consew 206 within the first month of owning it by selling guitar straps and padfolios, which prior to the sewing machine took me 4 hours to sew by hand,  and my hands would ache for days. The machine allowed me to do the part I enjoy and zip through stitching in under 5 minutes. The wear and tear on my hands ( I have issues with my hands) that the machine saved me was worth the price. I would have had to have given up the hobby without it. I bought a 4500 to do commercial work building GPS tracking collars for cattle. It also paid for itself very quickly. 

I see a lot of folks wanting to sell leather work, and they all make the same old Tandy/Stohlman etc patterned wallets, belts, and the like. I don't know how anyone makes money selling that stereotypical stuff. If you have something now that you can sell, you will be able to sell a lot more with a machine. If you love the hobby, but the hand stitching is killing you, the machine is amazing. If you are on a shoe string budget trying running a leather shop, the machine is not going to save you. 

 

[DarkGoku]

It sounds like you have your mind pretty set. I see it like this, if its a purchase you are happy about making, and you can comfortably afford it. Get it while you can and have fun with it. I have three myself, but I still find myself hand sewing. The downside with a machine is every stitch path has to be planned and you will have to pull out a scrap piece to check your settings every time (set up time). Hand stitching you can pop a stitch on the fly in less time, and headache. I love using both and a machine opens so many doors to styles and cutting down on product time.

Hope this helps, and also everyone here make really good points. I'm glad that you came here for advice, that is why I love this forum we help one another.

[garypl]

1 hour ago, DarkGoku said:

It sounds like you have your mind pretty set. I see it like this, if its a purchase you are happy about making, and you can comfortably afford it. Get it while you can and have fun with it. I have three myself, but I still find myself hand sewing. The downside with a machine is every stitch path has to be planned and you will have to pull out a scrap piece to check your settings every time (set up time). Hand stitching you can pop a stitch on the fly in less time, and headache. I love using both and a machine opens so many doors to styles and cutting down on product time.

Hope this helps, and also everyone here make really good points. I'm glad that you came here for advice, that is why I love this forum we help one another.

DarkGoku - I agree with you 100% - I have 3 machines not because I need them but because I enjoy sewing with them.  I’m semi-retired and don’t sell much, mostly make things for friends and family.  I volunteer to repair harness for a local stable that works with disabled children.  I look at it more as entertainment than work.  I also handstitch some items for the same reasons you mentioned - don’t have to check threads, sample stitch, etc.  I like to make beer growler caddies and I must say the cylinder arm machines make sewing around the borders a pleasure!

Our situations are all different and what one person spends on machines another may use the money for travel, cars or other hobbies or things that they enjoy.  

Gary

 

[Bustedmp77]

I made the 275 mile trip from to Neels Saddlery in late March to buy a CB4500 with all the extras. I upgraded from a Tippman Boss.  I work a full time job at 48 hours a week and attend my sons baseball and football games on top of that. The bulk of my work is holsters of almost every style and belts. I started out hand stitching, but quickly found I didn't have the time to really "make money" dong it. The boss greatly helped that part, but it had it's short comings. Stitching a belt on it was okay, but cumbersome. Since I purchased the 4500, I've made enough gun belts and heavy duty belts made with 8/9 oz and 2/3 oz leather to pay for the machine. The point at which I decided to buy the 4500 when I was working in a holster and belt from one of Clint Eastwoods movies for a friend and the shallow throat depth caused 2 stitches to be out of place because I just couldn't manipulate the piece well enough with one hand. My western holster are all lined with 2 to 3 oz leather on the inside after wet forming the thicker outer leather to shape then gluing in the lining to help them hold their shape. I had 2 solid evenings invested in that holster only to have to start over. As far as I am concerned, they are worth the money. I never liked doing belts on the boss, and wouldn't think about hand stitching one. I'm currently working on an order of 25 radio pouches with shoulder straps for one of my local fire companies. I don't think I would've taken the job without the 4500.

[Willie0]

I have the 4500 and an old used singer.  Have they paid for themselves?  Not even close.  Am I glad that I bought them?  Heck yes.  They probably will pay for themselves in the future if I get more creative on the business end, and the resale value is high enough where they certainly won't be a total loss.  Money spent on good tools is an investment. It doesn't hurt if you actually like sewing and messing with the machines as much as I do.

[bikermutt07]

48 minutes ago, Willie0 said:

I have the 4500 and an old used singer.  Have they paid for themselves?  Not even close.  Am I glad that I bought them?  Heck yes.  They probably will pay for themselves in the future if I get more creative on the business end, and the resale value is high enough where they certainly won't be a total loss.  Money spent on good tools is an investment. It doesn't hurt if you actually like sewing and messing with the machines as much as I do.

That is another way to look at it. Even these quality clone machines are going to hold probably 75 to 80% of their value.

With inflation what it is you may get more than you paid for it in 10 years.

[Constabulary]

1 hour ago, bikermutt07 said:

With inflation what it is you may get more than you paid for it in 10 years.

 

Or increasing import taxes on Chinese products

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, Constabulary said:

 

Or increasing import taxes on Chinese products

Hopefully that will be worked out soon.