Are sewing machines worth the money

[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.