Light leather sewing machine choices

[RJLamie]

I am currently using a cowboy 3200 set up with 277 thread to sew women’s tote bags.  I now need to make some women’s clutch bags out of lightweight garmet leather and sew light weight purse linings.  My local sewing machine recommended 3 machines.  He has a rebuilt 201k for $225.  He also has a 66-16 and a 15-90 with external belt drive.  Both of them have been lubed and tested for $75.  He highly recommends the 15-90 because it more robust than either the 201 or 66 plus you can put a larger motor on it for more punching power.  I’m thinking a #69 or maybe #96 thread max.  Is the 15-90 the right machine over the 201 or 66 for the price?

[Matt S]

1 hour ago, RJLamie said:

My local sewing machine recommended 3 machines.  He has a rebuilt 201k for $225.  He also has a 66-16 and a 15-90 with external belt drive.  Both of them have been lubed and tested for $75.  He highly recommends the 15-90 because it more robust than either the 201 or 66 plus you can put a larger motor on it for more punching power.  I’m thinking a #69 or maybe #96 thread max.  Is the 15-90 the right machine over the 201 or 66 for the price?

If someone recommended me these domestic machines for production in leather I wouldn't darken their door again because they clearly don't understand what's needed. These machines can be used to sew a couple mm of soft-temper leather at most, but you will run into issues very frequently. In no particular order you will encounter layer slippage, uneven stitch length, short maximum stitch length, poor seam climbing, inadequate tensioning, small bobbins, inadequate foot pressure, feed-dog marks, motor stalling, inadequate penetration, timing slippage and parts breakage. They're all fine models for hemming curtains or making cushion covers but that's about the heaviest work they should be put to. It may or may not be relevant but I don't think any of these machines have been made for several decades so parts availability may be an issue.

My suggestion is to get yourself a triple/compound feed (commonly known as a walking foot) machine of the upholstery weight with a servo motor. Your main choices are bed type (cylinder or flat); Chinese or premium; and new or used. New-built Chinese machines are very popular for small volume manufacturers and hobbyists because they offer a lot of features at a lower price than Japanese or German manufactured units and they're guaranteed by the dealer to work from minute 1. I don't live in the US but if I did I would expect to pay no less than $1000 for such a machine (probably closer to double that), and to resell the machine for a similar amount when I no longer needed it.

[ensitmike]

44 minutes ago, Matt S said:

If someone recommended me these domestic machines for production in leather I wouldn't darken their door again because they clearly don't understand what's needed.

Im new, but I couldn’t agree more with this statement. 

This guy is trying to sell you what he has, not what you need. 

[VYO]

Got my Consew P1206RB new from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines ($995) for thinner leathers and I couldn't be happier with it. Toldedo is great getting them ready to sew immediately and once I installed the machine head to the table I was sewing. It was quick and painless.

[dikman]

The 201K is considered by many to be one of the best, and toughest, machines made by Singer - for its class, that is. I'm with Matt, for what you want to do an upholstery class walking foot would be the best bet.

[Wizcrafts]

All of the machines reco0mmended to the OP by his dealer are domestic sewing machines. They are built for household sewing tasks on an intermittent basis only. Any of them will sew linings and broadcloth. They are fine for occasional use and typically spin a a few hundred rpm.

Any production sewing should be done with industrial sewing machines mounted on heavy tables and driven by a 1/2 to 3/4 horsepower industrial motor mounted under the table. Slower rated machines, spinning under 2500 rpm, are often manually oiled, just like the ancient Singer machines of yesteryear. Newer high speed machines sit on an oil pan and use a pump to force oil to the extremities. These machines need to spin at several thousand rpm to distribute the oil from the pan to the top wicks.

For lightweight garment leather (2 to 3 ounces per piece, or 4 to 6 ounces total), a bottom feed roller foot straight stitch machine will do. They typically use #69 bonded nylon thread to sew the seams of garment weight leathers. Some people use a Teflon presser foot instead of a roller wheel. The wide plastic foot keeps the material laying flatter than a single sided roller. One can usually score an old Singer 31-15 straight stitch machine from a tailor or dress maker for a couple hundred dollars in working condition. This machine takes all manner of presser feet and handles #69 thread with ease. However, #92 is pushing it, depending on the year it was built and the hook and shuttle installed. When it is sewing cloth and linings the standard steel foot can be screwed on.

Any leather thicker than 6 ounces combined should be sewn on a compound feed walking foot machine. The Consew P1206RB mentioned by a previous responder is a fine machine for sewing material from 4 ounces to 20 ounces.

[chrisash]

The OP does not state how much use he/ she see's for this machine but does have a 3200 to do any main work, if and I repeat If he is only looking at light work and not a full time production machine working 8 hours a day 365 days a year then maybe a clone of the Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ‑1 would be a low cost machine that would offer a guarantee, spare parts and do the job, on the other hand as stated there are plenty of other industrial machines second hand to do the job.

One thing I have noted is that second hand machines, seem to spend many months sitting around without selling, as people are taken in by advertised prices and seem to think depreciation does not exist for sewing machines, makes you wonder what the difference is between advertised price and actual selling price is apart from a few specialist machines

[kgg]

I would pass on the offered domestic portable machines. Yes all three can on occasion get you out of a bind but that would be it. You can even get a walking foot thingie for some of them. I think going to a domestic and trying to make it work will be at best a frustrating venture.

I do agree that RJLamie does need a different machine for light weight leather work and machines being offered are what someone has in their store but neither are going to be suitable for a number of reasons (thread limitations / reliability / durability / feed mechanism).

If budget or space are a concern I do agree with chrisash that a low cost portable walking foot machine capable of using the 135 X 16 needles would be better suited for light industrial use. For the price of a Sailrite portable walking foot you could probably get a new clone industrial walking foot machine / table/ servo motor but for under $500 new there are many other options available like a Consew CP206R, Reliable Baracuda, Techsew 611 to name a few. Then there is of course the used market.

The minimum requirement I think would be that the machine be a walking foot.

kgg

[RJLamie]

Thank you all for your comments.  You all kept me from buying a piece of equipment that was never going to do what I needed.  I will focus on picking up another compound needle feed machine to go with my cowboy.

[Wizcrafts]

50 minutes ago, RJLamie said:

Thank you all for your comments.  You all kept me from buying a piece of equipment that was never going to do what I needed.  I will focus on picking up another compound needle feed machine to go with my cowboy.

This mechanism is not friendly towards cloth lining material. You will need a bottom feed only machine to sew linings. Think tailoring machine.

Here are a couple of walking foot machines that will fill the gap between 4 ounces and 18-20 ounces: the manually oiled Consew 206RB-5 and the self oiled Consew P1206RB