Defective Consew

[DeanMcneece]

I'm new to sewing and especially industrial machines.  I received a new Consew 206rb-5 and set it up according to all the resources online.  With no belt in place, if I turn the pulley manually it gets very difficult as the needle comes down fully, makes a rubbing noise inside, then loosens on the upstroke.  Also, the force required for the knee lifter is tremendous even when pushing on the rod in the back manually to lift the presser foot.  I think this machine may have been dropped in shipping as there was damage to the foam inside.  Does this sound like damage or an adjustment issue?

[shoepatcher]

It could be both.  We need to see pics of the packing and the machine to better help you.

glenn

[DeanMcneece]

Thanks for the quick reply.  Here is a pic of the packaging.  You can see that the plywood support on the bottom has holes where the machine came down with enough force to punch through it and the foam was cracked down the middle even though the box was sealed.

[Wizcrafts]

Contact the seller to see if they insured the package and its contents against damage in transit and for how long after delivery.

[dikman]

I had a similar problem once, the linkages for the rear foot/centre foot were out of adjustment and the linkage was rubbing on the inside of the housing where it came through from the back. Just one possibility. The pressure on the knee lifter could be too much spring pressure from an overtightened tension screw on the rear spring. Do you have a manual with it? You need to study it to understand the adjustments on it.

It is a concern though that the machine punched through the foam packing and into the wood.

[kgg]

Contact the company you purchased the machine from. It looks like it was dropped hard to go through the packing and create holes in the plywood.

kgg

[aroh99]

the sewing machine will always be hard to turn and especially as the needle goes down. You can add the belt and have it fully assembled. Once it is fully assembled while having the machine off you can step on the pedal and turn the pulley and it should be easier to turn. If it turns easier there is nothing wrong with you machine.  remember to have the machine OFF.

[SolarLeatherMachines]

Man, once these machines are in the Styrofoam, they're pretty indestructible. I once dropped a CB-4500 off the top of a shipment onto concrete in it's original box, about 12 feet.  I though for SURE it would be destroyed.  Turns out, not a scratch.  Nothing.  Box was a mess, foam was a mess, but the machine itself was fine.  There's a good chance it just needs some adjustment.   

[dikman]

aroh99, he is turning it without the belt so it should not be too hard to operate, nor should anything be rubbing inside when doing it. Hopefully, based on what Alexander has said, it isn't damaged and is simply out of adjustment. The OP either needs to work through the adjustments in the manual or take it to a sewing machine mechanic.

[DeanMcneece]

Thanks for all the replies.  Got the replacement and I've been watching a 4 hour series online for tuning it, and I did everything and it seems perfect.  There was a section about adjusting the safety clutch and it said to hold the button down and give a quick jerk to the wheel to activate the safety, but I can't get mine to activate.  I  used a phillips screwdriver to push the ball in, access the screw, and loosen it so that it "should" take as little force as it's designed to activate.  Is it likely that my clutch will function properly when I eventually get a jam?