Adler 69 Alternative

[Ski]

Hi Gang,

My Adler 69 is fantastic and I would like to buy something very similar, just one notch up on the leather thickness.

I require a cylinder arm for making handbags out of veg tan, able to sew up to 6mm with 20s thread.  The Adler 69 can do it, but it struggles a little.

What would you buy? (that is available in the UK)

[Matt S]

Do you need/want a cylinder bed? I'm very pleased with my Seiko LCW-8, which I picked up in a factory clearance. It would be well suited to a that sort of work, takes a very large bobbin and can be run over 2000SPM, which really speeds up those dog leads and belts! Two minor gripes: the vertical axis (top loading) bobbin is a little more prone to thread jams than a horizontal axis like on the Adler 69, and the cylinder need is a little on the chunky side. A machine like this would cost about £3k new, but plenty of similar machines are available second hand for less than a third of that.

[Ski]

1 hour ago, Matt S said:

Do you need/want a cylinder bed? I'm very pleased with my Seiko LCW-8, which I picked up in a factory clearance. It would be well suited to a that sort of work, takes a very large bobbin and can be run over 2000SPM, which really speeds up those dog leads and belts! Two minor gripes: the vertical axis (top loading) bobbin is a little more prone to thread jams than a horizontal axis like on the Adler 69, and the cylinder need is a little on the chunky side. A machine like this would cost about £3k new, but plenty of similar machines are available second hand for less than a third of that.

Thanks Matt.  I cant see any LCW-8 for sale and never looked into Seiko's, but having a search for Seiko I found this : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Industrial-Seiko-Cylinder-Arm-Needle-Feed-Walking-Foot-Sewing-Machine-Servo/292866438870?hash=item44303336d6:g:A80AAOSwrQxcEpUH:rk:2:pf:0

 

No model number or anything so its guess work for me.

[Matt S]

I don't know of any other LCW-8s for sale. However there are plenty of other similar Seiko's on eBay right now. The one you linked to looks like a CW-8. Nothing particularly special about Seiko machines, they're just relatively modern, good quality machines for which parts are quite easily available.

I don't know why more sellers don't provide the model number of their machines. Luckily it's often not too difficult to detective it out with the manufacturer's website.

[arz]

We have Adler 69 for the same use. We like it and it has plenty of punching power for 6-7mm of vegtan (with a 750w Jack servo motor). But...it does struggle climbing over seams. 

I think the best machine up from the Adler 69 or Pfaff 335, with a narrow arm, would be the Durkopp Adler 669. But they are expensive. Another machine that might offer greater climbing with a narrow arm is the Juki 246. It has a 4 motion feed dog (goes up and down AND side to side unlike the Adler 69). In a narrow arm there is not much else out there I think.

If a larger diameter arm is fine then you could could look for a Adler 269, Juki 341/1341/1342 etc. Or the next step up from there, a Juki 441/Adler 205 clone.

The truth is once you step up from the Adler 69/Pfaff 335 things get expensive very quickly!

Hope this helps some. -Adam