Popular & Affordable Used Machines for making Bags?

[JC2019]

I  am realizing that  while I will be okay with hand sewing  small items,  for larger Items I would like to investigate the potential of getting a used machine, or at least one that is good to start. The main Item I would like to work on would be bags / backpacks, etc.

 

I would be looking at the used market but my main concern would be that it's not an obscure machine. Instead one that is popular and well understood with plenty of information for troubleshooting and use.

 

If such machine exists that would be great, not sure how much it would cost but I'd rather spend less to start. Is a budget of $700-1200 reasonable?

[nylonRigging]

Your in CA. . don't know your exact Addy. And if you were to drive over and pickup yourself .
but if you were to go ( new machine ) . and good everyday workhorse, walkfoot, with Juki parts reasonable and plentiful . Alberoni over in Anaheim, has ( Juki DU-1181 ) for 1150-$ . And that would keep your in your budget for buying a new machine

about shipping cost, if you cant drive to pickup . for example last time I bought from them . shipping a new machine on truck ( farther than you would need ) , up I-5 N. to Portland OR. was right about 140-$
.

.
 

Edited May 19, 2019 by nylonRigging

[JC2019]

 

1 hour ago, nylonRigging said:

Your in CA. . don't know your exact Addy. And if you were to drive over and pickup yourself .
but if you were to go ( new machine ) . and good everyday workhorse, walkfoot, with Juki parts reasonable and plentiful . Alberoni over in Anaheim, has ( Juki DU-1181 ) for 1150-$ . And that would keep your in your budget for buying a new machine

about shipping cost, if you cant drive to pickup . for example last time I bought from them . shipping a new machine on truck ( farther than you would need ) , up I-5 N. to Portland OR. was right about 140-$
.

.
 

Ah, that's interesting. I don't know much, but I do know Juki is a good brand?

Is that what you have? What kind of projects is it's "sweet spot"?  I'll have to research it more. If I wanted to do smaller items on it I would have to buy some adapter to reduce the speed?

 

I am in northern california so I would need it shipped. I wonder which shipping carrier they use 

 

 

[RockyAussie]

For bags and backpacs and wallets etc I would try and find a cylinder machine to start with like a Pfaff 335 or Adler 69 or there are a lot of clone copies of these that some of the sponsors on this site could help you out with. The 2 I mention here have a small cylinder diameter around 46mm there abouts and come in handy when you have tight areas to get into. Many use a table top attachment with these to give them in affect a flat surface to work on.

[nylonRigging]

( other good brands also ) but Juki is a good brand and they build off of common parent machine designs that are widely used world wide, so part are everywhere and reasonable price .
also (rockyaussie) said that the small cylinder bed copies is a good choice also, and he is correct . It all just depends 'what you want to sew' when you start your purchase .

( IMHO ) .. I always recommend that a person buys on there 1st purchase a good everyday workhouse, and then build there other machine stations around it .

Your daily workhorse is the machine most jump behind used everyday for doing your work . Your everyday workhorse choice besides have good selection of produced parts and a design machine that is not going away anytime soon . It also needs to have a good common produced selection of Presser Feet, of different size/shape available . Or at least a supply of reasonable price presser feet for you to cut and shape trim to your liking .
.

[JC2019]

13 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

For bags and backpacs and wallets etc I would try and find a cylinder machine to start with like a Pfaff 335 or Adler 69 or there are a lot of clone copies of these that some of the sponsors on this site could help you out with. The 2 I mention here have a small cylinder diameter around 46mm there abouts and come in handy when you have tight areas to get into. Many use a table top attachment with these to give them in affect a flat surface to work on.

Ah yeah this is what I eventually would want, and then have the flat attachment to sew things like wallets. Sadly I am not seeing a lot of these machines here in the USA? I don't see any listed on ebay at least and that's usually how I try to gauge popularity of an item but maybe it's different for machines

[JC2019]

1 hour ago, nylonRigging said:

( other good brands also ) but Juki is a good brand and they build off of common parent machine designs that are widely used world wide, so part are everywhere and reasonable price .
also (rockyaussie) said that the small cylinder bed copies is a good choice also, and he is correct . It all just depends 'what you want to sew' when you start your purchase .

( IMHO ) .. I always recommend that a person buys on there 1st purchase a good everyday workhouse, and then build there other machine stations around it .

Your daily workhorse is the machine most jump behind used everyday for doing your work . Your everyday workhorse choice besides have good selection of produced parts and a design machine that is not going away anytime soon . It also needs to have a good common produced selection of Presser Feet, of different size/shape available . Or at least a supply of reasonable price presser feet for you to cut and shape trim to your liking .
.

Is this the machine you have ?  What do you use it for? It's within my budget and I am going to consider purchasing it depending on other suggestions.

 

Thank you

[dikman]

Basically, you're looking at an upholstery-class walking foot machine, most typically have 3/8" clearance under the feet and will use #69 thread and may be able to run #138. A cylinder arm will certainly be more versatile but if you can't find one then a flatbed should still work. The usual suspects (used) are Singer 111/211 class, Consew, Seiko STH-8 series, Juki 563 - there are others, of course, but these tend to be the fairly common ones. If you buy used you'll need to factor in a servo motor if it doesn't come with one.

[RockyAussie]

2 hours ago, JC2019 said:

Ah yeah this is what I eventually would want, and then have the flat attachment to sew things like wallets. Sadly I am not seeing a lot of these machines here in the USA? I don't see any listed on ebay at least and that's usually how I try to gauge popularity of an item but maybe it's different for machines

I have a wide range of machines but the one I use most is a small cylinder arm machine. They can do a wider range of operations than other machines and give professional results. This one here from Techsew called the 2600 is along the type I would start with. http://www.techsew.com/machinery/industrial-sewing-machines/cylinder-machines/techsew-2600-narrow-cylinder-leather-industrial-sewing-machine.html

For just over $2000 I would consider their finance options.

[nylonRigging]

3 hours ago, JC2019 said:

Is this the machine you have ?  What do you use it for? It's within my budget and I am going to consider purchasing it depending on other suggestions.

 

Thank you

I dont run a Juki 1181, but I do run Juki double needles . but I would not hesitate for second to run a du1181 for full-time setup, it is a sound machine . My daily workhorse is a consew walker and bernina 217 setup in 2 station that I jump on the most everyday, but I run 6 other stations with singers, artisan, mitsubishi . also a serger head put up on the shelf that comes in handy once in a while . I been through a LOT of machines but my personal sew workspace is tightly limited to right at 7 to 8 sew stations at one-time, with keeping 2 cutting tables and shelved material and fabrics ..etc .

New & Used .. Keep in mind also that the Consew rb206 is a BIG seller for a everyday workhorse and have huge following for a good reason . I see them used all over the place, with a good buys popping up regularly . And new heads under 1-K and full table setups starting in around the 1200-$ range .

Also what ( dikman )  say's . ( For good used ) buy, If you run into one, I would not hesitate to setup a used 111 or 211 Singer . They are still to this day a Great machine . I see them popup for sale around here in the NW area and I really not looking for one, and I sure you can catch them around your area down south in CA. if you keep your eyeout for them because they are out there in huge numbers still being used .
.

edit add:

you also asked on the one Post about shipping a machine .

..." I  am in northern california so I would need it shipped. I wonder which shipping carrier they use ".

When you have anyone ship a machine to you from anywhere in the US, normally truck shipping will not deliver to a residence and only business, and the driver and truck don't normally have a forklift to remove a large package anyway. So what happens is that whoever the person shipping is using for there carrier . a machine will be trucked to a local carrier terminal that the carrier is associated with in your town or a town close by . Then you just drive over and sign for it and pick your machine up there .

.

Edited May 20, 2019 by nylonRigging

[JC2019]

4 hours ago, nylonRigging said:

I dont run a Juki 1181, but I do run Juki double needles . but I would not hesitate for second to run a du1181 for full-time setup, it is a sound machine . My daily workhorse is a consew walker and bernina 217 setup in 2 station that I jump on the most everyday, but I run 6 other stations with singers, artisan, mitsubishi . also a serger head put up on the shelf that comes in handy once in a while . I been through a LOT of machines but my personal sew workspace is tightly limited to right at 7 to 8 sew stations at one-time, with keeping 2 cutting tables and shelved material and fabrics ..etc .

New & Used .. Keep in mind also that the Consew rb206 is a BIG seller for a everyday workhorse and have huge following for a good reason . I see them used all over the place, with a good buys popping up regularly . And new heads under 1-K and full table setups starting in around the 1200-$ range .

Also what ( dikman )  say's . ( For good used ) buy, If you run into one, I would not hesitate to setup a used 111 or 211 Singer . They are still to this day a Great machine . I see them popup for sale around here in the NW area and I really not looking for one, and I sure you can catch them around your area down south in CA. if you keep your eyeout for them because they are out there in huge numbers still being used .
.

edit add:

you also asked on the one Post about shipping a machine .

..." I  am in northern california so I would need it shipped. I wonder which shipping carrier they use ".

When you have anyone ship a machine to you from anywhere in the US, normally truck shipping will not deliver to a residence and only business, and the driver and truck don't normally have a forklift to remove a large package anyway. So what happens is that whoever the person shipping is using for there carrier . a machine will be trucked to a local carrier terminal that the carrier is associated with in your town or a town close by . Then you just drive over and sign for it and pick your machine up there .

.

Ah yeah that delivery style is going to be a problem for me so I'll have to look into seeing if they can deliver it to my address.

 

 I see tons selling as "head only" which would mean having to get a table, motor + other parts I imagine?  I wonder how wide and heavy these machines are. Needed  a fork lift sounds intense....

 

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by JC2019

[dikman]

Head only - most of the machines I mentioned (and the Pfaff 335) are heavy but can be lifted by the average person. You're not going to carry them too far, but they are manageable. Shipping can be an issue, as if you're buying privately you want to be sure they are packed well, sewing machine heads generally don't take kindly to being dropped or bounced around! Most people don't know how to securely pack a head unit.

Edited May 20, 2019 by dikman

[JC2019]

How about this thing @RockyAussie and @nylonRigging  ?

 

FISTERS Hand Machine Cobbler Shoe Repair Machine Dual Cotton Nylon Line Sewing Machine

 

Maybe a good stop gap until I want to spend 2k-3k? Or will it be so awful it's not worth the $115ish?

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by JC2019

[dikman]

NO! Nothing wrong with them, for what they are, but I doubt if it will be suitable for what you want to do. It's not intended to be a production machine, its main use is as a repair/patcher.

[JC2019]

1 minute ago, dikman said:

NO! Nothing wrong with them, for what they are, but I doubt if it will be suitable for what you want to do. It's not intended to be a production machine, its main use is as a repair/patcher.

I see. So what's the difference? Will they just produce an ugly stitch? Take too much work? I am seeing a Singer 29k also mentioned which seems to go for quite a bit more.

Edited May 20, 2019 by JC2019

[RockyAussie]

They both have 1 advantage in that they can sew in any direction (360 degrees) but the feed is only achieved by the top foot grabbing and pulling the job along. This can be a problem for getting uneven length stitches and foot teeth marks and sometimes when sewing up the arm keeping the thread to the left or the right of where the needle goes into. It is worth having one but the money would be better saved and put toward a cylinder. In my experience looping tension problems can be hard to avoid as well. I have many years of experience using them and can get a pretty good result but that only comes with years of practice that you get from sewing inside shoes and following the same holes etc.

[JC2019]

10 hours ago, RockyAussie said:

They both have 1 advantage in that they can sew in any direction (360 degrees) but the feed is only achieved by the top foot grabbing and pulling the job along. This can be a problem for getting uneven length stitches and foot teeth marks and sometimes when sewing up the arm keeping the thread to the left or the right of where the needle goes into. It is worth having one but the money would be better saved and put toward a cylinder. In my experience looping tension problems can be hard to avoid as well. I have many years of experience using them and can get a pretty good result but that only comes with years of practice that you get from sewing inside shoes and following the same holes etc.

I see, what is this manual machine good for? Making shoes? Or mainly repairing them?

[Wizcrafts]

What we refer to as patchers are shoe REPAIR machines. They are also great for sewing embroidered patches over pockets and sleeves, and for fixing torn or loose strap tabs on the sides of purses.

[dikman]

In other words they can be a handy machine to have, but not as your main machine.

[davemac2]

JC2019, if you are in the Sac or Bay area, there are a few decent used machines on the market.

examples:

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/tls/d/roseville-consew-227-sewing-machine/6892644382.html

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/for/d/carmichael-tacsew-t111-industrial/6890120621.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/for/d/rohnert-park-consew-industrial-walking/6893547783.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/for/d/san-jose-walking-foot-industrial-sewing/6892821480.html

https://offerup.com/item/detail/643878972/

https://offerup.com/item/detail/664448029/

 

[JC2019]

Got it thanks guys.

 

@RockyAussie what would the 2600 machine allow me to do besides bags? Shoes? Wallets? Maybe I should wait and get a $2-3k machine if it means I will have a wider range.

[RockyAussie]

Bags, belts/straps, shoes uppers,wallets purses up to 10mm (3/8") thick and just about anything you can see on my web site. (Not the linesman's pouch)  If I were starting all over again this would be my first machine. It can do anything that you can do on a flat bed and most things that you can on a post machine as well. Main limitations are the thread size at max #138 and the thickness it can sew. A larger cylinder gives you more difficulty getting into tight gusset areas and if you look at my wallets I sew all the way around which to me is quicker and neater.

[JC2019]

6 minutes ago, RockyAussie said:

Bags, belts/straps, shoes uppers,wallets purses up to 10mm (3/8") thick and just about anything you can see on my web site. (Not the linesman's pouch)  If I were starting all over again this would be my first machine. It can do anything that you can do on a flat bed and most things that you can on a post machine as well. Main limitations are the thread size at max #138 and the thickness it can sew. A larger cylinder gives you more difficulty getting into tight gusset areas and if you look at my wallets I sew all the way around which to me is quicker and neater.

I see, that seems to cover most of the things I care about right now. Thanks.  

 

[JC2019]

On 5/21/2019 at 6:28 PM, RockyAussie said:

Bags, belts/straps, shoes uppers,wallets purses up to 10mm (3/8") thick and just about anything you can see on my web site. (Not the linesman's pouch)  If I were starting all over again this would be my first machine. It can do anything that you can do on a flat bed and most things that you can on a post machine as well. Main limitations are the thread size at max #138 and the thickness it can sew. A larger cylinder gives you more difficulty getting into tight gusset areas and if you look at my wallets I sew all the way around which to me is quicker and neater.

I am looking and the basic configuration is about 2k, I assume I would want the speed reducer too? All the upgrades seem to make it go for about 2.5k That seems to include a bit more but not sure if that's what you would recommend (the table adapter seems interesting to make it flat I believe)

[JC2019]

Also curuous how loud a Techsew 2600 gets. I have no experience with these industrial machines but I assumed they would be pretty quiet and not likely a problem for the neighbors?