Chinese Imported Sewing Machines

[Bert51]

I brought feet for my machine from Aliexpress, maybe they have the feet for that model?

Bert.

[shoepatcher]

19 hours ago, Bert51 said:

If the Keestar Adler copy is half as good as my 105, then it's a good machine.

Bert.

They are pretty good.  I have sewn on their 205 Clone.

glenn

[dikman]

I just spoke to another customs broker and he gave me a breakdown on the costs involved (this time I knew the questions to ask ). It is no longer an attractive proposition. For anyone in Australia who may be thinking of doing this here is a breakdown of the figures in Australian $.

Keestar 441 (head only) - $1476

Freight by sea (organised by the company) - $117

Port forwarding (organised by the company) - $287

GST (10%) - $175

Port Charges Adelaide - $500

Broker fees - $150

Customs fees - $195

Grand total - $2899!

He said that the figures he quoted could be on the high side but even so the savings probably would only be around $50 or so. He also said that a Chinese company might charge what seems like a low freight price but there are usually "kickbacks" when it gets to this end to compensate them, something that the other broker also said.

Looks like I'll be sticking with hand sewing the thick stuff.

[Constabulary]

I don´t know why you (or they) choose shipping by vessel. Why not checking the DHL Express or UPS - they ship to your door and usually do the custom work when a commercial invoice is included - well at least on my side of the pond.

[dikman]

I guess it may be worth checking, but I was told that air freight will be more expensive as while the volumetric size isn't that big the weight will be a factor (80 kg). I will save the broker's fees but the customs and handling fees probably won't change much.

[Constabulary]

custom fees and VAT are for sure the same but they may charge you some bucks for the custom paper work. Over here it's approx 10 - 12€ from DHL. Air freight is for sure more expensive but it is more convenient too - no driving to port, no broker (usually) no paper work... Just check with UPS or DHL Express how the import process works and what they charge and ask the seller if he can ship with them.

[dikman]

UPS have an online calculator and IF I got it right then it's about $400 cheaper - IF I got it right.

I submitted a request to DHL, there's no way to call them so I have to wait for them to contact me. Pretty poor, I thought.

[Constabulary]

Does this work for you?

https://mydhl.express.dhl/au/en/home.html#/getQuoteTab

or - have you tried a shipping comparison like this? Don´t know how the comparison Co´s handle the custom things but maybe worth checking:

https://www.comparecouriers.com.au/

https://au.interparcel.com/

Edited November 27, 2019 by Constabulary

[chrisash]

Dont know about airfares in Aus but it can be very cheap to fly to china from the UK especially if you use lesser known airlines

May be worth considering a return flight to China and bringing it back as airline excess luggage

[dikman]

An interesting idea chris, but unfortunately in this particular case not very practical.

Constab, the DHL link is the one I used and they just said that they would contact me via email. So far they all appear to be within $100 or so of each other. I have no qualms about buying a machine from a Chinese factory but the various port, handling and customs fees all make it a less attractive option.

[Bert51]

I do not know how the dealers come up with some of their pricing, but at times I think they work out what it would cost you or me to import it, then add on enough to make it not worth your time to import it yourself.

They must be buying a hell of a lot better they we could get it retail in China, their freight must be better and they would not be paying the same handling and import duties as their costs are lower.

I have been buying parts for my Motor Bikes from dealers in America since the early 90's and I have been saving at least a third, that was until our dollars fell through the floor.

This it my opinion and is not written with exacting research, only from my limited experiences.

Bert.

[dikman]

Their freight costs would doubtless be better as they would be importing by the pallet at a minimum and their purchase price would be lower because they would be buying multiple units. It's called economy of scale. While they can't avoid the GST and customs fees I suspect they would also get a better deal overall with the freight handling within Australia. So yes, I suspect you may be right about the pricing, Bert, although it's probably the agents setting the price rather than the seller.

I've just come across some folks who are now handling Cowboy machines (in Qld) so gave them a call. A 4500 head unit is $3,000 + $170 shipping to me and that includes a pack they provide with left and right toe feet, stirrup and holster plates. I was honest and explained what I was trying to do and she said that if there was a slight difference in prices between my import cost and theirs they might be able to negotiate a bit, which was nice of them. I then had another thought and asked about a 3200 head unit - $2675 + freight. Not a huge difference between them price-wise. But will I be better off with the bigger machine in the long run??

This is still far more than I intended to spend but my wife said just do it!

[Bert51]

dikman, one thing I have learnt, RULE 1: Do Not argue with the wife.

Bert.

[dikman]

To finish off my input to this thread, I've just bought a Cowboy 4500!!

I managed to get the China price down to around $2700. I spoke to Jess at Cowboy Leather Machines in Queensland, who have just taken over the Cowboy line there, and had a nice discussion with her. She made me an offer that I won't mention here but it was very fair and meant it wouldn't be worth the hassle of going through the import bit. She also sells larger thread (#277 and #346 - in black and white - and needles) so once I figure out what I need I'll put in an order..

I could have cut the price down by about $500 if I bought the cheapest machine and didn't use a broker, but if anything went wrong I could easily blow that saving. Not worth the risk imo.

Bottom line is that for Australia, at least, it isn't viable to import an individual sewing machine from China. While the unit price might be good the various charges and taxes soon add up to mean any potential savings are minimal.

[Wizcrafts]

You've made a wise decision. If you even need technical assistance, the dealer is a phone call away and speaks the same language and is in the same time zone. You can get thread, needles, bobbins and accessories in-country instead of by a slow boat from China.

[Handstitched]

@dikman I had no idea there was a CB supplier in Qld. I just had a quick look on their website. 

I have the ' Q Stitch Colt' ,  ( Juki clone) that I got from Q Stitch  Capalaba Qld , I don't think they do these machines anymore,   but I guess the parts would be the same as the CB 4500?   Not that I have ever needed parts for my machine ( touchwood) , apart from needles,  but its handy to know .  I have bought parts  for my Seiko from Sewing Machines Australia before, quite good to deal with. 

But I hear you about the freight charges ( I'm in WA) . I've often thought about buying equine stock on Alibaba, but I'm just not sure how the process works, freight forwarding, customs charges etc. I'd be   better off going through a reputable wholesaler ( just found one)  ( this is off topic) .

HS

Edited November 30, 2019 by Handstitched

[dikman]

Cowboy Leather Machines, who I bought it from, don't have a website yet, Jess said they're still working on it. They're only on facebook. She and her husband bought the business from Steve, who has been a contributor on here for some time. I'd say if you took the badge off yours would look identical to the Cowboy. I've been used to buying stuff overseas where it basically just comes through the mail system with minimal issues, this has been an eyeopener about what happens when it's something that requires customs, shipping, freight forwarding, port handling etc.

Fortunately, Wiz, I doubt if I'll need much technical support as they're still learning the ropes themselves. Besides, I expect the machine will be pretty well set up from the start and I have the huge wealth of information here to consult should I need it. It comes with left and right feet, double toe foot, holster and stirrup plates, smooth feed dog plus the stock blanket feet (which I can always re-shape on a grinder if needed). I can easily make a roller guide. I have a spool of #277 to practice with (it was given to me and is of indeterminate age) and Jess said she will include some leather needles to suit that thread. I now need to work out the sizing system this machine uses to buy some more needles and new thread. I have no idea if I'll actually need #346 or if #277 will be adequate for my needs.

Other than having to make another set of holsters and gunbelt I actually have no idea what I'm going to use this machine for! Once I understood a bit about leather sewing machines I just knew I wanted a heavy duty machine. I just had to have one......

[Wizcrafts]

5 hours ago, dikman said:

I now need to work out the sizing system this machine uses to buy some more needles and new thread.

https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html

[Frodo]

I did not read 3 pages, so if this has been addressed. please excuse

ebay china sewing machine

Is this garbage or can you actually make something out of it. I am mechanically inclined and short on cash

 

 

 

[dikman]

Thanks Wiz.

Frodo, they're referred to as Chinese shoe patchers and there have been a few posts on here about them, plus a lot of youtube vids (I have one myself). For the price, and what they are, they can be a useful little machine, good for sewing patches on jackets, repairing bags and shoes etc. They're not designed to do long stitch runs and have an aggressive foot, which can be smoothed a bit but is needed to grip and move the material. They have small bobbins and will handle up to #138 thread, but obviously won't hold much - #69 is a better option.

The finish on these things is pretty rough and you can spend quite a bit of time smoothing and lubricating one to make it operate better, but they are designed to be simple, easy to use, portable and cheap to buy. As such they are an interesting little machine. I suggest you check out youtube.

[Handstitched]

I have only ever used 277 thread with 180/24 needles, or  ' small nails' as I call them, I've pretty much  done everything with that set up, but it just depends on your needs, obviously. All the best with your new machine     

HS

[dikman]

Thanks mate, I seem to recall that Wiz mentioned 277 is perfectly adequate for holsters and belts, I'm guessing that the only "advantage" of 346 for my needs will be appearance. 277 also appears to be available in a wider range of colours (here at least) so I'm thinking that will be the logical choice. But it's nice to know that I will have a machine that can sew rope if I want to.

What do you make, by the way?

[robbied]

You appear to have gotten a bargain,  the prices on this model are now over $4k delivered to Adelaide.  This is from the same people you got yours from @dikman. Funny how a year later I find myself looking at the same thing. 

[CowboyBob]

On 11/30/2019 at 4:06 PM, Frodo said:

I did not read 3 pages, so if this has been addressed. please excuse

ebay china sewing machine

Is this garbage or can you actually make something out of it. I am mechanically inclined and short on cash

 

 

 

If your on Facebook there's a page on them you can join & hear & see what you might have to do to get one sewing.

[DrmCa]

I got one, and it stitches, out of the box. Maybe I got lucky. Never tried it on the supplied "tripod" and instead mounted it on my own wooden base. There is a picture somewhere around here.

Since I got it and sewed it off, I never used it and am still contemplating either buying a copper and chromium plating kits and plating some parts myself or taking it apart and sending it to be chrome plated because all that is not painted is bare steel and doomed to rust.

I got this machine locally, from an eBay seller in my city, and it only cost me about US$150, at my door, so I do not see a point in buying from China directly.

Today it is even CD$20 or US$15 cheeper than what I had paid: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/193082243092

Edited November 24, 2021 by DrmCa