Juki 1341 or 2342?

[RasberryD]

Hi All

I am a complete newbie in all aspects of industrial machines... so please bare with my ignorance, i'm on a 90 degree learning curve 

 

I sell gloves for wheelchair users, the glove is more of a wrist wrap with velcro, than a conventional glove with fingers. The point being it is flat when sewn. There are several layers involved: stretch cotton, 2mm soft leather, 2mm padding, 1mm synthetic leather and 3mm natural rubber. When i say this combination has proven a challenge to stitch for several cobblers i'm being polite! I ended up going to a saddler with a cb4500 and obviously that machine doesnt even sweat - it's like sewing thin air.

However, i'ver reached the point where i need to take control of production and stop messing about with out sourcing, which brings me to my Juki issue. I have an offer of an ex showroom juki 1341 for £3500 and i know the juki 2342's are about £4500 plus. 

So, do i go with the older model, as i particularly prefer non-direct drive, as i need to adapt the machine for hand use only (because i use a wheelchair). Or do i spend more, get a newer machine and try program the buttons to use hands only? Is £3500 a good price for the 1341? is there anything else i'm not considering?

I was thinking about the Adler 869... it's a beauty no doubt, but sadly i think out of my price range.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RasberryD]

Also in terms of needle and thread i'm planning to use something on the border of medium & heavy weight; needle 160/23, thread tex 135 or there abouts  

[kgg]

I would choose the Juki 1341. The 1341 doesn't have any electronic controls that the 2342 has which are probably going to become expense / hard to find down the road. I like basic machines, easier and cheaper to repair / maintain. The bells and whistles are great for production but for the hobbyist or small commercial the KISS rule I think works best.  Also the 2342 maybe a challenge to adapt to your needs.

From your description of the glove and the photo if you go with a cylinder machine you will need a flat top table extension to do the majority of the work. Before you purchase any machine I would take the material needed to make a glove to the Juki dealer and do a test run with the thread you are planning on using. I would also suggest that you consider a flatbed Juki 1541S or 1508 for the main work and a patcher for doing the thumb attachment work. You have selected a really top notch brand that should give years of reliability. It really is going to come down to what will give you the best results that meets your abilities.

kgg

[R8R]

The 2342 is the cylinder arm version of the LU-2810. The 2810 comes in basic or electronic/direct drive versions, while the 2342 is only avail in electronic/direct drive (with or without thread trimmer)

I have the 2810 and wanted an equivalent cylinder arm machine so I went with the Adler 669 Eco (non electronic/direct drive, separate motor, etc.) It rules. Higher lift and longer arm than the 1341 and easier to adapt to binding.