Considering Getting a Techsew Sewing Machine. Need Advice.

[Abdo]

Hey guys,

I am considering getting a Techsew sewing machine but I am not sure which model fits my needs. I make leather wallets (99% of the time) and so I am thinking a flatbed would be more suitable than a cylinder machine. I wouldn’t mind a cylinder like the Techsew 2750 PRO, but I am concerned that it will not be as comfortable to sew on (since I’ll only be making wallets). The 2750 PRO comes with a flatbed attachment but it seems like it sits much higher than a regular flatbed and has a smaller work surface.

I was looking at the Techsew 1660 PRO which is a flatbed and comes with cool features like the edge guide and servo needle positioning motor. My concern is that I might not be able to add a speed reducer on it ( I spoke with Mike from Techsew and he wasn’t sure, can anybody confirm this?), which would be a deal breaker for me.

I’d like to go with Techsew because they are based in Canada and have (apparently) excellent customer support. However, I am willing to consider other options. I have never used a sewing machine before and know very little about them. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[JJN]

I purchased a Juki DNU-1541S from Keystone and recommend this machine for what you are doing. I like that it is a genuine Juki, made in Japan. You can order it with either a speed reducer or a needle position. I would not recommend both.

https://store.keysew.com/sewing-machines/juki-sewing/juki-dnu-1541s-with-assembled-power-stand-setup-ready-to-sew

[Wizcrafts]

Abdo, your IP address says you are a Rogers online customer. That is a Canadian ISP. I strongly advise you to add your location to your profile. It will help you get better targeted replies when asking about suppliers and machinery.

[Abdo]

@JJN Thanks for the recommendation. I heard great things about Juki sewing machines. About the needle position / speed reducer, why do you recommend to get one or the other, but not both?

@Wizcrafts Thanks you so much for the tip! I had no idea!

[Wizcrafts]

43 minutes ago, Abdo said:

About the needle position / speed reducer, why do you recommend to get one or the other, but not both?

Most leather sewing is done at really slow speeds, compared to cloth or vinyl sewing. Servo motors aren't as powerful at slow speeds as clutch motors (because they are already spinning at full speed). Adding a speed reducer slows down the motor to either 1/2 or 1/3rd speed at the output pulley. That pulley is usually very small, ~50mm, so there is another 2:1 or better reduction between the reducer and machine pulleys. We're talking about 1 or 2 stitches per second. If you have a steady foot and a smooth motor you shouldn't need a positioner to stop the needle where you want it.

Another factor is that some programmable servo motors need to be specially programmed to work with a positioner attachment. A speed reducer can throw off the geometry.

A positioner would be useful on a direct motor to machine hookup if the motor can't be controlled at starting speeds by the user..

[dikman]

If you want both a needle positioner and a speed reducer have the dealer fit it to make sure it will work as some servos can't work with both. Personally, I can't see the point of having both, as Wiz said if you have a speed reducer you should be able to control it sufficiently well to stop it where you want.

[JJN]

1 hour ago, Abdo said:

Thanks for the recommendation. I heard great things about Juki sewing machines. About the needle position / speed reducer, why do you recommend to get one or the other, but not both.

@Abdo, I agree with what what Wiz said above. Both the speed reducer and the NPS accomplish similar things. Better control when making stitches.

The speed reducer will slow the machine down and allow you to be very accurate placing the location of the stitches in your leather while adding torque at this slow speed.

I have a SV-71 servo motor with NPS on one of my machines. This motor does not go very slow, but I can control it using the NPS. By 'tapping' the foot pedal, I can easily sew one, two or three stitches at a time and I can stop it needle up or down. It is like driving a car, after you get used to it. I don't think about it any more, my foot seems to know what my mind wants it to do. I am mostly doing production runs of 25 to 100 pieces at a time on that machine and I feel the NPS makes the work flow faster. I am also working with waxed canvas, Cordura (nylon canvas) and nylon webbing and the stitch placement is not as critical as with leather.

Either device will work once you get the feel of it. Having both methods on one machine is overkill in my opinion. For wallets I would suggest a speed reducer.

I have made some Cordura wallets on my Juki 1541 and it works very well for that. I hope to start working with leather very soon. I am still learning.

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, JJN said:

I have a SV-71 servo motor with NPS on one of my machines. This motor does not go very slow,

I've had brushless servo motors like that and replaced them with brush motors like the Family Sew FS-550S and before that, the Sew Pro 500GR. The motors that start at 200 rpm do so with a jolt. They also disengage with a jolt. I can't stand that. The motors I use now start up from zero and smoothly increase in speed.

If I was doing production sewing I would use a positioner system, but I would not use servos that start up with a jolt.

[JJN]

8 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

If I was doing production sewing I would use a positioner system, but I would not use servos that start up with a jolt.

@Wizcrafts, I agree. I have a couple machines with the Family Sew servo motor and I like how they start up. I don't have speed reducers on them, just the 50mm pulley. I will put reducers on them when I start working with leather. The SV-71 came with a Juki 1341 I bought and I am trying to make use of it. I think I will get another Family Sew and a box style speed reducer and switch it out.

[dikman]

Personally, I think brush motors are smoother at lower speed but unfortunately most of the servos are now brushless.

[Wizcrafts]

6 hours ago, dikman said:

Personally, I think brush motors are smoother at lower speed but unfortunately most of the servos are now brushless.

Most of the push button brushless servos I have or had start with a jolt at 200 rpm, but are cool and fairly quiet. Clutch motors I have run at 1725 rpm and throw heat and noise. I have no trouble feathering the clutches in. Just imagine if some developer, or a kit-basher was to incorporate an adjustable clutch into a push button controlled brushless servo motor! That would be interesting! The motor would spin at whatever maximum speed the user preset and the clutch would take care of feathering it in and out from zero rpm, just like the brush types, but with more torque at startup. Less heat and noise than a standard clutch motor and plenty of torque.

[dikman]

4 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

 Just imagine if some developer, or a kit-basher was to incorporate an adjustable clutch into a push button controlled brushless servo motor!

Now that IS an interesting concept.

[Bert51]

Thanks Wiz, you just gave me an idea.

I have a constant running motor on my 31K47 and I was thinking of just using a servo motor, but as the transmitter works good, I just might try that.

Bert.