Pfaff 335 needle size

[luxuryluke]

So I finally spent some time trying to understand industrial sewing machine needle sizes and systems.

As a reference I’d spent some time going through the information shared on the needles and threads sticky post linked here from 2011:

Here has been the main thread for this machine:

I bought this machine used (obviously) but the few needles that came with it are nearly unmarked and are about 1.52” long.

So I wanted to share with you what I’m doing to find out what size these last few existing needles are that I have that go in my Pfaff 335 clone (it’s a Necchi 840-100 rotating bindery cylinder arm machine).

I’d actually purchased a full set of 135 x16 (common needles for walking foot machines for use on the leather, in place of the 135X 17 needles). These are about 1.7” long.

These needles were too long. I actually had to adjust the Needle bar very high to allow these larger needles to work. As I adjusted this, the Needle bar eventually touched the top of the machine Case and I realized this wasn’t going to work.

I couldn’t find needles that matched the 134 needle system that the Necchi manual described.

Eventually I found some!

Here are the next set of needles I’m trying:

“10 Groz-Beckert Gebedur 134 135X5 DPX5 Titanium Sewing Needles SINGER PFAFF JUKI” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0759VHZVP/

 

let me know what you’ve used on this machine or similar. 
 

BONUS: if you’ve read this far and you’d like an assortment of 50 various Organ needles for 135x16tri in sizes 16, 18, 20, 21, 23 (I’ve only used two or so)

…you can have them!

heres a pic of those:

dm me your address and I’ll get them shipped! Best first offer or free!

Luke

Edited June 3, 2020 by luxuryluke
Added needle length

[Constabulary]

You can adjust the needle bar to accommodate the 135x16 needles. Compare the needle length and raise the NB by the amount the longer needle is longer than the shorter on measured from right above the needle eye up to the end of shaft (not to the needle tip). But you probably have to fine tune thew NB a little bit. I have set most of my machines to 135x17 / 135x16 so I do not have to stock endless needles types and sizes and in worst case even mix them up . It's s a lot easier when all machines are using the same needle system.

My 2 cents

[luxuryluke]

13 hours ago, Constabulary said:

You can adjust the needle bar to accommodate the 135x16 needles. Compare the needle length and raise the NB by the amount the longer needle is longer than the shorter on measured from right above the needle eye up to the end of shaft (not to the needle tip). But you probably have to fine tune thew NB a little bit. I have set most of my machines to 135x17 / 135x16 so I do not have to stock endless needles types and sizes and in worst case even mix them up . It's s a lot easier when all machines are using the same needle system.

My 2 cents

Right. I did that and this required me moving the bar up so high that it touches the inner case at the top of the machine. That’d require me to saw off the top of the needle bar, Lol. No go.
Thanks for the tip though! All the same needles is an ideal scenario!

[Constabulary]

Thats indeed a no go - I did not know the casting is that low. This usually works w/o problems but of course there are too many machines out there to know all their specs.

[luxuryluke]

Okay so those Groz needles finally showed up and they seem to be the right size, but they’re not TRI for leather. 
 

Of the nearly 150 old assorted needles For various thread sizes that came with the machine, most don’t fit Properly or are poorly marked. 
...some say *Necchi 140*, some *pfaff 150*. There are even a few *Schmetz 130* or *150*.
 

I’m sewing 135 thread size Exclusively and would love to hear what specific needles you’re using.