Looking at buying a machine but overwhelmed.

[Brigeyboo]

I'm very interested in buying my own machine and have been researching and reading threads but it's honestly all so overwhelming. 
I'm looking at sewing messenger bags mainly, possibly some purses and coats/garments as well. I think I've decided I want a walking foot, triple feed(terminology?), cylinder arm machine, I figure I can either buy or make an attachment for a flatbed if needed. Also I would prefer if the speed reducer were already included. I was pretty sold on the cb3200 but now I'm worried it will be too much for what I need.
Other machines I have pulled up; CB341, Cobra class 26

Sorry if I sound like an absolute idiot, please help! 

[DonInReno]

It sounds like you’ve almost answered the question - yes, the 3200 is larger than needed for most of what you’ve described.  While it can do those things in a pinch, it’s a lot like driving a big flatbed truck to the grocery store - it’s more work, not as nimble to drive in tight spots or curves, and just isn’t as enjoyable for most.  If you have a chance to sew with one for a few minutes it will make the difference quite clear.

Having said that, the 3200 would make a great second machine if you ever run into projects that a smaller machine struggles with.

[Brigeyboo]

18 hours ago, DonInReno said:

It sounds like you’ve almost answered the question - yes, the 3200 is larger than needed for most of what you’ve described.  While it can do those things in a pinch, it’s a lot like driving a big flatbed truck to the grocery store - it’s more work, not as nimble to drive in tight spots or curves, and just isn’t as enjoyable for most.  If you have a chance to sew with one for a few minutes it will make the difference quite clear.

Having said that, the 3200 would make a great second machine if you ever run into projects that a smaller machine struggles with.

Not really too keen on going places atm to test anything out, most places are still under quarantine here anyways :/ 
Anyways, I'm still not too sure what smaller machines are out there. 
Back to looking I guess.

[Brigeyboo]

Maybe the Cowboy CB227R?

[Brigeyboo]

Ok, I think I've narrowed it down to the techsew 2700(Strong contender), the Cowboy CB227r, and to be honest the cb3200 is still in the running because why not? It's in the same price range, but still heavy duty if I decide to get wild. 
Thoughts and opinions are welcome.

[Wizcrafts]

8 hours ago, Brigeyboo said:

Ok, I think I've narrowed it down to the techsew 2700(Strong contender), the Cowboy CB227r, and to be honest the cb3200 is still in the running because why not? It's in the same price range, but still heavy duty if I decide to get wild. 
Thoughts and opinions are welcome.

I have a Techsew 2700. It is a light duty walking foot machine with a cylinder arm. It is very efficient with small to medium thread sizes, from 46 through 138. Because I have other heavy duty machines, I only use #46, 69 and 92 in my 2700. This prolongs its life and the bobbins go much farther than with heavier thread.

The Cowboy 227R and Techsew 2700 are similar machines, clones of the Singer 153. If you are choosing between those machines, find out how much the shipping will cost to your door. The rates are lower if shipped to a loading dock than to a building requiring a truck with a lift gate.

I was going to link to the Techsew 2700 page, but it no longer exists. You may have to move up to a newer and more expensive model, like the Techsew 2750. The website has a bold top banner mentioning a 2 to 3 week delay in shipping due to Covid-19 issues. I don't know if this is still the case.

[Brigeyboo]

10 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

I have a Techsew 2700. It is a light duty walking foot machine with a cylinder arm. It is very efficient with small to medium thread sizes, from 46 through 138. Because I have other heavy duty machines, I only use #46, 69 and 92 in my 2700. This prolongs its life and the bobbins go much farther than with heavier thread.

The Cowboy 227R and Techsew 2700 are similar machines, clones of the Singer 153. If you are choosing between those machines, find out how much the shipping will cost to your door. The rates are lower if shipped to a loading dock than to a building requiring a truck with a lift gate.

I was going to link to the Techsew 2700 page, but it no longer exists. You may have to move up to a newer and more expensive model, like the Techsew 2750. The website has a bold top banner mentioning a 2 to 3 week delay in shipping due to Covid-19 issues. I don't know if this is still the case.

Thank you!
I was actually just gifted an adler 30-1 it needs some parts so hopefully I can figure that out.
I know nothing about the machine but the guy who gave it to me says it's a solid piece if I can fix it!

But upon a wee bit of googling I'm seeing that the parts are super expensive so that may be a bust haha

 

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, Brigeyboo said:

Thank you!
I was actually just gifted an adler 30-1 it needs some parts so hopefully I can figure that out.
I know nothing about the machine but the guy who gave it to me says it's a solid piece if I can fix it!

But upon a wee bit of googling I'm seeing that the parts are super expensive so that may be a bust haha

 

The Adler 30 series are shoe patchers. They are top feed only, via teeth on the jumping foot. The bobbins in this particular machine are tiny. It is best limited to #69 bonded nylon thread. If you don't repair shoes and boots, you can use it to sew embroidered patches over pockets and sleeves on biker's vests and jackets. They get into narrow spaces, like the sides of purses where the strap connecting tabs tend to let go. Once you get it sewing it can make you quick cash doing repairs for people.

This machine will not substitute for a compound feed walking foot machine with normal or oversize bobbins.

[Brigeyboo]

 

9 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

The Adler 30 series are shoe patchers. They are top feed only, via teeth on the jumping foot. The bobbins in this particular machine are tiny. It is best limited to #69 bonded nylon thread. If you don't repair shoes and boots, you can use it to sew embroidered patches over pockets and sleeves on biker's vests and jackets. They get into narrow spaces, like the sides of purses where the strap connecting tabs tend to let go. Once you get it sewing it can make you quick cash doing repairs for people.

This machine will not substitute for a compound feed walking foot machine with normal or oversize bobbins.

Good to know, thank you! I may just give it back to him since it doesn't really feel like it will fit my needs. I already own a hand cranked shoe cobbler machine (That I'm not a fan of) so I doubt I need to drop a lot of money on the Adler if I don't have to. The two pieces I know I need were over 200$ and there's no telling how many others I'd need.

Edited June 30, 2020 by Brigeyboo
Double posted

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, Brigeyboo said:

The two pieces I know I need were over 200$ and there's no telling how many others I'd need.

When I got my Adler 30-7 it too needed some replacement parts. They added up to about $250. Additionally, the needles are extra long and not very plentiful. Thus, what is available is expensive. If you were in business with a walk-in customer base, the Adler would be worth fixing for on-the-spot repairs.

[Brigeyboo]

3 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

When I got my Adler 30-7 it too needed some replacement parts. They added up to about $250. Additionally, the needles are extra long and not very plentiful. Thus, what is available is expensive. If you were in business with a walk-in customer base, the Adler would be worth fixing for on-the-spot repairs.

I'm in no business at all. This is just for hobby stuff (Yes, a lot of money to drop for a hobby I don't do often) But I hoard leather and have made a few things, I just feel like I'd make more if it were easier to sew rather than hand punching and sewing. I'll see if I can find some photos of the last bag I made.

[Brigeyboo]

[Brigeyboo]

On 7/1/2020 at 2:18 AM, charlie2crows said:

Nice work!!!

Any of the JUKI 341 clones would be perfect for what you are looking for. Will give you some scope to step up later should you chose. A Techsew 2750 is just one of many of these clones. Cowboy has one too.

Very cheap in China - a quarter of what you would pay in the USA.

Thank you! I'll look into that

[DonInReno]

Even though you don’t have a lot of need to fix it, getting your patcher up and running will certainly increase its value much more than the cost of the parts.  

[Wizcrafts]

On 7/2/2020 at 11:08 PM, Brigeyboo said:

Thank you! I'll look into that

There has been some discussion in this forum among members who tried importing sewing machines directly from China vs buying in one's country from an authorized dealer. Most agreed that by the time the machine was delivered, any savings was either minimal or zero after paying shipping and handling fees, getting insureance against damages, faxing documents, paying Brokerage warehouses and the cost of Customs and box inspections. One fee most folks overlook if they aren't in the habit of importing machinery from China is the 25% tariff on the landed price.

In addition to all of the costs and fees, once the machine arrives you become the dealer for the purposes of assembling it, setting it up, timing it and performing any necessary servicing. Do not expect technical support from the Chinese seller. If a manual is even supplied, it may be in Chinese, or Chinglish. Worse yet, if it gets damaged in transit you will have to file photographic documentation with whomever you paid to be the insurer and hope for compensation. Should you want to return it to the Chinese seller it will be at your expense.

[dikman]

What Wiz said. Some time ago a member in the US looked into importing a machine direct from China and he found that any likely savings would be minimal and it just wasn't worth the trouble. I found the same thing here in Australia. Better to buy from a reputable dealer.

[Wizcrafts]

I dug around and found this Customs Brokerage firm who has some very good information on their home page about what one will need to do to import machinery of any kind from China. It is both bewildering and eye opening.

[Constabulary]

If I wanted to import a sewing machine form China I would do this with DHL Express or UPS. On my side of the pond they do the custom work when you provide them a regular invoice or commercial invoice (usually invoice is included in the package) and they (UPS or DHL) charge you the import fees, VAT and some fees for their work (about  10-20€ in case of DHL). They deliver the package / machine to your door when the fees are paid or they do COD. I don´t know how it works in the US but it would surprise me if it would work differently in the US. Question is how much the shipping will be.

Check with UPS and check with DHL Express how they do the custom work and how much they charge. And AFAIK below $800 (not sure) they do not even charge  custom fees in the US.

[Wizcrafts]

38 minutes ago, Constabulary said:

And AFAIK below $800 (not sure) they do not even charge  custom fees in the US.

I'm pretty sure that the 25% Chinese Goods Import Tariff would probably be charged, whether or not the invoice is below $800. I know our dealers have to pay it on shipments from China.

[Constabulary]

 

1 hour ago, Wizcrafts said:

I'm pretty sure that the 25% Chinese Goods Import Tariff would probably be charged, whether or not the invoice is below $800. I know our dealers have to pay it on shipments from China. 

as far as I have researched, NO.

https://www.wouros-partner.de/usa-ausnahmen-von-den-zusatzzoellen-fuer-sendungen-aus-china-mit-wert-unter-800-us/

they put a link and source at the end of the article.

Google translate:

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=de&sl=de&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wouros-partner.de%2Fusa-ausnahmen-von-den-zusatzzoellen-fuer-sendungen-aus-china-mit-wert-unter-800-us%2F

Importing goods from China to the US is not my business so please evaluate this by your self. However I would check with UPS or DHL Express in this regard in case you want to work with them. But IMO they are the easier way to import goods for small business.

 

EDIT:

cant´t read the full article but the headline pretty much tells the story:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/tariffs-on-chinese-goods-are-skirted-by-some-u-s-shoppers-11577788201

EDIT II:

https://www.ecomcrew.com/trumps-china-tariffs/

Edited July 4, 2020 by Constabulary

[terrymac]

Where in the bell did this yo yo come from?  Whiz is one of the most respected and knowledgeable people on this forum.  When was the last time you imported a machine into the United States from China?  If a person was highly proficient with sewing machines it may be workable, most of the people looking to buy are not.  If this is any indication of what we can expect from you, I respectfully suggest you go find another place to offer your sound advice

[Arturomex]

45 minutes ago, terrymac said:

Where in the bell did this yo yo come from?  Whiz is one of the most respected and knowledgeable people on this forum.  When was the last time you imported a machine into the United States from China?  If a person was highly proficient with sewing machines it may be workable, most of the people looking to buy are not.  If this is any indication of what we can expect from you, I respectfully suggest you go find another place to offer your sound advice

I'm going to second @terrymac's sentiment.

Your assertion that Wiz has " multiple vested interests" is extremely offensive.

Regards to Sheila.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Arturomex
Removed profanity.

[Wizcrafts]

Wow!

[dikman]

Indeed.

[Matt S]

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dealers are making exorbitant amounts of money at the customers expense

Good one mate, thought you were serious for a minute! Tell us next about how farmers are fleecing us cos they are "selling stuff what grows out the ground", or car mechanics "just turning a few spanners" don't deserve to get paid. Doctors are laughing all the way to the bank cos they are "just repeating what Big Pharma pays them to sell". "Electricians shouldn't charge that much, wire isn't very expensive." And while you're at it don't forget the old "$40 for a quality belt? There's like $1 of leather in the thing. I can definitely make it for less, this guy is clearly making exorbitant amounts of money."

I also have to say, you have certainly changed your tune in a year...

Quote

Firstly enormous thanks to all the guys who have pointed me in the right direction over the years particularly the amazing WIZCRAFTS.