CB341 vs Techsew 2750 vs Consew 206rb+upgrades for prototyping shop

[erasei]

Hello all, 

I've spent about 20 hours reading through the various machine posts, and then going out and watching the videos linked, and basically just educating myself on industrial sewing machines. So, first off, thank you all for the wealth of information already provided! 

 

I have a small outdoor business in Seattle WA that focuses on new product designs, or improvements to old proven designs. We do a lot of custom work but it is almost always with the intent that if the product works out that it be manufactured at scale by an outsourced production facility. As an outdoor company most of our materials are waxed canvas, leather, and web straps.. usually in some combination of the 3.  We have never (so far) sewn anything out of upholstery leather.. it's all oil tanned or veg tan. Waxed canvas tends to the heavier side as well. We make primarily rugged outdoor goods.  So far our leatherwork was done with hand stitching (not ideal but it is never for production so taking 10x longer on 1 prototype isn't a deal breaker) and our canvas sewing was outsourced to a local seamstress. This outsourced slows down the prototyping and we lose something in the translation so we want to bring it all in house and get a machine that can "do it all" (quoted because I know that doesn't really exist). 

 

I'm 95% certain the consew 206rb-5 + servo + speed reducer would do 99% of what we need right now. I've priced that out to be about $1900 delivered. I've seen the videos about other professional small scale shops using the Techsew 2750 (w servo and speed reducer) cylinder arm with great results. I also believe that the Cowboy CB341 is comparable to the 2750, if not a bit superior as it ships with the servo motor and a captured ball bearing speed reducer (vs an open greased version on the 2750). The 2750 is about $3k to me shipped as spec'd, where the cb341 is considerably cheaper at about $2400 delivered. 

 

Obviously the two main differences are the cylinder arms on the second two and the overall cost. I like the idea of a cylinder arm with a flat bed attachment, but I don't actually -need- the cylinder arm for current designs. However, being a prototyping shop, who knows what the future might bring. 

What I'd like to ask the forum is if there is anything else between the 3 models that I'm missing that might be important? Am I likely to regret not spending the extra $500 and getting a cb341 cylindar arm over the Consew.. or should I just bite the bullet and get the 2750 and be done with it forever?  I like the bigger thread possibilities of the latter 2 for our leather work, but again, we're not production so anything with really large threads (like an ask mask or knife sheath or something) could still be hand-stitched for prototyping. 

 

Thank you all for your guidance. 

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by erasei

[Arturomex]

I'm going to throw something else into the mix.

Have you considered a Techsew 4800 (Juki LS 1342 clone)? A few months ago I literally opened the Techsew site to purchase a 2750 and spotted the 4800. Did a little investigation with the help of the Forum and I bought the 4800. Lots of nice features and it'll sew 207 thread top and bottom through heavy veg tan all day long. Ron from Techsew told me it'll sew 277 on top with 207 on the bottom but I haven't tried that yet. (Note: He advised that if 277 thread is something you're going to use a lot, you need a heavier stitcher.)

I bought the "Pro" package and I'm very happy with it. The only thing I don't really use is the needle positioning system. Yes, it's more money but I also think it offers more value.

Regards,

Arturo

[erasei]

Hi Arturomex, 

 

Thank you for the feedback. I'd considered it briefly but thought it was overkill for my needs. Is there something in particular that it has missing from the others that makes it a good solution for me? It is about $1k more than the CB341..  

[Arturomex]

Honestly, if you're confident that a 2750/CB341/Class 26 is going to have the capability to do everything you want to do, I don't think you'll go wrong with any one of them. Lots of accessories available and lots of online documentation. These three are essentially the same machine. There's a $10.00 spread on the baseline price between them (accessories may vary) and I think the biggest difference you might find is the cost of shipping.

I opted for the 4800 for a few reasons. It allows me to sew short runs of 277 thread with 207 on the bottom (and I can - tried it out this afternoon) on occasion, I like the automatic presser foot climbing mechanism and bobbin winder as well. But mostly it was about thread size.

I've read several online articles/forum posts and and seen some videos where people were talking about sewing with 207 - 138 with the 2750 and they seemed very happy On the other hand, there are also a lot of claims that these machines really top out at 138 on top but I don't think any of the vendors who advertise here would exaggerate the thread sizes they claim. The 4800 lets me sew 207 top and bottom or 207 - 138 day in and day out without any hassle and it does it very well so I'm pleased.

As I said, the automatic needle position function doesn't get used much here and the table attachment hasn't seen a lot of action either. Don't seem to need it much but I am happy to have it when I want it.

Hope you'll enjoy your new machine.

Arturo

[Northmount]

The deciding factor for you could be who is the closest supplier and who gives the best warranty and followup support.

Tom