Pfaff 438 needles

[Josacraw]

I just purchased a pfaff 438 which uses the 438/265 needle system. I'm having trouble locating the needle gauge I would like. I want to run v92 thread in a 19-21 needle size.

Are there any needle systems I could switch to?

 

Thanks

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Groz Beckert has a 265 system in 120NM

Schmetz has system 265 also in a 120NM

This appears the largest size for both brands in this system.

 

[Josacraw]

I spoke to my local needle/thread supplier and they said 134ZZ is the same as 438. They also noted a 134 which has larger gauges but may or may not fit. Does anyone know the particulars of 134ZZ? I was able to find the dimensions of 134 here

https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/81816-needle-size-134/

 

[Josacraw]

134 and 134 ZZ needles: 33.9 mm from the top of the shank to the top of the eye, 2.0 mm shank diameter. 339.200 AC XX R

We never use the full length of the needle in the specifications.

 

134 ZZ has a different scarf configuration so that it will work in Zig Zag machines.

 

This is the reply I received from a groz usa rep to my question on 134 dimensions. Hopefully it helps someone else out. 

 

[Josacraw]

To follow up I'm using groz 134 system  20 gauge needle in the pfaff 438 and it is working just fine. I am not running anywhere close to the rated SPM for this machine but not crawling either. When sewing through 8 layers of 9 oz dacron the thread was fraying and snapping on a 19 gauge needle but so far it's good on a 20. 

 

Visually the needle system are very similar. The zz scarf slopes gently into the eye with a slope that goes about halfway into the eye. The non zz does not slope into the eye at all.

 

Hope this helps someone