Cobra 4 vs cowboy 3500 vs techsew 5100

[Loudcherokee]

So I'm flirting with the idea of a machine. Im looking at the ones in the title. They all appear to have the same stats, but different packaging and pricing. 

So far, if I am reading everything right, the Cobra class 4 premium package seems to be the best bang for the buck as far as accessories included go. Does that seem right? 

How does the techsew 5100 stack up? It looks to have similar features, but claims to be able to sew down to 5 ounce with 69 size thread. If I go cobra 4, I will need to also purchase a smaller machine to do my wallets, journals, pouches, etc.  Will the techsew really do it all? 

And lastly, the cowboy 3500. It appears to be the same as the 4500, with a shorter arm. No good package deals that I can locate though, however the 4500 comes with an accessory pack at toledo industrial that makes it comparable to the cobra 4. 

My primary uses for a machine would be holsters and belts, and while I still plan to hand sew wallets and smaller projects, it would be nice to have the ability to sew those smaller items on the machine as well. 

 

LC

[Ed in Tx]

1 hour ago, Loudcherokee said:

So I'm flirting with the idea of a machine. Im looking at the ones in the title. They all appear to have the same stats, but different packaging and pricing. 

So far, if I am reading everything right, the Cobra class 4 premium package seems to be the best bang for the buck as far as accessories included go. Does that seem right? 

How does the techsew 5100 stack up? It looks to have similar features, but claims to be able to sew down to 5 ounce with 69 size thread. If I go cobra 4, I will need to also purchase a smaller machine to do my wallets, journals, pouches, etc.  Will the techsew really do it all? 

And lastly, the cowboy 3500. It appears to be the same as the 4500, with a shorter arm. No good package deals that I can locate though, however the 4500 comes with an accessory pack at toledo industrial that makes it comparable to the cobra 4. 

My primary uses for a machine would be holsters and belts, and while I still plan to hand sew wallets and smaller projects, it would be nice to have the ability to sew those smaller items on the machine as well. 

 

LC

I bought a Cobra 4 about 6 years ago and have used it for all sorts of sewing. Belts and holsters, skeet bags, purses, wallets and a bunch of guitar straps. Give some serious thought as to your real need for all of the attachments. Mine came with everything except the electronic positioning. To be perfectly honest the only  things I have used are the left and right feet and the slotted plate. You can't go wrong with the Cobra 4, it is very easy to use and the customer support from The Leather Machine Co. is top notch. 

[Loudcherokee]

3 minutes ago, Ed in Tx said:

I bought a Cobra 4 about 6 years ago and have used it for all sorts of sewing. Belts and holsters, skeet bags, purses, wallets and a bunch of guitar straps. Give some serious thought as to your real need for all of the attachments. Mine came with everything except the electronic positioning. To be perfectly honest the only  things I have used are the left and right feet and the slotted plate. You can't go wrong with the Cobra 4, it is very easy to use and the customer support from The Leather Machine Co. is top notch. 

The main attachment im wanting is the flat top, the roller guide, and the one sided feet. Also, it seems ive read the blanket foot is good for wallets? 

I've also seen that the cobra has a holster plate. Im not 100% sure how that's used. 

After watching a video on the techsew 5100 SE, im really starting to lean that way. At first I didn't care about the EPS but after that video it seems like a REEEALLLY nice option. 

LC

[bland]

I have a Cobra Class 4 and a Juki 1508 NH.  Both great machines but to tell you the truth I prefer to sew on the Cobra.  I can sew with 207, 277 and 346 thread with a needle change and a little adjustment but if I try to go down to 138 on it it requires significant adjustments to keep the stiches consistent.  The most beneficial attachment for me is the roller guide.  

[Wizcrafts]

5 hours ago, Loudcherokee said:

And lastly, the cowboy 3500. It appears to be the same as the 4500, with a shorter arm. No good package deals that I can locate though, however the 4500 comes with an accessory pack at toledo industrial that makes it comparable to the cobra 4.

That is wrong. The CB3500 and CB5500 use the same accessories and accessory pack as the CB4500. There is a link to it in the right sidebar, just above the bottom price. It opens a pop-up window that tells you that the accessories fit all three high lift machines.

I know the owner Bob Kovar personally, having bought several machines from him and his Son, Bob. I suspect that he can put together a package deal for you if you buy the CB3500.

In the event I am wrong, I repent in dust and ashes of love, cold as ice.

[Loudcherokee]

27 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

That is wrong. The CB3500 and CB5500 use the same accessories and accessory pack as the CB4500. There is a link to it in the right sidebar, just above the bottom price. It opens a pop-up window that tells you that the accessories fit all three high lift machines.

I know the owner Bob Kovar personally, having bought several machines from him and his Son, Bob. I suspect that he can put together a package deal for you if you buy the CB3500.

In the event I am wrong, I repent in dust and ashes of love, cold as ice.

Hey Wiz, I wasn't trying to infer that the 3500 didn't have accessories, sorry if I didn't explain that correctly. I was only referencing the special pricing option for the 4500 with "special accessories package deal", circled in the first picture below. It doesn't appear that the 3500 has a similar "package" deal or special price like the 4500 has listed. Thats all I was referring to. Sorry if I made it sound that way. 

LC

[Kcstott]

I own a class 4 and a class 26, 

I bought the 26 because it’s time consuming to the the class 4 up to use thread 238 or smaller. It can do it, it’s just going to be a two hour or more set up and test run.

my class 26 can go from 138 to 69 with nothing more than a needle/ thread change and backing off the top tension. 
I don’t see any 441 based machine being able to bounce from one end to the other in thread size. 

[Daffy]

Was looking at both a little over a year ago, went with the Cobra 4 because of the attachment package as you stated. Very happy in all aspects.

[Wizcrafts]

13 hours ago, Loudcherokee said:

Hey Wiz, I wasn't trying to infer that the 3500 didn't have accessories, sorry if I didn't explain that correctly. I was only referencing the special pricing option for the 4500 with "special accessories package deal", circled in the first picture below. It doesn't appear that the 3500 has a similar "package" deal or special price like the 4500 has listed.

I just texted with Bob and he told me that the same package deal applies to the cb3500 and 4500. So, add $400 to the machine price for the accessories. The list of included parts is in a pop-up on the cb4500 page.

[Loudcherokee]

1 hour ago, Wizcrafts said:

I just texted with Bob and he told me that the same package deal applies to the cb3500 and 4500. So, add $400 to the machine price for the accessories. The list of included parts is in a pop-up on the cb4500 page.

Good to know! Thank you. 

After looking at several of these videos, it appears that the 4500, class 4, and 5100 are all the same machine, just different branding. Would that be a correct assumption? 

LC

[Hildebrand]

@Loudcherokeefor all practical purposes yes.  Best thing to do is look and which dealer is closest to you to save on shipping.  All 3 dealers have a presence on this forum and are very helpful.  I bought my CB 4500 from Bob and the deal was extremely smooth.

Todd

[Loudcherokee]

18 hours ago, Hildebrand said:

@Loudcherokeefor all practical purposes yes.  Best thing to do is look and which dealer is closest to you to save on shipping.  All 3 dealers have a presence on this forum and are very helpful.  I bought my CB 4500 from Bob and the deal was extremely smooth.

Todd

Yeah it looks like Toledo is closest to me with the Leather Machine Company being in Cali, and techsew being in Canada. 

I'm still kind of liking that techsew though. The EPS and the laser guide I think would be very beneficial to a newbie like me. But I don't see techsew mentioned around here as often as the cowboy or cobra. I do admit, one thing pulling me towards techsew is an option of financing, which would help me out instead of dumping all my savings on the machine, I could use some of it for leather, thread, and other supplies. 

LC

[JJN]

@Loudcherokee, something to consider: I think the CB4500 has a larger diameter balance wheel than the others you are thinking about. I don't have personal experience with the CB4500 but I have read here that some people like the larger wheel when turning by hand. My thought on the needle position is that I have it on 2 of my smaller upholstery class machines that I use for production (Non-leather items in quantities of 50 or more). It is great for that purpose. I think that on this size of machine with the speed reducer and servo motor you get plenty of control without the needle position sensor. Personally I would not use it in this application. Just my thoughts, other may vary.

Edited February 9, 2021 by JJN