Cheap Chinese sewing machine question

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, Wdiaz03 said:

Thanks all for the replies and suggestions, I pulled the trigger on an aluminum version from ebay. $114 shipped. I obviously have little expectations, sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised with some of the Chinese stuff for the use I give them. Example the Harbor Freight $10 angle grinder. So it's not a Makita but it has been working for a few years now for what I needed it to do. oR their mig welder for that matter,   So I'm hoping this will be the same. Nothing fancy just being able to do some ugly but functional work. 

I wish you luck. Maybe you will be one of the lucky buyers who receives a complete working machine. If so, come back and post pictures here of things you make and repair with it. Be sure to sew some shoe uppers as this is what they are actually made for. A worn out tennis/walking shoe will do.

[chrisash]

Never having brought a Chinese Patcher its hard to comment on the quality, but i do feel Wiz is a bit biased in his comments above as he has always been a strong supporter of the advertisers (Who it seems do help offer a first class service ) and in my opinion and many others, based upon a good number of posts on both this and other forums, Owners seem them to be a low risk solution to what people on limited means can afford to do a job, they are not looking for a top end machine that may make better stitches

I personally doubt that many buyers would even consider returning these machines if they were faulty as the return postage alone would be near the buying price

How much support do you get from Singer, Juli or others, do you get for old machines that cost the same amount of money, most of us rely on the great contributors like Uwe Grosse to help us maintain our machines

A cheap machine that according to many works, is all many can afford, and rather pointless to steer them to something they cannot afford

Edited February 17, 2021 by chrisash

[veedub3]

7 hours ago, Wdiaz03 said:

Thanks all for the replies and suggestions, I pulled the trigger on an aluminum version from ebay. $114 shipped. I obviously have little expectations, sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised with some of the Chinese stuff for the use I give them. Example the Harbor Freight $10 angle grinder. So it's not a Makita but it has been working for a few years now for what I needed it to do. oR their mig welder for that matter,   So I'm hoping this will be the same. Nothing fancy just being able to do some ugly but functional work. 

Not sure what you are looking at or reading but NONE of these machine are made with an aluminum body. Even in the link from Amazon you posted, that is NOT an aluminum body machine. Look again, the body is made from cast iron. With that said, I was skeptical at first of this machine in the beginning, but mine worked right out of the box and all the cosmoline most say came caked on theirs, I didn't experience that. I use this machine for sewing leather tooled patches onto converse sneakers, Hey Dudes, Clogs, and sewing leather patches onto caps mostly, not as my main sewing machine but many that have this machine do. I have a Techsew for that.  Since you have already purchased the machine, to help you get it up and running and a list of some modifications, there is a Facebook page that has everything you need, even a manual not in "Chinglish".  Check them on here. 

Karina

[kgg]

When you get your machine check it over very carefully for obvious signs of damage and missing parts. The first one I purchased off Amazon . ca was from YaeTool purchased for about $120 Cad ($95 US) delivered. When it arrived the the cylinder arm was completely snapped away from the body and was missing most of the small items like bobbins, nuts, bolts, etc. Cast iron does not like to be banged around. Glad I purchased it from Amazon and the return process was easy.  It was then replaced with a machine from YaeTek (notice the similar name) same machine even down to the paint. Parts were there but the it took a fair bit of time to get the packing grime off and the machine setup to stitch. It is a true tinkers delight.

Just my experience,

kgg

[dikman]

8 hours ago, kgg said:

 It is a true tinkers delight.

kgg

Pretty well sums it up, I think.

[Wizcrafts]

16 hours ago, chrisash said:

but i do feel Wiz is a bit biased in his comments above as he has always been a strong supporter of the advertisers

I don't deny being biased towards our advertisers. They, along with a handful of paying contributor members keep this forum and its dedicated server online.

I also prefer known good brands and models of used leather sewing machines. I have owned dozens of them since 1985. I currently have two "patch" machines. One is a Singer 29k71 and the other is an Adler 30-7, both bought in private sales. I drove 220 miles round trip and paid $400 cash for the Singer 29k71 (head only) and another $150 for a treadle base from an old friend. The Adler cost me $1300 as is. I use these machines to earn a living. Until August of 2012 I sewed for a friend on his Adler 30-70 patcher that he wouldn't sell for $2000 if his life depended on it. These are real workhorse leather sewing machines that sew perfectly for decades, as long as they are used within their design limits and oiled.

I don't care if somebody else only wants to spend $120 for a cheaply built Chinese patcher. But, having sewn on multiple Singer and Adler patchers since the mid 1980s, I am biased towards actual quality machines that can still sew after 60 to 100+ years from their date of manufacture with only minor repairs. Even though some old industrial sewing machines may need new parts to bring them back to spec, they are usually still available and will keep the machines sewing for decades to come. Will a $120 Chinese street cobbler's patcher still sew in 20, 30, or 50 years? I guess time will tell.

I try to steer newbies coming here for advice towards better quality machines to save them the frustration of fighting to make a POS work, even if that means buying a new or used machine from a dealer (who will give actual operational support when needed). Reading about the lack of any support from the Amazon patcher sellers disappoints me after years of buying from established industrial sewing machine dealers since 1985. I guess these cobbled together patch machines are the Wild West of sewing machines where anything goes and quality and dealer assistance are non-existent.

I guess that's all I've got to say about tha-at (Forrest Gump). If this offends anybody, suck it up buttercup!

[MarlinDave]

In College I bought a $50 guitar. Never learned to play it - action too stiff for a beginner. My roommate and friends had a fantastic bluegrass band and tried to teach me to play. I could play the fire out of one of the group’s $1200 Martin flattop. But never mastered mine. I still believe if I had that Martin then I would have learned to play. Beginners need good equipment more than old hands do. Frustration compiled with beginner stumbles can make you give it up. 

[kgg]

3 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

If this offends anybody, suck it up buttercup!

I like that.

kgg

[DonInReno]

Lol

 

 

 

[Wdiaz03]

On 2/17/2021 at 4:29 AM, veedub3 said:

Not sure what you are looking at or reading but NONE of these machine are made with an aluminum body. Even in the link from Amazon you posted, that is NOT an aluminum body machine. Look again, the body is made from cast iron. With that said, I was skeptical at first of this machine in the beginning, but mine worked right out of the box and all the cosmoline most say came caked on theirs, I didn't experience that. I use this machine for sewing leather tooled patches onto converse sneakers, Hey Dudes, Clogs, and sewing leather patches onto caps mostly, not as my main sewing machine but many that have this machine do. I have a Techsew for that.  Since you have already purchased the machine, to help you get it up and running and a list of some modifications, there is a Facebook page that has everything you need, even a manual not in "Chinglish".  Check them on here. 

Karina

Sorry about the mixed up, I posted the first link that showed up on amazon just because it matched the design of machine I was looking at. I can't seem to find the aluminum one anymore on Amazon, The prices are now on the $140 and up. the machine I saw then was identical but in the description it noted in big letters being a newer (improved) design from aluminum saving 5lbs in weight etc. and it was the cheapest of the chinese cobblers at $120.

I also asked a seller of the cheapest cobbler on ebay if his was aluminum thinking that the cheapest ones were being made of aluminum now to save on weight. and he replied it was. I purchased it for $114 and it was cast iron when it arrived, which I don't mind. his reply was that the manufacturer was producing both batches and got it wrong.