First sewing machine

[hanns]

28 minutes ago, BelleH said:

Thank you very much for the information - including the detailed description and the pictures.  I'm in the early stages of my search and this helps a lot since it provides me information for comparing machines and also a "review" from someone that doesn't have a vested interest in selling a machine.

Glad to help. A little more info:

1. This type of motor has a brake which makes operating the hand wheel a pain. The brake pad is easy to remove, but I found that the speed reducer adds quite a lot of momentum to the system and the brake is helpful to get the machine to stop quickly. To get around this, I found that there's a small "gap" between when the brake disengages and when the motor starts turning, so if I carefully push the pedal a bit, I can turn the hand wheel no problem. Just have to be very careful. I'd still like to know if the speed reducer could be avoided entirely with a small pulley + low speed brushless setup.
2. I put the smaller 45mm pulley on the motor tonight and although I don't have a speed tester, I'm pretty sure I can get below 1 stitch per second now with light pressure on the pedal. It was a $15 upgrade ($10 for pulley and $5 for a slightly smaller drive belt). It's also easy to do, so I'd recommend it if you want to go slower.

Good luck in your search. It's not the easiest thing to shop for.

[Wizcrafts]

17 minutes ago, hanns said:

Glad to help. A little more info:

1. This type of motor has a brake which makes operating the hand wheel a pain. The brake pad is easy to remove, but I found that the speed reducer adds quite a lot of momentum to the system and the brake is helpful to get the machine to stop quickly. To get around this, I found that there's a small "gap" between when the brake disengages and when the motor starts turning, so if I carefully push the pedal a bit, I can turn the hand wheel no problem. Just have to be very careful. I'd still like to know if the speed reducer could be avoided entirely with a small pulley + low speed brushless setup.
2. I put the smaller 45mm pulley on the motor tonight and although I don't have a speed tester, I'm pretty sure I can get below 1 stitch per second now with light pressure on the pedal. It was a $15 upgrade ($10 for pulley and $5 for a slightly smaller drive belt). It's also easy to do, so I'd recommend it if you want to go slower.

Good luck in your search. It's not the easiest thing to shop for.

I run a Family Sew servo motor on several sewing machines. Some are direct drive and some go through reducers. It is definitely easier to feather in a direct connection than a reducer setup. I can also adjust the free motion a little, but not as much as with a clutch motor. I actually sanded down one of my brake pads to get more range of motion.

Since the size of the machine pulley varies, you don't always get a great speed reduction ratio from the motor. The worst ratios are on my Singer 211g156 and a Techsew 2700. They have smallish pulleys on the balance wheel and really need a reducer to get controllable slow speeds. These machines were expected to run at higher speeds.

[bj139]

I am thinking of buying a larger machine and am looking at a used Singer 211a1121k with the air foot lift or a Thor GC1541S for twice the price.  My current machine, a Mercury M-337, is limited to 3/8 inch foot lift.   I have a table and motor and am space limited so I can't have another table but can switch heads.  I should contact Keystone sewing about a Juki 1541 since I am about an hour away.  Which machine would be better?  The 211 has a foot lift of 1/2 inch and the Thor at 5/8".  Here is a video of my Mercury.  

 

[Wizcrafts]

2 hours ago, bj139 said:

I am thinking of buying a larger machine and am looking at a used Singer 211a1121k with the air foot lift or a Thor GC1541S for twice the price.  My current machine, a Mercury M-337, is limited to 3/8 inch foot lift.   I have a table and motor and am space limited so I can't have another table but can switch heads.  I should contact Keystone sewing about a Juki 1541 since I am about an hour away.  Which machine would be better?  The 211 has a foot lift of 1/2 inch and the Thor at 5/8".

There are a couple things you should know about those machines. First, they are all compound feed walking foot machines. Your Mercury is a dual (top and bottom) feed machine. Second, they may lift higher with the foot lifter, but are still limited to sewing 3/8 inch of material. Third, if you start sewing without holding back the starting threads, you will have an instant thread jam. In your video you started sewing without holding back the starting threads. Fourth, These machines have a normal upper limit of #138 bonded thread, top and bobbin. You may be able to get the Juki and Thor to sew with #207 on top, but not the Singer.

How thick do you need to actually sew? What materials will you be sewing at this thickness?

[bj139]

16 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

There are a couple things you should know about those machines. First, they are all compound feed walking foot machines. Your Mercury is a dual (top and bottom) feed machine. Second, they may lift higher with the foot lifter, but are still limited to sewing 3/8 inch of material. Third, if you start sewing without holding back the starting threads, you will have an instant thread jam. In your video you started sewing without holding back the starting threads. Fourth, These machines have a normal upper limit of #138 bonded thread, top and bobbin. You may be able to get the Juki and Thor to sew with #207 on top, but not the Singer.

How thick do you need to actually sew? What materials will you be sewing at this thickness?

I would like to sew 3/8 to 7/16 inch of nylon webbing.  I have my Mercury tension assembly set out so the tension is not released by the presser foot moving up but it is definitely overextended.  I do want to get a triple feed machine since I have never used one.  I tend to pin the needle thread to the needle plate with my left hand so I don't get the thread pulled out of the needle.  In my video, I had already backtacked so the threads were anchored.  I guess the used machine would have significant wear and could have a lot of problems.

Edited May 13, 2021 by bj139

[Wizcrafts]

9 hours ago, bj139 said:

I would like to sew 3/8 to 7/16 inch of nylon webbing.

You have a couple of options to sew 7/16 inch with a flat bed machine.

1. Juki LU-1508 NH (high lift version that accepts #207 thread out of the box).
2. Adler 696 ECO (Not a flat bed. Cylinder arm, sold by our advertiser, Weaver Leather)
3. Cobra Class 20 (sews up to 1/2 inch. Flat bed, 207 thread.)

[bj139]

14 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

You have a couple of options to sew 7/16 inch with a flat bed machine.

1. Juki LU-1508 NH (high lift version that accepts #207 thread out of the box).
2. Adler 696 ECO (Not a flat bed. Cylinder arm, sold by our advertiser, Weaver Leather)
3. Cobra Class 20 (sews up to 1/2 inch. Flat bed, 207 thread.)

Those all seem above my budget.  I don't have a business, just sew things for myself.  I was thinking I could spend about $1500 max.  

[Wizcrafts]

2 hours ago, bj139 said:

Those all seem above my budget.  I don't have a business, just sew things for myself.  I was thinking I could spend about $1500 max.  

$1500 will get you a Consew 206RB-5. It won't sew 7/16 inch out of the box, but it can use #207 thread top and bottom. The machine might could be altered to sew higher by a dealer.

[sbrownn]

I don't see why you need a flat bed machine.  

[bj139]

6 minutes ago, sbrownn said:

I don't see why you need a flat bed machine.  

I don't necessarily need a flatbed machine.  An auxiliary table on a cylinder arm would work fine and give me more options.  Any suggestions?