$100 Sewing Machine, opinions please

[chrisash]

12 hours ago, kgg said:

Yes you can get them to sew but that can be a frustrating process for some people. I do have one and they are a true tinkers delight providing hours of entertainment. The quality of fit and finish to say the least is generally poor at best. They do have their place but the quality is nowhere comparable to that of a old Singer 29K or a new clone patcher. There is a fair number of mods that will be needed to make constant decent stitches such as resetting the height of the needle to accept 135 x 16 needles, polishing / replacing the pressor foot to reduce marks, polishing parts to get it to run sort of smoothly and retiming are just a few. If this is all someone can afford and has the time to invest it maybe a starting point until they could afford something better.

If someone could stretch their budget to $565 US maybe what Walmart is selling which appears to be a clone of Singer 29k72 ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/TFCFL-Hand-Crank-Patch-Leather-Sewing-Machine-Cobbler-Shoe-Sewing-Repair-Machine/975331286?athbdg=L1700 ) or in Canada for $769 CA ( https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/INTBUYING-Leather-Sewing-Machine-Sewing-Mending-Machine-Shoe-Repair-Industrial-without-Table-Motor/PRD442E8MWFN5KN ). 

I think better options out there in the new machine market for about the $500 US price range for a first new machine.

kgg

 

They look a great buy at that money

[Brewerkel]

I've known a few people that bought them because they were cheap. (The machine and / or the people.) Every one of them got a better used patcher as soon as they could scrape together the coin. Apparently you have to spend a lot of time just getting them to work smoothly.

OTOH, a used Singer K29 can be incredibly finicky as well. Most shoe repairmen we sold to wouldn't let anyone touch their's once it was tuned to their liking.

[Northmount]

@Bert03241 Moved this thread to leather sewing machines

[TonyV]

there are a few youtube vids that show sidewalk shoe repairing and sandal making done in Thailand or Pakistan etc.  These guys use the machine day in, day out, and know how to use them.  You don't see them making purses, jackets or saddles with it, though.    

Tinkerer's Delight is a true statement.  I have a knack with mine now, but I still wouldn't try to get a professional looking stitch on fine leather with it.  I use mine to repair things like the doggie seat cover in my pickup, making small canvas articles and such.  I even repaired a pair of my own sneakers with mine.  The hardest part of using it is keeping the seam straight with one hand while turning the crank with the other.   You could add a motorised pulley to it, but I ain't gonna bother.

So yeah, even though I have one, I'm still hand stitching my leather projects.

 

 

[JollyDodgerCanvas]

I bought one years ago and as a repair machine it's fine. For making new leather products I would look elsewhere. It is difficult to run a perfectly straight line of stitches, but that's not what the machine was designed for! I keep mine for mending things I don't want to disassemble and the 360 degree sewing is amazing if you are aware of the machines limitations, the bobbin is small so it's not a production machine by any standard. As for scratching the surface of your work, get another presser foot and fill the teeth with JB weld and then keep it rough sanded for traction, not hard to do. For applying patches to hats and jacket sleeves it can't be beat and is worth every penny for that alone.

[JayEhl]

Hi, from what I am gathering here, it is the old adage:  You get what you pay for.  

[DrmCa]

Spent the morning playing with my patcher as I planned on how I will motorize it with a lawnmower PMDC motor and a thyristor voltage regulator.

It stitched fine through 1, 2, and 5 layers of upholstery leather. Used the stitch length from 3 to 8 spi, and the machine did fine. It does not like sharp corners on the go but if stopped and restarted after a turn, it does fine. Was using American and Efird Permacore TEX47 thread that I randomly grabbed from a shelf. It will likely run better with bonded nylon that I was too greedy to waste. The foot is not marking leather either, no matter how many layers. Maybe it would mark harder leathers? Dunno.

I do not know if it is my luck that I got a sewing sewing machine or others do something wrong until they figure it out.

The threading method I use is to thread through both of the tensioners set to the lowest possible tension. On the bobbin, I used the nearest hole. Maybe I will experiment with the far hole but for now the patcher just stitches.

Edited January 16, 2022 by DrmCa

[Garyak]

On 1/11/2022 at 10:45 AM, JollyDodgerCanvas said:

I bought one years ago and as a repair machine it's fine. For making new leather products I would look elsewhere. It is difficult to run a perfectly straight line of stitches, but that's not what the machine was designed for! I keep mine for mending things I don't want to disassemble and the 360 degree sewing is amazing if you are aware of the machines limitations, the bobbin is small so it's not a production machine by any standard. As for scratching the surface of your work, get another presser foot and fill the teeth with JB weld and then keep it rough sanded for traction, not hard to do. For applying patches to hats and jacket sleeves it can't be beat and is worth every penny for that alone.

No complaints, makes nothing but money, and people look better. Only used for 207. My TAKING 29k is maxed at 138, but it’s brown. Doesn’t matter what rig is chosen, it matters who’s driving. Whatever the operator is using it for is still gonna look like the last thing made by that operator. 15000$ machine, or a goodwill freebee. You still gotta add skill. 

[DrmCa]

1 hour ago, Garyak said:

Only used for 207

Which needle system do you use, in that size?

[dikman]

That bobbin's not going to hold much #207!