Are leather sewing machine makers lazy

[Spyros]

19 minutes ago, tsunkasapa said:

If you buy a car/truck, do you expect the manufacturer to teach you how to drive? 

No, but I would go through driving lessons with an instructor and pass a test and get a license first.  And then if if the car breaks there are authorised service stations and mechanics in your neighbourhood.

In sewing machines you pay a not-so-insignificant amount of money and then you're on your own.  With instructions and guesstimates given by people on a forum, from the other side of the planet, out of the kindness of their heart basically.  Because your other option is to pack the machine on a pallet and pay to send it back where it came from, and then wait for weeks for the mom and pop dealer to do something about it.

Chrisash is not wrong, it is a little bit crazy if you think about it.    

[Constabulary]

A lot of small business even struggle with their websites and still run a late 1990´s style website w/o a proper web shop. Some probably never have heard of https or responsive designs. Sailrite is creating demand with their videos - like see what you can do / what is possible - you can do that too / why don´t you DIY?  They understand marketing  and created a well known brand and they can deliver all you need for certain project at open stop. They do it the smart way and they are big enough / have enough employees to do so.

18 minutes ago, Spyros said:

No, but I would go through driving lessons with an instructor and pass a test and get a license first.  And then if if the car breaks there are authorised service stations and mechanics in your neighbourhood.

In sewing machines you pay a not-so-insignificant amount of money and then you're on your own.  With instructions and guesstimates given by people on a forum, from the other side of the planet, out of the kindness of their heart basically.  Because your other option is to pack the machine on a pallet and pay to send it back where it came from, and then wait for weeks for the mom and pop dealer to do something about it.

Depends on your location and there is a bigger demand on car service than on sewing machine service I guess. How many people with a car do you know in your street and how many with a sewing machine? Cars are more complex too. You can be with cars on your own too - not impossible.

There s no simple answer that covers all aspects why certain Co´s or businesses do or don´t do this or that. But a lot depends on the Co. size / number of employees.

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Constabulary

[Spyros]

2 hours ago, Constabulary said:

Depends on your location and there is a bigger demand on car service than on sewing machine service I guess. How many people with a car do you know in your street and how many with a sewing machine? Cars are more complex too. You can be with cars on your own too - not impossible.

Not impossible, just unthinkable.  Car sales would plummet 90% if you told people they have to learn to drive, maintain and repair their car on their own, with the help of a 5 page manual in Chin-glish.

By the way cars is not my analogy, it's Tsunkasapa's, I'm just explaining why it's a bad one.  Cars have a *massive* support network, sewing machines have close to zero.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Spyros

[Wizcrafts]

20 minutes ago, Spyros said:

Cars have a *massive* support network, sewing machines have close to zero.

In a nutshell, that's what this forum is here for. It exists to discuss industrial leather sewing machines and help others experiencing problems who don't have access to dealer support. A lot of these machines are long out of production, but there is usually somebody with knowledge of the machine in question, or our database can be searched for previous discussions about your machine. We have many manuals that members have uploaded for other members to download for free. Even some sewing machine dealers and repairers take part in assisting members with technical problems. This is a wonderful asset.

[trash treasure]

Thank you, Wiz -

Sailrite is all about marketing to amateur DIY's - That has always been their main thrust, and most professional sailmakers shop elsewhere for their supplies. Although they DO offer some professional services, those are in the background, and you don't see them advertised.

This forum, on the other hand, is all about knowledge, and the information needed to use this heavy duty sewing equipment, new or used. I think most vendors here assume that, as a customer,  you're already on a level where you know what you want to do, and don't need to be "marketed" to. That doesn't mean they won't help if you need info - They're just not expecting to need to spoon feed it, as Sailrite does.

[Spyros]

37 minutes ago, trash treasure said:

I think most vendors here assume that, as a customer,  you're already on a level where you know what you want to do, and don't need to be "marketed" to. 

Nah I don't think so... they just don't have the resources.

[chuck123wapati]

16 hours ago, Matt S said:

Sailrite are largely aimed at the amateur/hobby market, perhaps edging into the "sell enough to make a few bucks profit a month" level. Professionals don't tend to need to be advertised at -- if they're a small concern individual workers tend to have institutional knowledge from wherever they studied, and if they're larger concerns they either have an in-house technician to know these sorts of things or they go to a dealer and say "I need X number of machines that have Y capability. How fast do they go and what are your financing options?"

Amateur/hobby leatherwork is a vanishingly tiny market for sewing machine manufacturers. Some dealers (such as Weaver) spend considerable resources to cater to that market because they reckon it's worth it. Most don't, and I can't really blame them for that. Same for manufacturers -- I bet Juki sells 1,000 industrial machines to manufacturers for every one they sell for someone to use for a hobby or one-man-band craft business. Juki turned over $657 million last year, and I doubt if even one tenth of a percent of that was selling industrial sewing machines to amateurs or hobbyists. I certainly don't call it laziness if they think they have bigger fish to fry than spoon-feeding Bill from Thraxton on the nuances between a pendulum and parallel feed.

Leather machines are industrial machines intended for companies that train their workers. 

[chuck123wapati]

11 hours ago, Spyros said:

No, but I would go through driving lessons with an instructor and pass a test and get a license first.  And then if if the car breaks there are authorised service stations and mechanics in your neighbourhood.

In sewing machines you pay a not-so-insignificant amount of money and then you're on your own.  With instructions and guesstimates given by people on a forum, from the other side of the planet, out of the kindness of their heart basically.  Because your other option is to pack the machine on a pallet and pay to send it back where it came from, and then wait for weeks for the mom and pop dealer to do something about it.

Chrisash is not wrong, it is a little bit crazy if you think about it.    

you are right cars aren't the best example maybe. But you know the automotive industry has a diagnostic program in all vehicles and an interface right on the dash that could easily tell the owner the same info as the mechanic but guess what you cant see it or use it unless you buy special equipment.

Buy a professional/industrial grade wood lathe or any other professional/industrial grade machine of any sort and see what you get for service, training or instructions. Professional/industrial comes with the assumption that you know how to use your equipment.

[chrisash]

I think a few of you are missing the point, its all about marketing and selling, its not just about sewing machines, its more about "Just take it or leave it" web sites or those who make a difference and prove they offer support and service, think of their customers needs and try and find solutions that help

Consider how helpful this link is to new users https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html a good basic help that costs peanuts

[chuck123wapati]

8 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

In a nutshell, that's what this forum is here for. It exists to discuss industrial leather sewing machines and help others experiencing problems who don't have access to dealer support. A lot of these machines are long out of production, but there is usually somebody with knowledge of the machine in question, or our database can be searched for previous discussions about your machine. We have many manuals that members have uploaded for other members to download for free. Even some sewing machine dealers and repairers take part in assisting members with technical problems. This is a wonderful asset.

And you are awesome at it!!!!