Howdy, due to recent tech posts I have decided to try and do my own interior. What I need to know is there are a 1000 different machines out there what do I look for in a used machine...name brand, strengh, size? Any info to help me make an informed purchase would be greatly appreciated. Thanks -Eric
Industrial walking foot machine, reverse is a plus, but not totally necessary. Singer models 111 and 211 are standard upholstery machines. Consew, Juki and other Japaneese brands make good copies of these machines. Expect to pay between $500 and 1000 for a decent machine, models with reverse always bring higher prices. Dave
I have a Pfaff 545 and I paid $1100 for it. I think the other one that is good is a Pfaff 1170 but I'm not for sure on that model number. Pfaff's are always good though. Juki, Consew are all really good too. I do have a Pfaff that I would sell that has reverse on it and a walking foot. It is an industrial and used in the clothing industry. I did a couple bucket seats with it and it worked fine, just bought the new one though. I would like to get around $400 for it. PM me if you're interested.
whats the difference between these and what Rolf used (and he paid alot less for). for a guy that is only going to do one or two sets every few yrs is it necessary to buy a $1000 set up
I hear ya Boones, There are some cheaper ones I seen on the bay but I dont have a clue as to what they are or what there capable of doing. Its nice to have top quality stuff but I hate to spend a lot on something to do just one car for nothing other than the satisfaction of doing it myself. Good info so far though.
Pfaff, Juki, Consew, etc are all pretty much the machines that the guys (including me) that use them for a business or who use them all the time. The parts are easy to come by and you can pretty much find em anywhere. Its always that saying, you get what you pay for. I know there are a couple places that sell off brand ones and they may work too. Just do some research on em and like you said you may not want to spend that much if you're just trying to do your own car.
it all depends on how much you are going to spend and how much you are going to use it. Juki's are a good quality machine, same with pfaff. i havent had any experience with the consews.
Try a place in Grand Island Nebraska called Quality Industrial Sew. Ron displays and sells at several national rod runs including the NSRA Nats and has a wide variety of machines from the Mini Brute walking foot to larger long arm industrials all priced for the average rodder. He has a website.
The nice thing about the older used machines is that they hold their value very well. Buy a nice Consew from the 60's, use it as long as you like, and resell for whatever you paid/sometimes more. Plus, if you decide to keep it, it'll last forever. Buy a cheapie plastic thing and it won't be worth much when it comes time to sell, and if you're going to keep it forever, why not have the good quality machine? Good used industrial ones can be had in good working order for around $400 and you'll always be able to get your money back.
I have a Pfaff 1245 and I swear by it. I have used in other shops Consew and Juki. Juki are knock-offs of the Consews but damned good knock off. Any off these three brands, like LilDuec said will work great for you. Features I'd suggest you get included: Walking foot - this is a must. The foot has two parts that move seperately so that the machine controls the rate your material is moved through and s***ched. Reverse - another "must have" in my book. This will allow you to s***ch back and forth to lock you s***ch at the beginning and end of each run. Nothing more frustrating than haveing s***ching unravel before you get the next panel sewn in. Arm length - this is the distance from the needle to the machine housing. The longer the arm, the more material you can place into the machine. Very helpful when you're sewing in 55 1" pleats or trying to sew door panels. However, the longer the arm the more expensive the machine. You can make do with a standard length. I have for 20 years but if you get a good deal on one, it may be worth the extra $$. Drop in bobbin - this isn't critical, it's more a comfort feature. A drop in bobbin is loaded from the top of the machine so it's a little easier to put in a fresh one. The real nice feature if a drop in bobbin is that you can easily check how much thread you have left om it. Again, it's frustrating to run out of bobbin in the middle of a visible pleat or top s***ch. Drop bobbins are a little easier to oil as well. When you check out a machine to buy, try sewing with it. If they won't let you try it, walk away. You can't get an accurate feel for how worn a machine is without using it. A tight machine will be quieter, won't skip s***ches, shred thread, or do anything strange with the s***ching. It should reverse easily, and have the same s***ch length consistently regardless of the speed you sew. Most larger cities will have a industrial machine company that sells new and refurbished. If you have someone who knows how to sew go with you that'll help a lot. Prices I've seen are between $300 and $1,000 for a good machine, depending on brand and condition. Check with local trim shop for who's reputable to buy from. Yellow pages will often have listings for suppliers of machines. I think you'd do fine with a good Juki and they're usually the cheapest. I paid $1100 for my Pfaff in 1988 but it has never failed me and I use it professinally. Whatever you buy, keep your machine clean and oil it every time you use it and it'll last a lifetime or two. Like any big purchase, take your time, shop and educate yourself. And when you buy a machine, get 100 needles too, you gonna break a few before you get good. That's just the way it is. Good luck and you can PM me if you need some help. Mike
Eric, I just got a Singer 237 offa ebay, if anybody knows how well that will handle doing a few cars, I'd appreciate it. To keep from hijacking, if it'll work for you, you can borrow it, Eric
I use a couple of Pfaff 437s. They are older machines but their bulletproof. I have also used a plain old home sewing machine to do upholstery. Its a struggle but it can be done. If you are only ever going to do one car then it might be worth buying a $100 unit new at Wally World, sew slowly and toss the machine when you're finished. I wouldn't recommend a home sewer for anything real thick or anything with a lot of detail. Industrial machines with walking feet can't be beat. Make certain that no matter what machine is used you also use UV resistant thread. Standard sewing thread won't cut it.
I use a Pfaff 1245. I bought it new in 1993. I believe it was around $3000 with the k-stand when I bought it. Expensive but worth the money. I think you can get a used one with the stand for around $1000. I've used them all and the Pfaff machines are 1000% better than the others. If you want a less expensive machine I would suggest getting a Singer industrial machine with a stand. You can usually find these in the $200-$500 range. They work well and are easy to get parts for. If you are only going to do one car I would'nt even waste the money on the machine. You can take it and have it done professionally for what a good machine will cost you..
Stressed_out................Shameless plug, lol????? What does that mean? I'm not plugging anything, just telling you what I use and what I have learned about the machines before my purchase.
I have a Mini Brute. It's a good machine for the price. It's done three interiors so far with no problems. Costs about $500. Chris
I've seen 'Tacsew' brand machines sell on Ebay for $250 and up, I just used the one my mother has to make a vinyl cover for our hot tub. It easily sewed up to 6 layers of vinyl no problem. I think it's basically just an industrial strength sewing machine with no 'extras' - I'm gonna try and use it for the upholstery on my 'A' truck soon.
I have a Juki walking food machine. I can't remember the model number. I upgraded to a servo motor last spring. It allows you to control the speed much better. With a clutch motor it is hard to sew accurately as once the clutch grips the machine runs full speed. With the servo motor you can sew as slow as you want. Not necessary but it makes learning much easier. Good luck!! Oh I just realized this thread is over 11 years old!
S***ch length is one of the most important things to look for when buying a machine. A short s***ch length will put lots of holes in the material when sewing. Kind of like tearing along the dotted line. The longer the s***ch, the better.
When I first started out, I had a 5 s***ch per inch machine. Consew. But I then switched to a 4 s***ch per inch Consew machine. Making pleats with vinyl and 1/2 inch foam shortens the s***ch length. A 5 inch will be fine. Just get started and have fun. Add an @ before stanlow69 and it notifys the user you are trying to reach. @6inarow
I use a Juki LU-562, built in 1974. I paid 1500 Canadian dollars for it 10 years ago. Clutch motor, not servo, I like to hear my machine. Only had to be serviced once. I oil it daily and it holds up. On the other spectrum I've heard bad things about the cheap machines out there. Depends how serious you are with using it and how often. Mine is daily as an upholsterer so I stick to the "big" brand names when I need stuff. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
One word..............ADLER! I would rather use a 50 year old Adler than a new "Juki, Brother, Consew" They are the best and feel like an extension of your hands when sewing.
@stanlow69 thanks for the tip, did you mean 4 s***ch and 5 s***ch per inch or did you mean mm?? @Kerrynzl what model Adler is comparable to the Pfaff 545?
The basic Adler model # 67 [or 67-GK] or the more modern # 467 They are also known as "Durkopp Adler" Here's one on "Fleabay" sold as a Chandler Adler [I am not familiar with "Chandler" but it is definitely an Adler] http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chandler-Adler-Sewing-Machine-/262589630635 These things are tough as nails ,and can top sew ropes etc. I used one in the late 70's for doing cars, caravan awnings, boat canopies, canvas tents etc back then the machine I used was already 20 years old. Everything on them is adjustable. But word of advice, buy the best quality needles available [and thread] Tip for sewing: When sewing fabric that is cut on a bias [diagonal] it will try and stretch. Tape the fabric with Sellotape [Scotch Tape] to prevent it stretching. Once the sewing has perforated the tape, it can be ripped off after it's been sewn.
Most guys sewing has their own preferences about a machine.I started in 1960 using a Singer 16-188..whiich is still my preference,but try to find one today is very hard.My shop burned back in 1973 and the 16-188 was out if date by then so I bought a Consew 225.I've been using it ever since. And by the way.the s***ch length is adjustable on most machines..I also use a monofilament thread,buy it by the canister. No need to worry about the color of material you are sewing.I also keep some diamond point needles for use on leather.
To date I've scored my machines thru military turn-ins. They sometimes show up at a recycling center their on contract with. I have a nice Consew 206 and today I drug home a Consew 206RBL-25. It's going to offer alot of flexibility in its ability to allow substantial p***-thru of the work. Even picked up one for a buddy that's into everything like me.
I decided to try my hand at sewing my own interior last year also. I started checking Craigslist ads locally and found quite a few machines available. Most ran around $800-$1200 used, and my plan was to sell the machine once I finished to recoup some funds. But after a couple weeks of searching I saw an ad for an old Singer from the 1950's that was used by a guy who sailed, and sewed his own sails. He'd gone through it all, and wanted $250 with a cabinet with it. I went over to his place and he showed me how well it worked by sewing two leather belts together. It worked perfect, so I bought it. I sewed up all my interior and decided it was too cheap to let go of when I was finished. So even if I never sew again I'll keep it just in case.
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