consew 206rb1 for heavy vinyl and leather, any thoughts

[liora]

I am looking at getting my first industrial machine as I have started using more heavy marine vinyls and some leathers on a regular basis.  There is a machine for sale from an upholster the Consew 206rb1 for $675.  I had looked at the Juki DNU-1541S which was nice, but more than twice the price.

My concern is buying from an individual instead of a dealer.  There is a good dealer in town, I have gotten my present machine from them and used their repair shop with no problem.  I will be going out there today to see what they have in used machines.  Thought I would check here and see if anyone can help with a little advice.

Thanks in advance.

Liora

[kodydog]

There is nothing wrong with buying a machine from a private owner as long as you know what to look for. More important what to hear for.

Not familiar with that machine but at that price it should run like a top. When you go to check it out bring some leather with you and sew 4 or 5 layers and study the stitch. Listen for strange noises. And most important is it a double walking foot. Gonna have to be to sew that stuff.

The nice thing about buying from a dealer is they usually go over their machines to get them in perfect working order. And they can steer you toward the right machine for the job.

Click the "search" button at the top of the page and type in, "buying a used sewing machine", you should get some good tips.

Good luck liora

[sofadoc]

The 206 rb1 is basically the same machine as the Juki Lu-563, except that it's bottom load.
$675 is a little more than I would feel comfortable with buying from an individual.
If it were a dealer selling it for that price, I'd say it's a great deal.
They're up to a -5 model now, so the -1 is pretty old:
http://store.keysew.com/catalog/product/33a8c038d76a4e2bab24ed25ee1f229f

But having said all that, if $700 is your budget, and the "test drive" goes well, why not?
But if you have to take it straight to the repair shop for some tuning up, now you're up in the $900 range. For $300 more, you could have a brand spankin' new one.

[Mojo]

The 206 is a great machine. It has been a workhorse in many ships, especially some of the marine industry shops.

It has the power to go through most materials and has been a reliable machine. The other great part about it is that attachments are plentiful and dirt cheap.

I have both the bottom and top feed machines and much prefer the bottom feed. It is not as finicky with bobbin thread on the start of a stitch run.

Chris

[liora]

Well I got the 206rb-1 that I went and looked at.  I was able to get the price down a little although he said he was firm.  It was very clean.  The previous owner used it in a drapery business and this last owner bought it 5-7 years ago for his upholstery business and never used it.

It went through everything I brought with me and did so beautifully.  I will take it in to get cleaned and oiled. 

So glad to enter into this new phase for my business.

Thanks for the input and all the other info I have gathered on these pages.

[Mojo]

Congrats and best of luck with your new machine. I am sure it will give you years of good service. :)

Chris

[sofadoc]

Hey, if you talked him down a little, and the machine is in great shape, sounds like a good deal for you. Congrats.