miriam

I believe you might be correct - I would love to see that machine... If you get one be sure to take lots of pictures to share!!! I know things like that are out there. With all the factories shutting down or going to China I think we will be seeing stuff like that around. 10 years ago I couldn't find so much and not at today's prices

pinkCastleDH

Miriam - just took a look at ebay and saw some in NC with three or four 241s at $50 each (pickup only, buy it now) from a factory closing. How big is the throat on you 241?

miriam

I would have to measure - it is pretty good sized - I would say that is about what you will pay in the rough. Fixed up and in a table you could pay quite a bit more. They are heavy. Those set in an oil bath - they will need cork gaskets. Mine had beads of dried up oil inside, the wicks were hard - the corks broke up - the tension had to have a new spring - mine needed a new bobbin case - I got one from Sew-classic not too expensive - bobbins are generic - I found high shank feet work fine - motor and table can run some money. If you buy them cheap - to fix up and sell be sure you can get enough out of one to make something for your time and effort... I'd like to get rid of mine - it's in my way - it needs a cork gasket and a sew test with the motor active. People all the time are asking for leather machines - this is for high speed not necessarily heavy stuff. I have wondered how it would do for FM - have to have the right foot and cover the feed dogs or set them at 0 I think. The one I have was used by a little old lady who made draperies - I think she might have retired 30 years ago or something... Someone tried to work on it - back then there was no internet to show us how to do stuff. The manual has a bit of info how to do some of it - the industrial manuals have a lot more repair info than the home maker manuals. LOL

One thing I have wondered - maybe I need to get with some of the leather workers. Since the bobbin case was so cheap - I wonder how it would work to set up one bobbin case to just do heavy thread and see how this machine does on leather. It is pretty powerful. I'd imagine it would sew through a finger. I don't imagine it is the thickness but a walking foot moves things through more evenly when you have heavy stuff.

Mizkaki

My son has both of these types of industrial machines for sewing tactical gear for his tiny company. The compound feed is a walking foot combined with a needle feed. The upper feet and needle "walk" in unison with the lower feed dogs. In the regular walking foot machine, the upper feet walk in unison with the lower feeddogs
and the needle just goes up & down.

My son was having trouble getting his straight stitch machine to go through around 10 plus layers of a combination of 1000 denier Cordura and binding. We decided that he needed a walking foot machine. We took in a box full of scraps to the dealer to test run several machines. The regular walking foot machine also struggled with the 10 plus layer sandwich. The compound walked through it like it was butter.

Each of these machines has a purpose. Both types are useful, but it is necessary to know which one you need.

Cathy

miriam

So some research - it will pay off over the long term

Mizkaki

Yes! Lots of research.