Hot Rods Upholsterers, hows the Pfaff 1445 sewing machine

Hey guys, I'm getting ready to do the upholstery in my roadster. I'll be using leather. My old machine is a Sailrite and seems to need constant adjusting, so I started looking at good used units and came across an industrial Pfaff 1445 walking foot machine.
Anybody have any experience with these, can I still sew lighter materials with it, good all around machine??? etc etc.
Thanks.

Not actual machine pictured

 

That is a good machine. From what I've experienced it doesn't like the lighter stuff much at all. They seem to have some timing issues, too but as long as you have a good repair tech or shop, you should be ok.

 

I've only used Singer and Consew, but always heard that Pfaff was very good.

 

I have a Pfaff 463 that my other half inherited from her father who used it for boat sails. Shame you're not closer

 

If you buy the pfaff learn to time it! i consider them pretty precision and they are more involved than consew and singer machines. guys i know time their own machines exept the pfaff's!

 

Do what you want,BUT,,I always use a diamond point needle when sewing genuine leather..

 

Thanks, how hard is it to time these? Does the timing need to be adjusted every couple of years or is this like an every 10 minutes kind of a thing?
I'm not gonna have much in the way of tech support out in Austin Tx.
Is it worth the hassle?
Btw, I can get the machine for $700.


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I have a 1245 and the timing was off. I played with it but in the end I took it to a tech and had it timed. It seems to have been good for a long time since then but I am not using it all the time. Certainly not an every 10 minutes type of thing. If I can find a tech to time it in Edmonton I have got to think there is someone in Austin who can do it.

 

I bought a Pfaff to use in a college theatre dept. about 30 years ago. No idea what the model number was. I just remember the sales demo guy running about 21 layers of denim through it without a hiccup, then 3 layers of harness leather. Slowed just a touch, but didn't stop. It may not be the best for light materials, but it'll go through the heavier stuff O.K.

 

For 700? where is it? You don't want that old german thing, but I can come get it...Pfaff makes a damn good machine, my wife was a professional seamstress and would use nothing but a Pfaff 130...

 

That a great price w/table and all ... don't know the model numbers but my friend (professional upholster) likes the Pfaff brand and has used them for years.

 

Find a old Tippmann. I worked for a guy building custom saddles for a long time when I was younger. Never had a problem out of them. And they would sew through anything.


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