The Upholstery Forum

Hi,

I'm a beginner at upholstery and mainly just upholster my own furniture that I make, dining & lounge chairs and the odd sofa.

I'm looking at buying a second hand walking foot machine. There's two available near enough to me and wondering if anyone had any recommendations or experience of them?

They are both juki machines, a DNU-1541 and a LU-2210N-7

Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Warren

2 very good options there. 2210N-7 model indicates that it is an automated version, auto back tack, auto foot lift and thread trimmer etc. It has higher foot lift, larger top load U-bobbin. Only potential drawbacks, it may require air supply for pneumatic foot lift and could be wired for 220v if it came from a factory. The 1541 is also well suited for your intentions. Bottom/side load M-bobbin, unlikely to have air or special voltage requirements, very popular among upholsterers. Of course the shape each machine is in should be considered.

Thanks a million for the reply, they're both in good condition, although the 1541 is a few years newer. Would one be easier to use than the other for a beginner do you think? Thanks

The 1541 will be easier to learn on. Basic simple design that is similar to most other juki models.

The Juki DNU 1541 is very forgiving and easy to repair if needed. Oiling is via capillary action via felt, likely standard on all Jukis. Much better than the oil bath on my Brother machines. Lots of Youtube helpers for this Juki model . Today I decided to strip it down somewhat, and made sure everything was 'tight'. A challenge was timing the hook once again, but a youtube from India with subtitles showed exactly how to do it....via removing all the top plates and timing from the top rather than the side so one could watch and adjust exactly where the needle interacts with the hook. That is why there is a slight indentation on the right side of the needle, so the hook can go there while the needle is just starting it's upstroke after pulling the thread down, thus creating a small loop at the bottom that the hook catches and completes the stitch via the bobbin. Patience is needed as the interaction has to be 'just right'. It is a strong machine, doing 3" of foam into pleats almost effortlessly....