Hey there Kris,

I don’t know anything about the NC1, but I can certainly back up Mal Maher’s comment about the NC1508NH being a good machine, I have had mine for almost 2 years now and I absolutely love sewing on it. Probably my favourite part is how it goes through nice thick leather and produces consistent stitch lengths. The servo motor is so strong and consistent, and it has a speed dial that can be cranked way down for really fine work which I am a big fan of. Also the large bobbin has been a favourite feature of mine as it has me winding/changing bobbins far less often. If you can afford it, I would definitely recommend the NC1508NH. Also, I live in Canada, and despite being in a different country and never having met Mal, he and his team gave me first class service with no issues whatsoever. I have no affiliation with NC but I will recommend them to anyone any day due to the excellent service experience and the awesome machine I purchased from them. If you have any specific questions about the NC1508NH I am happy to answer what I can based on my experience with it thus far.

Chad,
I don't know if this is any help to you, but something I have found to be a huge leg up over competition is offering a weekend service to medical professionals. I really enjoy automotive/marine work, but definitely my most lucrative work is re-upholstering physiotherapy/chiropractic beds. I have had enormous luck when I go to new clinics in offering a pick up on a Friday evening, perform repairs over the weekend and drop off at business open Monday morning. They all love having no downtime, and apart from pulling staples the work is so easy. I would highly recommend looking into it if you are starting up a small business...just don't take my customers ha!
Cheers and best of luck.
-Landon Z

I should also mention this scope is from Leevalley.com they have tons of great unique tools but certainly not geared to our trade.

I have been thinking about buying one of these projector scopes for this reason. I like that just by moving it closer or farther away you could adjust the projected size, and I also like that it would save huge on the whole pounce wheel time. Previously I printed pictures out and drew a 9 square grid then drew a grid on my material and just freehand copied the image with my silver pen.

So I received my new machine from NC last week, and I have had some time to get to know it so I wanted to share my opinion.
First impressions, having never bought a new machine before I was very happy to find along with the machine I also got 2 quarts of machine oil, a toolkit, bobbins, box of needles, 2x 2000 yard spools of thread, spare brushes for the motor and a wicked pair of tweezers.

Assembly of the machine was super easy, apart from how heavy the head is compared to my old Consew 226. The 1508 is easily twice the weight of my old machine and is far beefier in all aspects. Going from my old machine to this unit being self oiling is a real treat. Not that oiling is a big pain but I suppose its a comfort feature that also gives me peace of mind.

The huge bobbin is one of my favourite upgrades, my old bobbins were so tiny I was constantly winding new bobbins and it drove me nuts.

I LOVE the stitch length adjustment dial, and the 10mm stitch length is so nice. My Consew 226 maxed out at about 5mm, which made factory looking seams almost impossible on seats like
In a King Ranch.

I am also a big fan of the presser height adjusting dial on the top of the machine. So handy when sewing along and coming up to some bulk. It is a very big feature I didnt even realize would be so convenient for me.

As mentioned before the customer service I received was a major selling point for me, I appreciate so much how helpful and thorough Mal was in responding to all my questions and requests. The price difference between this machine and a Juki is substantial at 1000 dollars, I have not used a Juki but I really cannot imagine it being worth the extra money, especially with the great warranty offer NC is throwing in for the SEMA special, and the fact the Juki doesn't have the presser foot lift adjustment like the NC1508 does.

This Machine goes through super thick material like nothing, I swear I could sew a bowling ball with it if I had to.

All in all I couldn't be more happy with my purchase, I highly recommend this machine to anyone who is in the market.

Cheers

-Landon Zabloski

Im sure happy I posted the question about this machine, you guys have answered all the questions I had and more. To be honest I had no idea the machine could be converted to the 135 needle system, and then I found out from Mal at NC that their NC1508NH is set up already with the 135 system which kicks ass.

Last week I ordered the NC1508NH from Mal Maher at NC. I haven't received the machine yet, but I have to say that dealing with Mal at NC has been fantastic! He has bent over backwards to make it as easy a process as possible for me. Honestly the best customer service I have received anywhere. Shipping anything to Canada is usually a nightmare, Mal helped me out to make it super easy and gave me a few helpful tips to save me some money.

I am also pretty impressed that we can post a question about sewing machines here and end up dealing in person with the CEO of a major sewing machine manufacturer. Thanks again THR, this site is such a valuable resource for me. I can't thank the staff and contributors enough.

When I get my new machine I will be sure to do a review and maybe a side by side comparison to my old Consew in case it may help someone else who is machine shopping.

If anyone is looking for a new machine, I would highly recommend talking to Mal at NC, especially with the SEMA deals they will be offering, I personally couldn't find a better value anywhere.

-Landon Zabloski

I can't speak for anyone else but my reason for not having a website or facebook page is a sum of small reasons.

I am a one man operation, with no desire to be an employer. I prefer to be the one and only person responsible for the product that comes out of my shop. That's not to say I don't see value in having a shop with employees, there are many days when things would be easier with an extra pair of hands. It is just my own preference. My strength is in technical ability, not managing others so I try to stick to what Im best at.

Another reason is I am busy enough with word of mouth. I have had a website somewhat prepped and ready to go with the intent of fine tuning and going live on the day my work load slows down. That day hasn't come yet.

Lastly, time. Spare time is not something I have. Time to manage a site, keep it current and professional. All the spare time I have is spent on THR and I dont want to give that up haha!

All in all there's no doubt having an online presence would open many doors for my business, and I am sure down the road I will finish my website and get it online, but for now paying bills and focusing on the customers I have is higher on the priority list.

I am interested to hear other businesses opinions on this topic.

Cheers.
-Landon Zabloski

Mal does this mean that the NC1508 would ship ready to use a 135 needle system? This machine keeps sounding more and more like what I am looking for. Im trying to find a shop near me I can go take a 1508 for a test run before I buy but it certainly sounds like this machine checks all the boxes for me.

Thanks again for answering all these questions I sure appreciate you taking the time out of your day.

-Landon Z

Jeremy thanks for that info, I love the idea that the stitch length stays perfect around corners, that has always been a fight with my old machine. Also glad you mentioned the needle system, I was wondering if there was any pros or cons to the 190 style so that's nice to know. Do you find the stitch length stays nice and uniform when you go from sewing 2 layers to 4 over a seam? The NC1508 has that foot height switch that the Juki doesn't, do you think thats something you wish you had on your machine?
Thanks again for your reply!

-Landon Z

Steven,

Thanks for those suggestions! The M-Type would be a bit outside of my price range. I found it for about 7k USD which converts to about 93k in our Hockey money.

The Juki 2810 is much closer to my budget though and it definitely has features I hadn't even considered. I seem to remember reading a post in the old forum where you had just purchased a few machines, is that the model you have? Also do you know if its got a longer throat than the 1508? I would love a little more room to work with.

Thanks very much for the input I really appreciate it.
-Landon Z

Thanks Nadeem that is probably exactly the tip I need to get my answers. I saw the article about the NC deals a few months ago on THR and thats what led me to find their version of the 1508 so I will be very interested to find out more when I contact Mal.

Thank you again for this Forum and your help!