The Consew 206RB-5 walking foot upholstery machine is a true workhorse. This industrial machine can handle any heavy-duty project you throw at it.
Overview of the Consew 206RB-5
The Consew brand was established in 1898, and has long been a leading name in industrial sewing machines. They produce a large range of sewing, cutting and pressing equipment, and other supplies for the sewing industry.
With a focus on industrial sewing equipment, Consew manufactures specialist machines. Their specialties include walking foot machines for upholstery, and they produce a range of machines in that niche, including the Consew 206RB-5.
The Consew 206RB-5 is an extremely sturdy, industrial-level machine. With a strong motor, a very durable frame, and included walking feet, it is perfectly designed for upholstery and similar projects.
Consew has a number of similar machines, such as the Consew 206RB-2 and the Consew P1206RB. However, each of these models has some important differences, which we will address later in this article.
Features and benefits of the Consew 206RB
Though it is a relatively plain-looking industrial machine, the Consew 206RB-5 is packed with features and benefits that upholstery sewers will love.
What we like:
- Extremely sturdy: this is a true heavy-duty sewing machine, and can handle the toughest of fabrics.
- Excellent stitch quality on upholstery: this machine produces the highest levels of results on heavy fabrics thanks to a range of custom features.
- Suitable for high volume sewing: you can sew endless projects quickly thanks to this machine’s incredible fast stitching speed and large bobbin.
- Quick and efficient to use: thanks to a number of ease-of-use features such as its reverse stitch lever and thread release finger.
- Compatible with other models: accessories are interchangeable with the Consew 226R-2 and 255RB-2.
What we don’t like:
- Difficult to assemble: This machine is difficult to assemble and install, with no accompanying assembly instructions.
- Very large: This industrial-level machine needs to be assembled on its own table, so is not portable and requires a dedicated space.
- Not very versatile: Designed exclusively for upholstery sewing, the Consew 206RB-5 can only sew straight stitches.
Sturdy and durable
The Consew 206RB-5 is an extremely tough workhorse of a machine. Its powerful motor, industrial frame, and table-mounted design produces a staggering 3300 stitches per minute on even the toughest of fabrics.
This heavy-duty sewing machine sews upholstery projects such as furniture covers and purses with ease. It also makes light work of auto-upholstery, boat sails, tents, tarpaulins, outerwear, and sports and camping equipment.
To be able to deliver this much power and stability, however, the Consew 206RB-5 needs to be large. It should be noted that this is a very big machine and it is designed to be mounted on a table.
You will therefore need a permanent, dedicated space for your machine.
Ideal for upholstery
Along with being a highly durable machine, the Consew 206RB-5 has other features that make it the perfect machine for upholstery.
This model’s key feature is its walking foot mechanism. This allows it to smoothly sew over even multiple layers of upholstery fabric or difficult seams. The Consew 206RB-5 produces extremely high-quality stitches even on bulky projects and challenging fabrics.
This model’s very high presser foot lift also facilitates bulky layers of tough fabrics. Using a knee lifter, you can raise the presser foot up to 9/16″ (14mm), and so easily slide your project underneath, no matter the size.
Finally, this machine is equipped with extra-long stitch length, allowing stitch lengths up to 10mm. This is handy when sewing large upholstery projects or multiple layers of heavy-duty fabric. Stitch length can be easily adjusted using a dial.
As a specialist upholstery machine, the Consew 206RB-5 can only sew straight stitches. This is not a versatile machine that you can use for a variety of purposes. Rather, it is a machine specifically designed to sew very heavy-duty projects, and it performs that function very well.
Feature-packed for ease of use
The Consew 206RB-5 comes with a number of features that make it quicker and easier to complete your upholstery projects.
- It has a thread release finger that allows thicker spool thread to pass through the machine easily. This makes working with heavy thread easier.
- The Consew 206RB-5 also has a reverse stitch lever, which allows you to change the stitch direction easily. This allows you to reinforce your seams and make them stronger by making a few stitches in the opposite direction at the start and end of your seams. Reverse stitching is therefore essential when working on heavy-duty projects like upholstery. This model also has an extra-large lever for the reverse stitch, making reverse stitching quick and efficient.
- It is equipped with a cone thread stand that can hold up to two extra cones of thread. There is also a built-in ruler to help you accurately measure your projects.
- Maintenance is made easy by the Consew 206RB’s centralized lubrication system. This allows you to easily keep your machine well-oiled and in good condition, protecting it from wear and tear or break-downs.
On the down-side, assembling the machine in the first place is quite challenging. This machine and its table need to be installed by the sewer before they can start sewing.
This is standard for industrial-level sewing machines, however the Consew 206RB-5 is particularly difficult to assemble. This is mainly because it doesn’t come with any assembly instructions.
The manual does cover how to set up the machine, but the information is far from clear or comprehensive. This can be resolved by checking the videos on YouTube on assembling, setting up and operating this model.
Large Bobbin
The Consew 206RB-5 comes with a very large bobbin which can hold a huge amount of thread. This means that you can sew for much longer without needing to rewind your bobbin.
When you do eventually run out of bobbin thread, you can change the bobbin without removing whatever you are sewing. This ensures continuous, perfect seams on your projects, making this feature a must for professional sewers.
The Consew 206RB-5 also comes with a separate bobbin winder and a bobbin storage compartment.
Useful and interchangeable accessories
The Consew 206RB-5 comes with a set of presser feet and a set of hardy size 17 needles. Extra bobbins are also included, along with an oil dispenser, a spool pin, and a knee lifter. There are also a set of sewing machine tools and spare screws to enable you to assemble and maintain your machine.
The walking feet, needles, and other attachments are all interchangeable with Consew models 226R-2, 255RB-2. This is very handy if you have had any of these models previously and want to use the same accessories.
The ability to interchange attachments and accessories is also perfect for professional or industrial sewers who may have multiple machines for various purposes.
The needle plate, foot, and feed dog can be changed according to the demands of your sewing task at hand. All attachments are easily installed thanks to this machine’s intuitive design.
Alternatives to the Consew 206RB-5
Consew as a range of walking foot machines that are ideal for upholstery. There are two models that are very similar to the Consew 206RB-5, the 1206RB-5 and the 206RB-2. There are, however, some important differences between these models.
Consew 206RB-5 vs Consew P1206RB-2
These two models are similar in features, but the Consew 1206RB-5 is generally a lighter-weight machine, and is not quite as robust and sturdy as the 206RB-5.
The Consew 1206RB-5 is suitable for many heavy-duty fabrics and projects so it could be called a “medium-duty” machine.
The Consew 1206RB-5 has a shorter stitch length, with a maximum of 7mm only compared to the 206RB-5’s 10mm.
The 1206RB-5 also has a slower stitch speed than the 206RB-5.
The Consew 1206RB-5 is also slightly cheaper, so may be a good option for those who want a specialist walking foot machine but don’t need one that is very heavy-duty, and want to save some dollars.
Consew 206RB-5 vs Consew 206RB-2
The Consew 206RB-2 is the earlier model in the same line as the Consew 206RB-5. They are very similar machines, and both are designed specifically for upholstery and suit that purpose very well.
The Consew 206RB-5 does, however, have a few additional features and functions. For example, the 206RB-5 has a press down reverse stitch feature, while the 206RB-2 has a reverse lift-up function, and also has a more user-friendly stitch dial.
Although the 206RB-2 offered a high presser foot lift, the Consew 206RB-5’s is slightly higher with the knee lifter.
Wrapping it up
If you are looking for a reliable, professional machine that makes light work of even the most challenging upholstery projects, then the Consew 206RB-5 is for you. This industrial-level model has a range of functions and features that makes it ideal for this purpose.
Once you have gotten past the challenge of assembling it, it is also easy to use, and will allow you to quickly and easily complete your heavy-duty projects.