I have done my own seat covers for years, and also have made tarps for various CMPs. It is a good hobby for the winter...at -35 it's good to have reasons to stay in the house.
I have both an industrial Singer and an industrial Juki. We had both types when I was in the military, and most guys preferred the Juki. I bought both used and paid around $400 for each machine. I have seen both listed in the buy & sell for even lower prices than I paid, including one where a guy was giving away a Juki with it's table, but he warned of the weight and that the recipient would have to bring it up from the basement.
There are a few things to watch for when buying a machine. First, if it comes from an old factory, you want to make sure it's not 3 phase. The next thing is to find a fairly large throat. A small throat will let you do seat covers, but you will have to plan ahead if you are going to sew a tarp together.
When it comes to the thread, there are a billion choices there too. I am fortunate in having a thread supplier in Winnipeg who has stock of or can get any thickness in any color.
Your first results may not be perfect, but as you get to know your machine, it just keeps getting better and better.
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