About the 243
The 243 sits between the 204-420 and the long arm 243-25. It has 16.5 inches between the needle and the arm, a large shuttle hook for thread from 138 to 346, a 794 needle and an 11mm stitch, and it runs at 800 RPM with the torque that slow speed implies. The 20mm foot lift is by pedal, so both hands stay on a saddle pad or a bundle of webbing.
Shops buy it for saddle pads, tack, heavy webbing, tents and tarps, and for the kind of motorcycle seat and saddlebag work where a 1508 class machine is on the edge of its thread range. It is a compound needle feed walking foot, so layered canvas and leather feed without creeping.
