Need advice on sewing machines. I want to buy one for my wife

[alfredo]

soon, maybe after Christmas. What brands should we look for, which ones should we avoid? My dad was an upholster and used Singer and Pfaff. Can't afford Pfaff, but they were beautiful machines.

So I need help to find a good sewing machine for a retiree's budget.



TKS

[SeattleGirl]

1. My daughter got one last Christmas.

Not sure what brand it is, though.

I can check with her if you'd like.

Sewing machines hate me, so I stay away from them.

[XemaSab]

2. What does she want to use it for?

:shrug:

[alfredo]

9. She just needs a basic for making drapes, and repairing clothes.

She is a pretty good seamstress, but doesn't make clothes anymore.

[LeftyMom]

3. Generally the best bet quality-wise is a used machine.

I know our local sewing shop services and resells trade-ins pretty affordably.

[SeattleGirl]

4. Excellent idea, LM

He could probably get a really good one for a lot less than he'd pay for a new one.

[LeftyMom]

6. Plus the older ones tend to be all metal.

To the OP: Look for something made in the US or Japan- for sewing machines Japanese is best for anything newer than 1980ish. Don't buy anything sold in a mass market store- sewing machines from WalMart, etc tend to be worth even less than they cost.

Edit: Check your local craigslist too. People unload Grandma's machine dirt cheap when she dies/goes to the home/her arthritis gets too bad to sew and non-sewers generally don't know how to price a good machine, so you can get a great high end machine cheap. My mom got a almost new Elna for $50 that way, probably a thousand dollar machine.

Edit again: Brand-wise, you can't go wrong with Pfaff, Husquevarna, Janome/New Home, Elna. Old Singers are great, the new ones not so much. Likewise Brother, though they make good high end machines for embroidery, etc.

[XemaSab]

16. Old Singers:

100% pure Ivory Bill habitat. :cry:

[Kali]

32. huh?

[XemaSab]

38. The last hold-out of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker was the Singer Tract

They cut it down to make wooden parts for sewing machines.

[Kali]

42. oh

was trying to place bird in machine:crazy:

[EFerrari]

8. Definitely! Mine were all reconditioned.

That means, someone else had all the headaches. :)

[XemaSab]

15. You could give him that one out of your backseat

:P

/kidding

[LeftyMom]

18. Only if he pissed me off.

Naturally, it's still there.

I swear I'll clean my car out properly after finals.

[XemaSab]

19. Around the same time I get my books unpacked

:eyes:

[buzzycrumbhunger]

5. Might not make the most impressive gift material

. . . but as the new machines are pretty much plastic crap, the only way to get a decent machine is to head to your local vac/sewing machine repair shop and look for a great refurbished one. You can get all kinds of great ones with loads of add-ons, starting around $100. I ended up with a Japanese Singer rip-off that is heavy as a Volkswagen and will obviously last a lifetime. (Bonus if you get a cabinet so she doesn't have to hoist it around every time she wants to use it.) If she mainly piddles around and does repairs, a basic zig-zag machine might be enough. If she's into embroidery and crap, a new machine with finicky computerized stuff might be her thing.

Would it suffice to just take her to such a place and let her pick out her own?

[alfredo]

11. That's what I intend on doing. I didn't want to gift it, I want her to pick

out the one she wants (within our budget). After Christmas, but before inventory would be a good time to go.

She knows her way around the machines, and knows exactly what she wants.

[Kali]

33. oops missed this when I skimmed

disregard my comment below

[alfredo]

41. After that glass of Ouzo, I may not make it that far.

[Robeson]

7. How much are you willing to spend?...

...let me know your budget range, and I'll tell you the best.

[alfredo]

10. under $200

[Robeson]

12. For under $200 I'd go with a Sears Kenmore...

...they're sturdy, reliable machines.

[alfredo]

14. Yeah, I was looking at them and Brother.

[NMDemDist2]

21. I've had my cheap Brother for 15 years, works great still, but I don't use it much

it's made a bunch of curtains and drapes over the years though....

[madrchsod]

13. yup a good used machine. i have an old 80`s ricoh (spelling?)

and it hums like new. i have a pfaff commercial that i use for upholstery....

[trackfan]

17. Some years ago I got my wife a Huskvarna Viking for Christmas,

and she's been very happy with that.

[alfredo]

22. they make good motorcycles too.

[Kali]

34. chainsaws are hard to start, though

:P

[alfredo]

39. Real men use hand saws.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. Old Singers are good. 1930s to 1960s. All steel.

I have a 1940s Featherweight (little black one) and a 1955 model 401-A Slant-o-matic.

They are both all steel and will never die.

[KittyWampus]

24. Featherweights are worth a small fortune now. If you ever see one at a thrift shop snap it up quick

They're popular with quilters, cloth doll makers and crafters cause they travel so easily.

[Jade Fox]

37. I've got one from the 1930s.....

It still works fine!

[KittyWampus]

23. My Brother was bought at Costco. It has a lot of stitches, drop-feed dogs, attachments available

So it's good for free motion stitching, casual quilting, clothing (it does seams).

I make cloth doll sculpture and artwork, mostly.

Before this, my machines were all ancient Singers that just went back and forth.

IMO, getting a very expensive Husqvarna or Pfaff is totally unnecessary.

[alfredo]

25. Couldn't afford one anyway. A Brother or Kenmore is in my price range.

[KittyWampus]

26. I do think a machine that gives an array of stitches is nice. It's fun playing with.

[suninvited]

27. You really can't go wrong with a Brother.

If she is going to make drapes, make sure it is heavy duty enough.

[alfredo]

28. She know what to look for in a sewing machine. finding one up to

the task for the money available will be the trick

[applegrove]

29. I had a Kenmore from Sears. I like it fine.

[Lars39]

30. I have a Sears Kenmore...just about worn it out doing alterations.

The handiest thing about it...it had 2 speeds...and the lowest speed allowed me to hem blue jeans.

[Kali]

31. I would ask her.

Keep in mind this is just my perspective, but I prefer to research and choose tools for myself.

[likesmountains 52]

35. Sewing machine preferences are very personal..let her pick it out..

you might also cross post this in the crafts group..we have a lot of sewing fans over there.

[alfredo]

40. That's how were doing it. I am doing the research so we can avoid

certain brands narrow our search down to a handful of brands.

[FloridaJudy]

36. If you can find a used Singer "featherweight"

In good condition for under $500, get it. They're designed to last forever and made out of solid metal. It is the machine of choice for people who do a lot of sewing, like quilters. They're no longer made, but popular as hell, so even if you find one that's cheap and battered, there are lots of folks who refurbish them.

You can also buy fancy/schmancy sewing machines that cost thousands of dollars that will do everything but cook your breakfast: some of them are computers that sew, do embroidery, etc. But nothing beats those old featherweights. Your great grandchildren will still be using them, assuming we still have electricity then.

[alfredo]

46. I just checked the local classifieds nada

[Mind_your_head]

43. Sewing on a good machine is pure *heaven*

Doesn't matter if it's new or used......buy her a *good* machine.

[tilsammans]

44. Sears Kenmore machines . . .

. . . were made by Janome a few years ago. If Janome is still the manufacturer, they're a safe bet. My Sears serger is very well made and came with an easy-to-follow training video.

[alfredo]

45. Thanks. Did Sears ever sell Janome by its own name

[tilsammans]

47. That's a good question.

Unfortunately, I have no clue about that. It's likely they have/do, as they sell appliances made by companies other than Sears.

[alfredo]

48. I remember they had one with an odd name a few years back.

[grasswire]

49. my mom's Kenmore has run like a top for 45 years now...

...and it has never been serviced. The belt has been replaced once, at home. That's an incredible history of quality, I think.