Any machines to avoid?

I had a look through google groups and couldn't see this topic having been
discussed lately.

I am thinking of getting my very own sewing machine. I pinch my mother's
Bernina whenever the pile of alterations hits critical mass (and it has),
and I like that machine very much, but they seem to be mega-expensive. And
despite being serviced regularly and oiled at the right time, the tension
can be a bit weird sometimes.

I noticed in the local crafters shop, that they had some machines in the 200
dollar (australian) range, which made me think i could just get my own, and
have it all the time. The brands they sell are Elna (a bit more expensive),
Toyota and Brother.

I don't sew a lot. I like to do alterations on my clothes, and maybe add a
bit of something to dress things up a bit. I also do craft stuff sometimes.
I'd love to make things from patterns but am a bit daunted, those things are
complicated.

Are any of the machine brands I mentioned known to be troublesome? Or known
to be good? any other brands with budget models I should search out?

--
ant
Don't try to reply to my email addy:
I'm borrowing that of the latest
scammer/spammer

ant wrote:
I had a look through google groups and couldn't see this topic having been
discussed lately.

I am thinking of getting my very own sewing machine. I pinch my mother's
Bernina whenever the pile of alterations hits critical mass (and it has),
and I like that machine very much, but they seem to be mega-expensive. And
despite being serviced regularly and oiled at the right time, the tension
can be a bit weird sometimes.

Is the Bernina 1008 out of your range? It's a good sturdy machine, used
in schools all over the place. It's all mechanical, has a good handful
of utility stitches, and nothing fancy to go wrong.

I noticed in the local crafters shop, that they had some machines in the 200
dollar (australian) range, which made me think i could just get my own, and
have it all the time. The brands they sell are Elna (a bit more expensive),
Toyota and Brother.

These will be bottom of the range light weight machines. Nothing wrong
with them really, but if you do much with denim or curtain fabrics,
they'll be a bit light weight for you.

I don't sew a lot. I like to do alterations on my clothes, and maybe add a
bit of something to dress things up a bit. I also do craft stuff sometimes.
I'd love to make things from patterns but am a bit daunted, those things are
complicated.

Nah! We're here to help you! Reading patterns is like reading books:
easy when you know how.

Are any of the machine brands I mentioned known to be troublesome? Or known
to be good? any other brands with budget models I should search out?

Elna have a good reputation here in the UK. Brother can be a bit hit
and miss, though I've had a couple of good ones through my hands...
They still have a bit of a rep for putting too many gadgets on a light
weight base, but are improving. Toyota are quite sturdy in their mid to
upper range, but I don't know about their lower priced machines.

Have you thought of looking at something pre-loved? You could get a
really good machine from a dealer that came with a short guarantee but
was a real bargain that way.



--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Kate XXXXXX wrote:
Is the Bernina 1008 out of your range? It's a good sturdy machine,
used in schools all over the place. It's all mechanical, has a good
handful of utility stitches, and nothing fancy to go wrong.

Sounds like my kind of machine! I'll go investigate... I like mechanical
things without computers to go weird. Berninas seem to be well put together
and sensible,but yowtch they are pricey. It would be handy to have a
Bernina, as hopefully the feet and things would be interchangeable.

These will be bottom of the range light weight machines. Nothing
wrong with them really, but if you do much with denim or curtain
fabrics, they'll be a bit light weight for you.

Hmmm. I would like to be able to do heavier fabrics, and definitely
curtains. a lot of my craft endeavours are heavy-ish.

Have you thought of looking at something pre-loved? You could get a
really good machine from a dealer that came with a short guarantee but
was a real bargain that way.

I have no problem with 2nd hand things, at all. There seems to be an awful
lot of sewing machine shops here (Canberra, Australia), so I'd have to track
down who was selling 2nd hand machines. But that's a good point, and a
sensible way to get a Bernina.

--
ant
Don't try to reply to my email addy:
I'm borrowing that of the latest
scammer/spammer

Seeing that you're in Canberra, (Hi neighbour!), try Sew Simple in Phillip.
They have a selection of second hand machines and a good reputation. Theresa
really knows her stuff! I bought my 25 year old all-metal Husqvarna there
and it has no trouble sewing through multiple layers of heavy fabric. Cost
me less than A$200. It does really nice button holes too I've made
coats, costumes and corsets on it with no dramas. It's my second machine. I
have a Janome 9000 for embroidery and the more delicate stuff
No affiliation, just a happy customer.

Gina


"ant" wrote in message
...
Kate XXXXXX wrote:
Is the Bernina 1008 out of your range? It's a good sturdy machine,
used in schools all over the place. It's all mechanical, has a good
handful of utility stitches, and nothing fancy to go wrong.

Sounds like my kind of machine! I'll go investigate... I like mechanical
things without computers to go weird. Berninas seem to be well put
together and sensible,but yowtch they are pricey. It would be handy to
have a Bernina, as hopefully the feet and things would be interchangeable.

These will be bottom of the range light weight machines. Nothing
wrong with them really, but if you do much with denim or curtain
fabrics, they'll be a bit light weight for you.

Hmmm. I would like to be able to do heavier fabrics, and definitely
curtains. a lot of my craft endeavours are heavy-ish.

Have you thought of looking at something pre-loved? You could get a
really good machine from a dealer that came with a short guarantee but
was a real bargain that way.

I have no problem with 2nd hand things, at all. There seems to be an
awful lot of sewing machine shops here (Canberra, Australia), so I'd have
to track down who was selling 2nd hand machines. But that's a good point,
and a sensible way to get a Bernina.

--
ant
Don't try to reply to my email addy:
I'm borrowing that of the latest
scammer/spammer

Gina van Acker wrote:
Seeing that you're in Canberra, (Hi neighbour!), try Sew Simple in
Phillip. They have a selection of second hand machines and a good
reputation. Theresa really knows her stuff! I bought my 25 year old
all-metal Husqvarna there and it has no trouble sewing through
multiple layers of heavy fabric. Cost me less than A$200. It does
really nice button holes too I've made coats, costumes and
corsets on it with no dramas. It's my second machine. I have a Janome
9000 for embroidery and the more delicate stuff No affiliation, just a
happy customer.

Awesome!!!! I'll give them a call tomorrow. That's excellent to know.

It's funny, before the Bernina, my mother (who is a very good sewer) had a
Husquevarna and it was a rattly thing that didn't work. And yet their
chainsaws are excellent. So I suspect we got a lemon (there was a lot of
plastic in it). We had Berninas at school, and I liked them because they
went quite slowly and were easy to control.

I'll call the Philip shop tomorrow.

--
ant
Don't try to reply to my email addy:
I'm borrowing that of the latest
scammer/spammer

ant wrote:
Kate XXXXXX wrote:
Is the Bernina 1008 out of your range? It's a good sturdy machine,
used in schools all over the place. It's all mechanical, has a good
handful of utility stitches, and nothing fancy to go wrong.

Sounds like my kind of machine! I'll go investigate... I like mechanical
things without computers to go weird. Berninas seem to be well put together
and sensible,but yowtch they are pricey. It would be handy to have a
Bernina, as hopefully the feet and things would be interchangeable.

These will be bottom of the range light weight machines. Nothing
wrong with them really, but if you do much with denim or curtain
fabrics, they'll be a bit light weight for you.

Hmmm. I would like to be able to do heavier fabrics, and definitely
curtains. a lot of my craft endeavours are heavy-ish.

Have you thought of looking at something pre-loved? You could get a
really good machine from a dealer that came with a short guarantee but
was a real bargain that way.

I have no problem with 2nd hand things, at all. There seems to be an awful
lot of sewing machine shops here (Canberra, Australia), so I'd have to track
down who was selling 2nd hand machines. But that's a good point, and a
sensible way to get a Bernina.


G'day ant!

My DH rolled home one day with five (5) excellent Bernina machines that
he picked up for AUS$5.00 at an auction! They were ex of the local TAFE
and had seen years of hard work with students banging them about. But
guess what? They all worked perfectly with a good selection of straight
and zigzag stitches (including two stretch stitches, one of which was a
three-step zig-zag!!!). I gave one each to my nieces, one each to my
daughters and kept the little Sport for hauling along to quilting days.
These machines have been just marvellous and all they cost me was the
price of two bobbin cases, as two had been removed at the auction house
(presumably by prospective bidders).

I reckon y'can't go past those old workhorse machines. They just never
die! My thirty-year-old Singer is still churning out swimwear and
dance-wear and requires a fraction of the service my new, you-beaut
Janome does. Don't be afraid of second-hand machines - simply test drive
carefully and you could wind up with a great bargain! ;-D

--
Trish {|:-} Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Trish Brown wrote:

My DH rolled home one day with five (5) excellent Bernina machines
that he picked up for AUS$5.00 at an auction! They were ex of the
local TAFE and had seen years of hard work with students banging them
about. But guess what? They all worked perfectly with a good
selection of straight and zigzag stitches (including two stretch
stitches, one of which was a three-step zig-zag!!!). I gave one each
to my nieces, one each to my daughters and kept the little Sport for
hauling along to quilting days. These machines have been just
marvellous and all they cost me was the price of two bobbin cases, as
two had been removed at the auction house (presumably by prospective
bidders).
I reckon y'can't go past those old workhorse machines. They just never
die! My thirty-year-old Singer is still churning out swimwear and
dance-wear and requires a fraction of the service my new, you-beaut
Janome does. Don't be afraid of second-hand machines - simply test
drive carefully and you could wind up with a great bargain! ;-D

I like that story! Yeah, machines made with lots of metal, without too much
fancy computerised stuff in them are the way to go. They have to last, don't
htey?

Actually, eyeing the Bernina I've pinched off my mother, it's a sport! But
she does everything on it. She's made up boxsful of Vogue dress patterns
on it, over the years. Houses-full of curtains. Heaps of quilts and fancy
cushion covers. And it's so easy to string up with thread, and do the bobbin
thing. Even i can do it.

Time to go a hunting. I didn't want to buy from Spotlight anyway, they try
to underpay their staff and make us stand in long lines to buy stuff.


--
ant
Don't try to reply to my email addy:
I'm borrowing that of the latest
scammer/spammer

ant wrote:
Trish Brown wrote:


My DH rolled home one day with five (5) excellent Bernina machines
that he picked up for AUS$5.00 at an auction! They were ex of the
local TAFE and had seen years of hard work with students banging them
about. But guess what? They all worked perfectly with a good
selection of straight and zigzag stitches (including two stretch
stitches, one of which was a three-step zig-zag!!!). I gave one each
to my nieces, one each to my daughters and kept the little Sport for
hauling along to quilting days. These machines have been just
marvellous and all they cost me was the price of two bobbin cases, as
two had been removed at the auction house (presumably by prospective
bidders).
I reckon y'can't go past those old workhorse machines. They just never
die! My thirty-year-old Singer is still churning out swimwear and
dance-wear and requires a fraction of the service my new, you-beaut
Janome does. Don't be afraid of second-hand machines - simply test
drive carefully and you could wind up with a great bargain! ;-D


I like that story! Yeah, machines made with lots of metal, without too much
fancy computerised stuff in them are the way to go. They have to last, don't
htey?

Actually, eyeing the Bernina I've pinched off my mother, it's a sport! But
she does everything on it. She's made up boxsful of Vogue dress patterns
on it, over the years. Houses-full of curtains. Heaps of quilts and fancy
cushion covers. And it's so easy to string up with thread, and do the bobbin
thing. Even i can do it.

Time to go a hunting. I didn't want to buy from Spotlight anyway, they try
to underpay their staff and make us stand in long lines to buy stuff.


Best of luck. I've been amassing old sewing machines for some time now,
and am really impressed with the Singer 401 and a Pfaff 360, among
others. I had an Elna Supermatic that I gave one of my boys. Runs like
a top. Keep your eyes open, and be ready to "test-drive" and I think
you'll find a real winner at a good price.

--
Joanne
stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us.earth.milky-way.com
http://members.tripod.com/~bernardschopen/