Posted: 4/24/2010 12:53:01 PM EDT
| My mom is wanting to get a new sewing machine and she was wondering what is the best one to get. She wants to be able to sew garments and also some light upholstery and make purses. Any suggestions? |
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I work at a place that makes clothes for the military.
99% of our machines are either Mitsubishi or Juki. Some are over 20 years old and are in constant hard use every day. There are a few machines over 30 years old. If course, we have full-time mechanics to work on them and there are several hundred machines in this one building. |
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My wife uses a Janome sewing machine and a Baby Lock serger.
My daughter has a bernina sewing machine and shares the serger. Both my wife and daughter make their own dresses, and also do some sewing for others. Both of these machines are good quality, The Janome has need a few tune ups and a reverser switch replaced in the 18 years we had it. The Bernina is too new to have needed any work. I think the Bernina is probably the better machine, but at this quality, most of it is going to be personal preference. The Bernina was an model 230, and it cost about $850.00. The Janome cost a little over $500.00 18 years ago. |
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My wife wanted one here at home (she works as a seamstress) and I spent about ten minutes on Craigs List and found a NICE Singer, complete with a nice cabinet––for $100. We went to look, found the lady had a very nice/clean house, went in––and listened to her complain that women don't sew anymore and no one wants to buy her machine. After listening to her piss and moan for ten minutes I told her I'd give her $75. She frowned and said okay. The cabinet was worth over $200 and both were in like new condition. I recommend doing the same, as you will be amazed at how similar ALL sewing machines are. The only real difference is the fancy electronics on some of them. Keep in mind 99% of all women never learn 10% of the fancy stuff, so in most cases it's a waste.
Oh, they are a little like bread makers and exercise equipment and health club memberships too––most are soon abandoned. 
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Quoted: Dad forked over a ton of cash to buy Mom a used Bernini, but she has used it almost daily for 13+ years. Kharn Bernina FTW! My mother-in-law has two of them, one for here and one in CA, and she loves them. TONS of stuff you can sew with it. They're insanely expensive, though, so take that into account. |
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Quoted:
I have one of these...it's awesome! http://www.instappraisal.com/files/appraisal_images/Antique%20Singer%20Sewing%20Machine%20with%20Wood%20Table%20(Serial%20Number%20JB932775%201935)%20015.jpg We have a sewing machine repair guy at a gun collecting club I go to monthly. He says the machines have changed VERY little since that one was brand new––save the electronic doo-dads, which only are controllers and do not affect the actual mechanism. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I have one of these...it's awesome! http://www.instappraisal.com/files/appraisal_images/Antique%20Singer%20Sewing%20Machine%20with%20Wood%20Table%20(Serial%20Number%20JB932775%201935)%20015.jpg We have a sewing machine repair guy at a gun collecting club I go to monthly. He says the machines have changed VERY little since that one was brand new––save the electronic doo-dads, which only are controllers and do not affect the actual mechanism. The motion picture camera intermittent motion mechanism is directly derived from the sewing machine. Following it's invention in the mid 19th Century by a couple of decades. |
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Husqvarna 
No, seriously, Husqvarna  +100 I have my mothers 40 year old one and it works like a champ as she got a newer computerized one. Yes, I know how to do some sewing, nothing special but I can put the patches on my BDU's, some alterations and repairs of stuff. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I have one of these...it's awesome! http://www.instappraisal.com/files/appraisal_images/Antique%20Singer%20Sewing%20Machine%20with%20Wood%20Table%20(Serial%20Number%20JB932775%201935)%20015.jpg We have a sewing machine repair guy at a gun collecting club I go to monthly. He says the machines have changed VERY little since that one was brand new––save the electronic doo-dads, which only are controllers and do not affect the actual mechanism. The motion picture camera intermittent motion mechanism is directly derived from the sewing machine. Following it's invention in the mid 19th Century by a couple of decades. LOL...so was my guitar pick-up winding machine I used to have. 
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Elna, Juki, Husqvarna Depends on what she wants to spend. There are a LOT of cheap computer controlled ones around, by singer and brother and others, they do nifty things, but mechanically break a lot. I fix the electronics in sewing machines for a local shop, and the Elna Air is the most robust one I've seen, the electronics are solid, and the one's I've worked on have been victims of lightning. Most machines under $400 are cheaper to replace than repair if anything major goes wrong. If she is going to do quilting and other stuff, might as well pay for good equipment to start with, just like any other hobby. ––ETA: Pre-Empting the  ... Anybody who says knowing how to sew is gay aint right in the head. Single guys can't afford to buy new clothes every time something rips or tears. |