Sewing machine

[Balog]

I'm looking to get my wife a sewing machine to replace the cheap and barely functional one she has now. She really likes the look of the antique ones, but would they work as well as a newer model? I'm perfectly happy buying used if I know what I'm looking for. Here's my local Craig's List to give you an idea of what is available around here. http://seattle.craigslist.org/search/sss?srchType=A&zoomToPosting=&altView=&query=sewing&minAsk=&maxAsk=200

I'm assuming that any of the extra heavy duty, able to sew leather types will be out of my ($200) price range, but I would like to get a quality unit that will last with proper maintenance.

[BobR]

Another good place to find well cared for sewing machines is estate sales. Many grandmas have one, and the kids could care less about keeping it. Singer, Brother, Pfaff, and Viking are the quality brands that come to mind for sewing machines.

bob

[zxcvbob]

I really like the all-metal Japanese sewing machines from the 50's and 60's (my mom had one; I stole it for a while when I got out of college and learned to sew with it.)  They are stronger than new machines, and they take standard bobbins.  But all they do is straight stitch and zig-zag.  IIRC, for sewing 4 thicknesses of heavy denim I had to turn the flywheel by hand because the motor didn't have enough umph but the machine did.

But maybe I just like them for the nostalgia 

[charby]

My wife's main one is a Janome. http://janome.com/

She said a good new sewing machine is going to run at least $500. She said there are bargins in older used ones if you hit up sewing shops, they normally don't resell a used one unless it has been serviced.

[charby]

Don't forget about ebay, there a ton of old Singer 221's for sale.

[tokugawa]

Watch out on older used machines- Some people used in "3 in One oil" and gummed the hell out of them- that stuff dries to varnish over the years. I have a nice Pfaff that is coated with it, mineral spirits will not clean it- I am going to have to use carb cleaner on it one of these days. They ought to sell that stuff as glue-or furniture finish-or something.

[RevDisk]

Good thread, I need to buy a normal sewing machine.  One I currently have is way too powerful for light work.  Plus side, it'll sew 10 layers of denim. Motor is the size of a 3L bottle.

[RoadKingLarry]

[French G.]

RKL, want! I see lots of unloved machines inthe antique stores, people want the cabinets or cast iron stands as furniture, but not the machine. I need to learn how to use one too.

[RoadKingLarry]

Mine is an old Singer 29K made for the shoe repair trade. I have no real idea how old it is but suspect it was made fairly shortly after WWII.  Parts and supplies are still easy to come by and it will sew 2 layers of 9oz+ leather and as light as the can as top on my big jeep.
Straight stitch only, walking foot, no reverse but you can pivot the presser foot 360*. Lots of them still in daily use.
Knowing how to sew is a pretty good skill to have, both by hand and with a machine.

[erictank]

My wife's main one is a Janome. http://janome.com/

She said a good new sewing machine is going to run at least $500. She said there are bargins in older used ones if you hit up sewing shops, they normally don't resell a used one unless it has been serviced.

My wife got a Janome from a sewing-machine store last year, around $400 IIRC for a mid-range model. It works quite well. She also got a Sailrite machine for about $600 on sale - it'll sew through something like 10 layers of sail canvas. Both out of Balog's price range, obviously...

Balog, if you can get a Janome for anything like your price range, you should probably jump on it unless it doesn't work (obviously). Newer Singers probably aren't worth your time unless they are dirt-cheap, but the older mostly- or all-metal ones should be worth a look.

[Balog]

Thanks everyone. I was assuming I'd need to go used, and my wife loves the look of the old models (something like RKL's but smaller would be perfect).

I've seen lots if good brands mentioned, are there any particular models to look for or avoid? How much should I budget for a tune up?

[charby]

Thanks everyone. I was assuming I'd need to go used, and my wife loves the look of the old models (something like RKL's but smaller would be perfect).

I've seen lots if good brands mentioned, are there any particular models to look for or avoid? How much should I budget for a tune up?

My wife bought a Singer Genie at a garage sale a couple years ago for $10, she took to the local shop because it spool on the bottom wouldn't feed and I think the repair bill was ~$50, this also included a tune up.

This sewing machine was supposed to reside in the camper so my wife could quilt if she wanted to when we park it at the campground, she found a better machine at another garage sale and gave this one to me. I haven't used it yet.

[BobR]

Knowing how to sew is a pretty good skill to have, both by hand and with a machine.

That is truth. I made an obscene amount of money during my 3 years assigned to the USS Forrestal (early 70s) just by sewing on crows (rank insignia), hemming seafarers (pants), and doing light repairs such as sewing ripped seams. About the only people who made as much on the side were the guys that knew how to give real haircuts, not the ship's barber haircuts.

bob

[Hawkmoon]

The old, classic black Singer machines are great -- if you ONLY want to sew in a straight line. They don't offer automatic buttonholing, they don't offer any sort of zig-zag stitches, the really classic ones don't even have a reverse to lock the end of a line of stitching.

For any sort of modern sewing, just go to Sears and buy a modern machine.

For leather, you need a VERY heavy-duty machine made to sew leather. Your wife will NOT be using that machine for doing any dress making. And you will not find such a machine for anywhere near $200.

[zxcvbob]

Zigzag is kind of important for overcasting a raw edge, and you need reverse for ending a stitch.  All the other fancy stuff can be handy but is not really essential.

[Balog]

Looking at the Singer 15-91. Seems popular (lots of parts and service tech available) has buttonhole and zig zag capability with attachment, works on light fabric as well as heavier materials...

[charby]

Looking at the Singer 15-91. Seems popular (lots of parts and service tech available) has buttonhole and zig zag capability with attachment, works on light fabric as well as heavier materials...

make sure you get one with the wooden base or get handy in your workshop.