Any advice on a sewing machine?

oldstyle · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject: Any advice on a sewing machine?

This is something my wife has been asking for and wanting for quite a while and has been continually been delayed. I have tried to do some research online and asked some friends, co-workers and relatives what they like and don't like. I am not much further along then I was when I started and still have no real idea what to buy.

Budget is not unlimited, but I am not out to find the cheapest thing that will fall apart in a year. She wants to be able to do simple patterns, drapes, and of course normal sewing tasks that come up along the way. I would like to see well thought out designs that will last and be servicable in the future.

Any opinions out there?

PhebaAndThePilgrim

Good day from Pheba, from the farm. Please visit two posts, first go to my post on fertilizer woes. At the bottom I discuss sewing machines with another poster. Also please go to the peak oil post on photos of peak oil members. There you will find a link to my webshots site with my SInger sewing machines.
I reccomend the following machines, in order of preferrance:
Singer 201-2. A 201-1 (treadle) would be better, but is difficult to find. The 201-2 is a machine with a potted motor. The motor is not sealed, and must have the grease cups filled. I find this to be a good thing because it means the motor will last forever if cared for. All this machine does is a straight stitch, but does it better than any machine ever made.
Singer 301. Lightweight, portable, all metal gears, all metal construction. No belts to replace, ever. Straight Stitch only.
Pfaff 130. I have never owned one, but sailmakers seek them out. suppossedly they are very heavy duty and tough.
When looking for a used sewing machine, look for the following:
All metal construction
All metal gears. Plastic gears become brittle as they oxidize. Belts require replacing. If you have a choice between plastic gears or belts, go with a belted machine. At least a belt replacement is cheap and you can do it yourself. Gear replacement is expensive, and requires a pro.
Straight stitch, and possibly zigzag only. You do not need a bunch of fancy stitches, and will probably never use them. Also, the more bells and whistles, the more difficult to repair.
Go to needlebar.org and you can peruse the different vintage Singer machines.
I prefer Singer because the parts are easier to find. Some folks collect vintage Necchi machines. They are suppossed to be good also. I have never sewn on one. The Supernova Julia is suppossed to be a great machine.
My suggestion is to try to find one of the above. A lot of antique stores have Singer Featherweights for sale. They are expensive, but in my opinion, with a .45 to 5 amp motor, they are not powerful enough for more advanced sewing, i.e., drapes, etc.
Pheba.

PhebaAndThePilgrim

Good day from Pheba, from the farm:
I almost forgot. I much prefer a rotary hook machine. I give the explanation on the fertilizer woes post. Just do a search for fertilizer woes.
To view my machines go to: (hope I am doing this correctly)
http://community.webshots.com/user/Phebagirl

Pheba.

cynthia · Heavy Crude Joined: May 29, 2005 Posts: 382

Phebagirl, you rock!
Everything she said is true and solid information.
I was raised on Singers but wouldn't touch today's models if someone paid me.
Now to find yourself an older Singer. We just scored two home models at estate sales; one from 1958 for $15 and one from the early 60's for $30. Our son will get the latter model. Make sure all the cords are with the machine and test sew on it if possible (or go prepared with material and thread to do so). Listen for the hum of a well oiled machine. If it's a little rough but sews great probably a good oiling will make it like new. Try to wiggle the needle shaft and if it has much play walk away from it.
Wear-marks are an indication of use/abuse. Avoid dented metal machines. Also, many commercial sewers of drapes, etc went to nylon thread in later years and that wears parts down faster than cotton or poly thread. Of course the best tell-tale sign is nylon thread sitting on the spool.
My parents owned a drapery shop and I used their industrial Singers (I'm not as savvy about model numbers as Pheba but they were probably from a similar era) and they will sew forever.
I don't know where you live, Oldstyle, but visit places where sewing occured/occurs, which is not so easy to find any more (dry cleaners, drapery shops, and of course the second hand places) and inquire within.
Maybe place some ads in the local paper or favorite Internet sites. Do you have a Freecycle network in your area?
Juki made some decent industrial machines as did Riccar, but my experience with those machines are limited but positive enough to mention.
Finding repair persons is another matter. And frankly they were men who loved the machines they repaired. I knew a fantastic guy in Portland Oregon 20 years ago and I'm certain he is long gone-along with his knowledge.
Best of luck and let us know what you find.
cynthia

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 883

I would go for a second hand one. My mother always used a Pfaff and the model was quite sturdy. I am not sure if these quality of machines is produced these days. All what you need to sew all your wardrobe is strait and zig zag stich, that's it. But the machine should do this with precision.

Try out the machine, bring your own fabric with you extremely tin one and thick one and have a try.

If you are not sure that we will have electricity in some years go for a treading one.

patience · Expert Joined: Jan 04, 2008 Posts: 1741

My parents told me (undoubtedly prejudiced) that Winchester made rifles, Ford built trucks, Maytag made washing machines, and Singer made sewing machines. Period.

Of course there are other good brands of all those things, but I haven't been disappointed with their choices, either.

Blacksmith · Last edited by Blacksmith on Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:31 am; edited 1 time in total

PhebaAndThePilgrim

Good evening from Pheba, from the farm:
Patience, I love that. Actually Singer has not made a Singer sewing machine since the early 1980's. They sold the Singer sewing name to Pfaff, Pfaff sold it again. Singer rebought it, etc, etc,. Today's Singer machines are cheap plastic made in China junk. Any machine that is made from "industrial grade plastic" will not last. Some of the old Pfaffs are great machines, or so I have read. Never sewed on one.
I believe (correct this if I am wrong) Pfaff (or White) was the first company to sell zigzag machines in the U.S. Singer company thought American women would be unable to handle the technology. Their mistake, coupled with a workers strike at the North Carolina plant, doomed Singer. Eventually Singer saw the light, and began to sell Zigzag machines, most notably the 400 and 500 series. but by then it was too late. Pfaff, and White sewing machine company (White made Kenmore) outpaced Singer in the market. It may sound silly, but if you are intent on buying a good used machine, then really research them before you go hunting. Learn which models have plastic gears, and which ones have belts. Learn how to inspect a machine for a brittle gear, or a worn belt. Start carrying a flat screwdriver with you so you can quickly undo the bottom drip pan on machines to check the underbelly. A worn belt is a matter of ten bucks, a brittle bottom gear can be a monetary disaster. On my web-site the only machine I have a photo of that has a plastic gear i s the 1022. I like the machine, but would never have invested more than 40.00, which is what I paid for it.
Avoid sewing machines that smell mildewed or moldy. This is a dead giveaway that the machine was stored in a basement. You will never ever get that smell out of the machine. Also, a moist environment rusts metal, and oxidizes plastic.
I also avoid machines that I know were stored in an attic for many years. The heat causes the same damage as the moisture. Your treasure is a machine that was purchased, used a few times, and placed in a closet, or stored in a guest bedroom. There are a lot of machines around in just that condition. Look for one of those machines.
Have a pleasant evening
Pheba.

uNkNowN ElEmEnt

I've used Kenmore from sears for years. My current model is now 15 years old and I've only ever had to have it adjusted once.

make sure you get a good button holing feature. if it sucks or pulls threads it makes your stuff look cheap and can really be a bithc if it catches in the bobbin, pulls under the foot even if your fabric is not so delicate. I've done everything from jeans to wedding dresses on mine and although its old and doesn't have any of the really fancy features (only about 18 stitches) its does me good for many years.

Barbara

I still have my grand-grandmother Singer.
It's from 1905.
It's pedal-powered, and my grandmother made a life as a tailor using the pedal Singer for decades.
Still works great. Smile

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Objects in the rear view mirror
are closer than they appear.

Cloud9 · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Jul 26, 2006 Posts: 1176

Link
Picked up one like this for $50. Works great.

(I edited this using the little link button to shorten your url; Pops)

lys3rg0

Ferretlover

I have been sewing for many decades.
My best advice is definitely to try out the machines.
There are lots of brands, lots of different options, and they do not all work the same.
One point I would bring up: the newer machines that are computerized have one major drawback: Should a magnet get anywhere near them, it can mess up the internal workings. I was advised when I purchased my machine 4 or 5 years ago, that the machine would have to be sent back to the factory and reprogrammed, and I might not get it back for 2-3 months.
Which could be a problem in the future that we envision here.
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"RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto

Pops

A sewing machine repair guy told me to find pretty well any brand machine built prior to the early ‘60s. I think many had external motors one could easily adapt to a treadle frame.

Susan has a Riccar (sp?) that has been pretty sturdy.
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Make a plan and work it:

oldstyle

Thanks for all the great information and suggestions. I'll keep digging around and report back when I find something.