New Sewing Machine

**grammaterry** · September 27, 2016, 09:41 PM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I will tell you that I have had a Husqvarna Viking for more than 50 years. I am on my second one and the first one is still going strong with my grandchild. This machine is a work horse and you can get a straight stitch with button hole and zigzag pretty reasonably. I would look into it if I were you. More money than a brother but a lifetime machine that never has given me a minute of grief.

**stationarymom** · September 27, 2016, 10:57 PM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I can't help you with a machine,but if you would like suggestions you should post the price range you're comfortable with.

**Equilady** · September 28, 2016, 04:11 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

Brother is a good brand and I have two. I also like the Juki H series. They are real work horses.

**Bouse** · September 28, 2016, 04:35 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

Just recently got a Brother FS130QC 130. I've never had one before but it's getting a very good write up and it does have a button hole foot. I can't comment on it's durability though but I've tried it and it's really easy to use. Modern Singer's haven't been getting the best press recently.

**Carlie Wolf** · September 28, 2016, 05:18 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I have a brother SE400 that Im very happy with. The price range is somewhere around 400. It does have a button hole attachment with it that I have used and it was very easy. I hated doing buttonholes in the past (although I had old machines) so this attachment amazed me it was so easy. Also you can do embroidery up to 4 inches which I found fun.

**sumarben** · September 28, 2016, 05:50 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I have had 2 Viking machines and love them. The one I use now is Viking Sapphire 930 which has a larger throat making quilting easier. It has the buttonhole feature, plus more features, which are helpful, like the needle down feature which is great for FMQ etc. Not sure of your price range but it always works well for me. My MIL had a Viking that I inherited and it must have been 45 years old before it gave up! If you're going to use it every day and want a machine that serves you well, I would say tobuy the best that fits your budget

**Lyndaj** · September 28, 2016, 06:03 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

This is what I did when I was looking for a new machine last year. I decided what were the must have features. Then I looked at the manufacturers websites (please stay away from Singer, they aren't what they used to be), and figured out which machines fit my list. With that list of machines in hand, I went to local shops and test drove the machines and made my decision from there.

**Iris Girl** · September 28, 2016, 06:16 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I am a Pfaff girl and have 2. They do anything needed and come in lots of various options and price ranges. I have also heard goo words about Brother and Juki. As far as any Husqvarna/viking goes I would not own one. I worked for a dealer for 2 years all I could stand of the cheating scandalous things that were done there. Especially for people who bought expensive embroidery machines and needed a repair...Unheard of things went on. As far as Singer goes the are definitely not what they used to be, I would steer clear.

**bakermom** · September 28, 2016, 06:58 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I'm partial to Brother but my sister and close friend have Singers and they are quite happy with them. If you have the funds and want basic the Juki 2000 is great!

**tsladaritz** · September 28, 2016, 08:11 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I used a brother pr420 for a few years before I got my pfaff. It struggled with some thicker items but overall was pretty good. It had the little bit larger throat to help with bigger projects and was extremely easy to learn. I did not feel the decorative stitches were all that great in that some were a little sloppy and some were more like repeats. I loved just being able to use cheaper feet, needles, thread and it working fine with whatever I threw at it except for tough things. They sell between $350-400. I watched around the holiday sales and got it online.
I wanted a few more features and moved up to a pfaff performance 5, which costs around $2000. Sews through absolutely everything! I am in love with IDT feature and it was very easy to learn also. All it's deco stitches are wonderful. It does prefer Schmetz or Inspiria needles and while it does not mind any thread I give it, it likes a better quality a little more.
I would also say stay away from singer unless you can get the few that have good ratings. I helped my dd buy Singer Heavy duty 4411. Neither wanted to spend a lot and neither sews except for specific things. My dd said hers is working good on her leather (she makes pillows, purses, etc.) so we know it can handle really tough things. My dil says hers works great for her needs of crafts. This machine will do needle positions and other things that are way more advanced than my 30 yr old singer I started with so I am awed they are starting with such a nice machine for the price. We got them online and again watched for holiday sales. They paid around $130 with free ship. Then my Christmas to them was feet, needles, etc. ;-)

Right now my sew shop is having floor sales on a lot of demo models. It may be the perfect time to at least go look.

When I shopped, I looked at Bernina, Pfaff pretty much. I wanted something made to last longer and that did almost everthing because I probably won't be buying another sew/quilt machine at this point. These were the only dealers close to me. the next options were about 3 hours away. The Bernina were too much for less features so I went with Pfaff and I don't regret it.

the other thing to think about is dealer. I have taken my pfaff in about 3-4 times with questions or issues and they fixed it, walked me through it, whatever without any additional charge or even any snotty attitude or issue. my cutting blade seemed to not be working well and since it was new I wanted to make sure everything was running top notch. They replaced the blade and the motor giving me a loaner of exact same machine! Can't get that kind of service everywhere! I was very happy to deal with them. I also took in a photo and video on my phone of exactly what it was doing because it did not repeat the behavior every single time. I am so pleased with my shop. they have classes for buyers also so we spent an afternoon being shown all the wonderful features of our machine.

So

**jjkaiser** · September 28, 2016, 08:51 AM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I have a Brother PS1000 that is 15 years old, did not give me any trouble until this week. Suddenly very noisy and take up wheel that controls the needle is locked up. Took it apart twice and cleaned it, that did not help. It has been an okay machine for me but a few things I do not like about it:
1. To backstitch you have to hold a button down the entire time.
2. To start a seam you have to pull out a pretty long tail of thread --3" or more or machine becomes unthreaded.
3. No needle stitch position. Center only.
4. The lever for lifting the presser foot is in a very awkward position.
5. No needle threader.
6. You have to unthread your entire machine to wind the bobbin.
I do not machine quilt so have no opinion on that.

**stitchwishes** · September 28, 2016, 12:57 PM

Re: New Sewing Machine

As far as currently manufactured machines go, my opinion is that Singer is a better value. Brother throws in a ton of extra features at the cost of the guts of the machine. Look inside a Brother, it's all circuit boards and a few bits of metal to move the needle; Singer is all metal.

But ...that doesn't mean Singer is inherently a better buy. You may want more features at the same price. Brother is a very good sewing machine, both their big box store ones and their high end dealer models. I happen to love a sturdy mechanical machine with practical features. I love a machine I can fix myself (and so cheap I can toss it and buy a new one instead of payments ng/waiting for repairs). My Singer Heavy Duty is still serving me well after a few years. Really comes down to what you want and what you can afford.

It almost sounds like you might want to look at used machines. People here have tons of good info about that.

**Amarillo19** · September 28, 2016, 01:25 PM

Re: New Sewing Machine

I've had Bernina machines for 30 years. They are pricey but they are wonderful to use. They also hold their value if you ever want to trade one in. Plus if you buy one from a Bernina dealer you get free lessons in using it. Also make sure you like and trust the dealer of whatever brand you choose.

**CheyMom14** · September 28, 2016, 01:50 PM

Re: New Sewing Machine

Faithful to a tee on Janomes. I have 4 - a 6600, 8900, 11000 (emb) a little magnolia I use now and then. All have been good dependable machines. I've also owned a 1600 and a 6500. Real workhorses. I've done a fair amount of garment construction with my 8900 and it does well with buttonholes and zippers and such.

New Sewing Machine

New Sewing Machine

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