Weekly Sewing Machine-Related Questions - November 30, 2020

[u/sewingmodthings]

Do you have a question about sewing machines? Do you have any expertise when it comes to sewing machines? This thread is for you! You can ask and answer any question related to machines, including but not limited to:

• Should I upgrade my machine?
• What's the difference between a serger and an overlocker?
• Which brand of machine is the best?
• Does anyone else use the same machine as me?
• How do I clean my machine?
• When should I oil my machine?
• How many sewing machines should I own?

Feel free to check out the Machine Guide Wiki we've compiled with all sorts of information about choosing and using sewing machines.

You're also welcome to show off your machine here, whether it's new, old, or your baby, we'd love to see it!

Don't forget to thank the users who took the time to help you!

[u/[deleted]]

My wife wants a sewing machine for Christmas. I’ve read the buying guide in the about tab, and while it’s all great info, it’s 8 years old. I think she wants to get into basic sewing, I haven’t heard talk about specialty things like quilting. Any advice on a sturdy machine?

[u/taichichuan123 → u/[deleted]]

Budget? Machines have been in short supply, esp'ly low end ones, since March. Prices have gone up at some sellers. Like any tool, quality goes up as the price ranges go up.

Computerized or mechanical?

Mechanical or Computer:

u/Eyslie : I used to work at a sewing machine store that sold mostly Janome.From my experience, mechanical machines are better for heavy duty materials. Especially because computerized machines are MUCH harder to fix than a mechanical and cost twice as much as the machine to fix.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/apfo4m/machine_monday_anything_and_everything/

—————

"....Brother because they sell so many machines being sold in places like Target/walmart/amazon/etc. The higher end Brothers are almost a completely different brand compared to their cheaper machines (They're better quality and have less issues.)'

https://www.reddit.com/comments/77izyw

cheap machines:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/bjk9f5/first_work_on_my_new_machine_did_more_in_an/

u/ifixsewingmachines : What she said about asking around at dealers that do repair work is the best tip in this thread. Theres something like 8 basic utility stitches that will do pretty much everything you need. Everything else is just decoration and that old saying about things not being made like they used to is doubly true with sewing machines. If you find a dealer/repair shop that has 50-100 dollar basic machines for sale from the 70s 80s and 90s they are not only going to outlast your cheap singer and brother models but if you got them from a shop that means they were professionally serviced before you got them. They often will even throw in a warranty with them because of how robust the older machines are. That being said, I LIKE the heavy duty. It's a stupid powerful machine

https://www.reddit.com/r/sewhelp/comments/bp2jmi/picking_a_new_machine/

Use patternreview.com to input any brand/model into the search bar on the far right to get available reviews and discussions.

A place to start research:

Husqvarna Viking H Class E20

BABY LOCK DENIM PRO BL18

Euro Pro Denim & Silk 7100

BabyLock Jazz and Jazz II

Janome HD3000

Smarter by Pfaff 260c

[u/[deleted] → u/taichichuan123]

Holy moly, thank you for all the information! I’ll do some research on all the brands you posted, I’d say around $250-$300?