This is a compilation of QUILTNET postings about sewing machines.
All comments are the OPINIONS of the person who posted the
message......................
Sewing Machine FAQ
SEWING MACHINE REVIEWS - file updated 7/30/94
by Vivian T
This FAQ contains reviews of many different sewing machines, some
of the reviews came in response to a question about purchasing an
inexpensive machine, other comments have been gleaned from daily
posts on Quiltnet. I have tried to group comments about the
various brands together. I have no conection to any dealers or
manufacturers.
****************
My first suggestion would be to save your money a bit longer.
I have not priced machines in a long time but I can't imagine
that you would be able to get a machine of the quality you want
for the money you have set aside. My first machine was one my
Mom bought me at a garage sale. It was an okay machine but I
always had annoying problems with it. Then I got one for a few
hundred and it was okay as long as I wasn't real particular about
quality. It jammed a lot and the lint seemed to build up quickly
and cause problems. Finally, I was able to buy a great machine
and I realized that I was a good seamstress. My problems had
been the machines, not me as I had always thought. I began
turning out fabulous things, all because I had a quality machine.
If I were in your shoes I would go look at the bottom of the line
models of the high quality companies: Viking, Bernina, New Home,
Pfaff and Elna. Take a variety of fabrics and some little ready
to machine quilt things. Test drive them and ask a million
questions. How much is a walking foot for machine quilting?
Will a little foot fit for machine piecing? How much is that?
What is the waranty and specifically, what is covered? Get
educated and take your time. I know you are excited but you will
live with this machine for a long time. The wrong purchase can
really turn you off. Have fun deciding.
KENMORE (SEARS)
I bought my "bottom-of-the-line" Kenmore around 15 years ago for,
if I remember right, $179. It does forward and backward and
zigzag. I have NEVER had to take it to a mechanic. I have to
check the tension every day I sew, and sometimes adjust it
mid-seam. It's very easy to clean lint out of (I use a
nut pick). I have quilted crib quilts and wall hangings with it.
It makes lovely buttonholes if I make 2-3 practice ones first.
Its 1/4" is not marked, but a magnet block shoved hard against
the feed dog marks exactly 1/4", which is a lot better than the
electronic 1/4" on a top-of-the-line Bernina I sewed on last fall
(it was actually 3/16", which even now causes me trouble).
I read about other QuiltNetters'fabulous machines, and drool over
the descriptions, but for the life of me I can't justify
replacing my little Kenmore. Thoughtlessly even tension is not
worth $800!
*****************************************************************
My machine was well rated by "Threads" magazine: it is a
Kenmore (translation sears) model with a 5-digit model number.
If your local Sears has machines in the store, it will be the
one that has 24 stitches and a large "24" on the front. I
think it is a fine basic machine, cost about $300, but
admittedly does not do all the things I would like.
****************************************************************
At least look at the Sears, Kenmore sewing machines. These are
the machines my mother, sister, and I had the best luck with in
the price range you are talking about. I haven't looked at their
machines in several years, so I don't actually know if they
currently have a machine under $200.00. We didn't like the one
Wards machine that we ever had and other than that we had a
couple of little heard of brand machines. The brands you never
heard of make a person a little nervous just because you can't
ask how they worked for other folks. Some of them have proven to
be excellent machines though. Good luck, and happy sewing!
**************************************************
I've had 2 Kenmores (Sears brand) and been happy with them. I've
heard that they went through a bad spell a few years ago, but
that was "between machines" for me... the first is is about 12
years old; the second is 1 year old. The new one I have is a
little over your budget -- it's a 36-stitch electronic -- but
it's been a dream to sew on. I was also quite happy with my
12-stitch... I basically just outgrew it. Good luck!
**************************************************************
I do a lot of custom sewing and often review available sewing
machines so that I can answer questions. Personally, in that
price range I would look into a Sears Kenmore. I, again
personally, would never intentionally buy a Singer. Brother
makes a fair machine in that range.
The thing that I like about the Kenmore is that it will shift
from a couple of layers to many layers without protest. An
ability I find important in machine quilting.....I do much of my
regular sewing on an industrial Brother.
********************************************
My new machine (new, 2 yrs ago) is a Kenmore (=Sears) 24 stitch
model, which Threads Mag. named as the best "workhorse" machine
for quilters, under $300. It has a 5-digit model number, and a
big "24" on the front panel. I don't know about the lower end
machines-- they do make less expensive models--whether they are
the same basic machine, but with fewer stitches or whether they
are different basic machines. However, I love mine. Sure, I
would like to have some of the features of the computerized
Elnas, Pfaffs, and Berninas. But for $300, I am real pleased with
its durability, quality of stitch, etc. If the 12 stitch machine
is basically the same as the 24, but with fewer stitches, I
would say you might be real pleased with it.
TEST DRIVES are real imortant. I took fabric, pins, etc. and sat
there for 45 minutes, putting it through its paces. The only
thing you don't get a good feel for is how loud it is (different
room) and how much it may make YOUR table bounce.
*************************************************************
I have a Kenmore 30 (about two years old now) and I have so much
trouble with tension and the bobbin thread that I want to scream.
I did exactly the same thing, only I bought a $200 White.
If I remember correctly, White makes Kenmore machines so this
makes alot of sense. BTW - I also have a Kenmore, but have only
tried machine quilting once on a small wall quilt. It worked ok,
but I have had tension problems on other projects. The bobbin
tension seems to have a mind of it's own.
*****************************************************************
I have taken two machine quilting classes and, in all
honesty, would probably never (or very rarely) hand quilt if I
had a sewing machine that did a decent job. I have a Kenmore 30
(about two years old now) and I have so much trouble with tension
and the bobbin thread that I want to scream. I am so sorry that
I did not "investigate" sewing machines before I bought this
machine. I was just starting to quilt and ran out and bought the
first thing that was on sale (this machine was about $400).
****************************************************************
I had a very cheap Kenmore, ($200 new) that had the
same problem. I finally sold it for $50 and bought a
new electronic for $1300 (New Home 7500) and love it!
So what if it took me several months to pay for it?
If you have not taken your Kenmore in for adjustment,
try that first. I did and it did not work for my machine,
but you might be luckier. Sometimes the bobbin case gets
"bent" for some reason, if that is replaced it may solve
some of your problems. Otherwise, sell your machine and
buy a better one--sometimes you can get a good deal on
a used Bernina, Pfaff, Elna, White, etc. The used sewing
machine dealers in your area are in the yellow pages.
Sell your machine to someone who only needs to sew on
buttons once in awhile :-)
BERNINA
I did exactly the same thing, only I bought a $200 White. Big
mistake, but after one frustrating year, I bought a used Bernina
1130. Boy, life is good now. And this was after doing a lot of
hands on research for the right machine. It really does make a
difference what machine you use to machine quilt with.
***********************************************************
I have a Bernina 930. Every good thing you have heard about
Berninas is true. No, I don't sell them, but it is one product I
would feel comfortable selling. I have had my machine 10 years.
It was the top of the line model at that time, and retailed for
about $1500. It is a mechanical machine, they were not making
computerized machines back then. I have never had any and I do a
lot of sewing on it. I sew a small amount of clothing and mending
for my family on it, but I primarily use it for machine piecing
and quilting. Every top machine quilter uses a Bernina; Debra
Wagner, Harriet Hargrave, Sue Nickels, and many others. Unlike a
Pfaff, you do need a walking foot for straight line quilting, and
this costs around $65, I think. It is not a standard accessory
with the machine. The tension on the machine is very even and
trouble-free. The knee lift is essential to me. Industrial sewing
machines are made with this feature, and there's a reason. It
saves you lots of time- you don't have to constantly be lifting
the presser foot lever every time you reposition your work. I
think this is very important for both machine quilting and if you
ever do any machine applique. It takes a little while for some
people to get used to, but it is definately worth it.
For these reasons, I recommend a Bernina. Do not get the
lowest priced models, which do not have the knee lift or
automatic needle down features. But you also don't need the top
of the line computerized machine, unless you have the money. I
have looked at the 1630, and it does have some niceties that my
machine lacks. It has been the first model of Bernina developed
that has made me consider getting a new one, but I'm not ready at
this time.
There are some mail order discounters of Berninas, but
you will not get the same service or education from your local
dealer if you purchase your machine elsewhere.
***********************************************************
I bought a Bernina 1130 (now discontinued) last summer. I bought
the machine after it had been used at a quilt show. While I have
no true guarantee that it wasn't used prior to the show, I did
get a fairly good deal ($1200 with accessories, etc). You might
want to look into it. I highly recommend the Berninas if you're
even remotely considering machine quilting. Two machine quilting
"experts," Harriet Hargrave and Caryl Bryer Fallert, use and
recommend Berninas. The knee lever, dropped feed dogs, and
different feet provide a great machine for quilters.
Good luck - I know they're expensive, but we usually get
what we pay for. I had a fairly new Kenmore machine (less than 2
yrs old), but I couldn't use it to Machine quilt at all;
although, I was happy with it in other respects. The Bernina has
a much better stitch (and the ability to lower the feed dogs!).
**********************************************
I have a Burnette 440 - the cheaper end of the Bernina series -
and I really like it. It's not electronic, doesn't have super
fancy stitches, but it has enough for a simple quilter like me!
It runs about $450 new, I think.
BROTHER
I personally love my brother machine, it has about 20 stitches
and quilts very nicely. the cost about 2 years ago was under 160,
and i've seen them here and there for about 175-195 depending on
the extras. mine does the 15 stitches an inch, as well as the
fancy stitches like swans, ducks, tulips and others which always
makes for interesting quilting! but i also like my singer for the
stright stitches and for just making
the blocks.
**********************************************************
Just don't buy a Brother... they are made from all plastic parts
and I understand that you can't get parts to repair them when
needed. They come from overseas, I guess.. as to lots of
reliable products, but still this one is a problems, I guess. My
suggestion it that you purchase from someone like J. C. Penneys,
or Sears, because they have a range of machines... all price
ranges and they stand behind their stuff. You can take it back
if you just decide you don't like it a year later...not that
you would want to do that, but.. that's how sure you can be that
you'll be satisfied... I vote for Penneys, but I'm not sure that
Sears may not have a better selection... IF you go through a
sewing shop, you'll pay lots more for the same features..
WHITE
I have a 'white' machine. I think it is a very basic machine.
You can use any singer sewing foot, or any generic foot. I
bought mine about 2 yrs ago at a house of fabric. It is light
enough to take to classes and does not have alot of fancy parts.
I use mine often and it has been great.
***********************************************************
My sister and sister in-law both bought a white about 15 years
ago, because of the cheaper price. My mother who has owned a
Bernina (and loves it, and still owns it and now she has a Viking
even better) went and tried out the Whites, thought they were
O.K. price being a big factor, (you get what you pay for)
Looking back now she will not sew on my sister's machine, when
she goes To Wyo. to visit her she packs her own machine. The
thread on the Whites seem to slip out of the tension arm,
frequently, leading to a lot of rethreading and messed up
stitches. We all went and tested these machines, but we did so
gingerly not putting our foot all the way down as we do when
straight stitching a quilt. Just a thought, perhaps they have
changed through the years.
MISC. INFO
Colleen--my advice is to go to a dealer of good machines:
Bernina, Pfaff etc. and look at their used machines....you can
get more machine for the money.
SINGER
Don't buy a Singer made after 1970 or thereabouts. I would
suggest looking at used Berninas, Pfaffs and Elnas. New Singers
make wonderful boat anchors, but they aren't good for anything
else as fas as I'm concerned.
Owner of one boat anchor Singer and one gorgeous Elna.
VIKING
Berninas are very expensive and very over priced. Look at the
Viking 400. I think you will find it is what you are looking
for. Also it is under $1000.00 and is computerized. I got one a
month ago and love it.
When I started machine piecing and quilting a few years ago I
used my almost 20 year old Viking 1630. The darning foot worked
really well for freehand quilting. I purchased a walking foot
which helped with long straight quilting lines. When I decided to
2 years ago I again bought a Viking because of the long time
excellent performance of the brand. (she did have some intial
problems but dealer &mfr took care of them) The Viking #1 has
more features than I use. The lower price ones should work
just as well for piecing and quilting. The needle up/down
position is myfavorite feature. Viking also offers a true 1/4"
presser foot and a walking or even-feed foot as accessories.
Dealer service has been very good - a big consider ation for
electronic machines.
*****************************************************************
There is no one best machine. Berninas are very popular. But also
respected are Elna &Pfaff and Viking. I have a Viking and I
cannot recommend it too strongly. It is fabulously engineered.
Any machine in the line will produce perfect stitching. The
difference in the models is just the features. So, take you time
selecting. If you buy a good machine, it will probably be the
last machine you get so choose carefully. Take a collection of
fabrics to use. The dealers have very stiff stuff that they demo
with and you will never use anything like it. Read lots of
reviews and comparisons and ask lots of questions. Be sure to buy
from a dealer that will fix to quickly when there is a problem.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
For the Sewing Machine FAQ and everyone's general interest,
Viking makes a machine that actually quilts! It is the new
Viking 500. I've had mine for 2 weeks now and I highly recommend
it if you are looking at computerized machines. It took a little
fussing for me to get the spool in the best position and the
tension right (ignore the manual when it says the quilting stitch
needs higher tension.) It also takes my Big Foot for free form
quilting. The quilting stitch is made by using the nylon thread
on the top and machine embroidery thread on the bottom. This
stitch pulls the bobbin thread to the top and makes a small
stitch. They are not as close as you would get by hand, but they
are as small as good hand quilting. This stitch leaves more
thread on the back of the quilt than with regular machine
quilting, so I would recommend making the color of the backing
fabric the same as the thread you want to show on the front. I
wanted black thread on the front and used black backing fabric
and it is not noticeable at all. This stitch is very difficult
to remove, so practice before you venture on to the quilt. The
machine also has a 1/4" foot that can be used with this stitch to
outline stitch. Its primary purpose is piecing. You can not
freeform stitch and get this quilting stitch, so you are limited
to straight lines and gentle curves (anything you could do with a
walking foot). It also does an invisible applique stitch with
the push of a button and a crazy quilting embroidery stitch. It
can do letters, numbers, flowers, leaves, ect. My previous
machine was a Viking that I bought in 1980, which never gave me
any trouble. I hope to have the same carefree time with this
one.
FEATHERWEIGHT (SINGER)
One of the best machines available is not made anymore. It is
called a Featherweight. You can often find one at flea markets,
etc, and occasionally in quilting publications' classified ads.
It does only one thing, a straight stitch, but what a beautiful
stitch. Best of all, sometimes you can find them for under $100.
ELNA
I bought an Elna 8000 in June at the Creative Festival here in
Maryland. I absolutely love it. I'm afraid I was spoiled by
taking two quilting classes at G Street Fabrics and using one of
their Bernina machines. They very craftily use one of the high
end Berninas in their classes. I'll bet that at least 50% of the
people who take classes buy a new Bernina from them.
My Elna has a seperate 1/4" foot which I am still getting
used to-it seems to be a generous 1/4" and I'm used to a scant
1/4", but this is getting easier to compensate for. It has an
alphabet built-in, I scoffed at the idea of ever using an
alphabet for anything, but I think it would make an interesting
label for the back of my quilts, so I may try it.
It has a wonderful buttonhole gizmo. It took awhile to
figure out how to use it correctly. (I think the instruction
booklet was written in Swedish and then translated by a
non-native English speaker, it has some very strange sentence
construction which leaves me puzzled at times.) The buttonhole
attachment will measure the first button hole and reproduce it
exactly as many times as you want. I hated the buttonhole built
into my Singer, and the attachment I bought for it wasn't much
better.
Not only can I tell the Elna to leave the needle down if
I want, I can move the needle left and right-it has little stops
that mean I can move the needle consistently the same distance.
Until I got the 1/4" foot, I just moved the needle over two stops
to the right and used the edge of the standard presser foot as a
guide.
It comes with a bobbin cover plate that has guides for
inserting elastic, etc.
Many of the features that I love about the Elna are ones
I use for clothing construction. Before I got quite so heavily
hooked on quilting, I made most of my own clothes and many shirts
for my husband. I need to take a breather on some quilting things
and get a wool suit made for myself and some polar fleece pants
and a jacket for my husband.
I looked at a few machines before I purchased the Elna.
Basically, I would have bought a Pfaff, Bernina or Elna. It
depended on the price I could find them at. I happened to find
the Elna before G Street had one of their mega sales, so I bought
it instead of the Bernina.
I recommend getting the sewing machine fact sheet from
Sew News. You should be able to find an issue at your fabric
store if you don't subscribe yourself. I can look up the info in
a back issue and post it to you another day. It won't rate the
machines, but it will compare their features and give you an idea
of what each one offers.
Consumers Reports did an evaluation of some of the more
expensive computerized models, sometime within the past two years
I think it was. It took me about six months to finally take the
plunge.
*****************************************************************
I had an Elna for over 20 years and was completely happy
with it. However, I started having trouble threading the needle,
I even went so far as to remove the needle, use my needle
threader, then put it back in! It gave me many years of faithful
service. But what I liked about it originally, was the nice quiet
purring sound the motor made when sewing. I had bought a Singer,
then took a class where they used Elnas, and that Singer made so
much noise and sewed so much worse, that I bought an Elna.
NEW HOME
I looked at Bernina's, Pfaffs, and Vikings. The top of
the line electronics only--then I saw the New Home which has the
exact same features but costs a lot less. (if you have a New Home
dealer in your area, check it out!) I've been very pleased with
it, the satin stitch fooled the rabid Bernina owners at a recent
quilt retreat (they tend to be very "clannish" :-). It has all
the special presser feet you can every imagine using, but they
are also cheaper than Bernina feet (which are much bigger and
clunkier to carry around, too). I use the built-in embroidery
stitches a lot more than I thought I would, too. Free motion
machine quilting is a lot of fun and it's so easy to lower the
feed dogs on this machine. Also, a clear cover on the bobbin case
makes it easy to check and see how much more thread is left on
the bobbin. I can wind a new bobbin without unthreading the
machine, that saves time.
PFAFF
I have a Pfaff. I decided what I wanted in a machine (needle
threader mostly) and then I went shopping. I could have accepted
the Viking, Bernina, or Elna. But the Pfaff has a needle threader
attached to the presser foot bar, and the others were separate
from the machine, and I figured it would be 2 weeks before I
dropped it and stepped on it or one of my dogs chewed it up!
Put it through its paces before you buy it!
*****************************************************************
I absolutely LOVE my machine!! (Big Drool, Pant) The faq came out
before I had my Pfaff. So thats why I ain't in it!
As I don't have the specs memorized I can give you a rough
guesstimate on it. The Pfaff 7550 comes with over 500 builting
utility and decorative stitches, including 5 monograms. It has
Maxi stitches up to (I believe) 40mm wide. Favorite stitch for
machine quilters is #16. It is a mock quilting stitch that really
looks like hand quilting. -- Use monofilament in the top and use
a color thread in the bobbin that you want to show on top. I
don't know the settings for tension but you reduce the bobbin
tension quite a bit. the stitch takes (I think) 2 steps forward
and then one step back. with this back step it pulls up the
bobbin thread and secures it. then it repeats the motion so you
have a "quilting stitch" and a space, etc.....
The creative designer is great! You do have to get used to the
size difference You can save any stitch you design or you can
save a group of or edited version of any of the built in
stitches.
I haven't tried the Software yet, I was waiting for them to
correct the Windows interface. With that you can design stitches
up to 60mm wide! That is BIG. It can accept input from any
graphic source (scanners, programs, etc). But I'm not sure of
how detailed it can get. With practice, I'm sure it will
be dazzling!
*********************************************************************
From: Anne
Subject: Re: Sewing Machines
Date: 24 Jul 94 10:09:40
Qriginal Question:
Does anyone know how the top of the line BERNINA, PFAFF and VIKING
computerized machines compare?
Reply:
This question comes up all the time, and of course the owners of each
kind of machine think theirs is the best. Quilters are often fans of
Berninas, claiming that the stitch quality is superior.
Although I don't have the money to buy any of these machines, one day
when I had some time to kill I went to the Quilting Bee (a fine
quilting store in Mountain View, CA) and tried some machines. I tried
the top-of-the-line Bernina and the Viking #1.
I was quite unimpressed with the Bernina. The user interface was
atrocious. It has a track ball controlling cascading menus, and there
are two buttons (labelled something like ENTER and OK, or two other
confusing names) that you sometimes have to push. There's a very
confusing small screen, with a display; it also has a cursur which is
hard to find. I asked the salesperson to show me how to make the
machine stitch my name. Neither of us was able to succeed in doing
this.
The Viking #1 had a user interface that wasn't quite as bad. The
salesperson could demonstrate it (in fairness, I must say that she
owned a Viking #1) and after a few minutes I could get it to do things
too. A lot more choices were visible on the front panel at one time
than is true for the Bernina, and the small screen's display was
considerably clearer. I liked the fact that when you selected a
stitch, the machine would automatically set the tension and stitch
length and tell you what foot and needle to use. You could override
any of these choices.
These machines cost thousands of dollars. For my money, I would want
a decent user interface, and I don't know why the sewing machine
companies don't hire people who can make them. The Bernina, in
particular, could serve as a textbook case of a horrible user
interface. [I know, I know, horrible user interfaces abound, and it's
hard to make good user interfaces. That's still no excuse.
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