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Sewing Machine Buying Tips
National Sewing Circle EditorsDescription
If you’re thinking about buying a new sewing machine, this is the video for you. Kristin Tabor shares three basic questions that we should ask ourselves when beginning the sewing machine buying process. Depending on what type of sewer you are, your skill level, and the amount you are willing to spend, this video will help you decide on the perfect machine for you.
Related Article: How to Choose a Sewing Machine
Let's talk about buying a new sewing machine. So like a lot of people when I first started sewing, I was sewing with a family machine that I inherited from my older sister. It was an old Bernette I really wonderful work horse. I spent a lot of time nurturing and loving that machine. And then one day a critical piece just broke off and I couldn't use it anymore. So I had to buy a new machine and I found that there were not a lot of tips out there for how to purchase a machine, what to look for. So I've put together these three really basic questions to ask yourself before you go into that machine buying process. The first question is what kind of sewing do you do? It's really basic. But when you think about it, are you a hobbyist? Are you mostly sewing a little bit of everything. You're doing some garments here, some housewares there a little bit of quilting. Maybe you don't really know what you like to sew yet. Then you're a hobbyist, technically. Maybe you love quilting and that's absolutely all that you want to be doing. You don't wanna mess with garment sewing. You don't really wanna be doing anything else. Then it means that you're a quilter and you're interested in a quilting machine. And then you might also be really interested in machine embroidery. A lot of people purchase really nice new machines for the fun stitches on them and for the fun little sort of designs that they can make. So you need to just assess what is the main kind of sewing you're going to do. And if you're not predominantly a quilter or into machine embroidery I would recommend going with a general hobby machine which generally means that it has a bunch of basic features. And then depending on price point sort of escalates with extras on top. Some of those basic features are having multiple different stitches. So having sort of your basic straight stitch, your zigzag stitch and then on my machine here, there are a couple of decorative stitches as well and buttonhole stitches. It will come with a digital display for stitch length and stitch width also a speed regulator which is really good if you wanna slow down or go really fast with your sewing and then sort of all the other kind of basics to look for. Something else in a basic hobby machine to look for are some sort of extras, some add-ons that come with the machine. So my machine came with a bunch of different feet besides this regular presser foot that you see right here on the machine, you can swap it out for a buttonhole presser foot or a walking foot here which I find really handy for all kinds of projects. So these are some good extra features to look for in a hobbyist machine. The next question to ask if you are looking for a new machine is how much help are you gonna need using a new machine? Are you an expert sewer and you have used a bunch of machines in the past and you don't think that you're going to need a lot of help or are you a new sewer or relatively new or you're planning on getting a very complicated new machine and you need a little bit of instruction? The reason why this is an important question to ask is because it's going to determine whether you purchase your machine online or in a store. There are benefits to both. I purchased my machine online because of the cost. It's a huge cost savings to purchase it online. And as you might imagine you can purchase just about any machine online and often can get a price cut on that. But there are a lot of benefits to buying a machine in a store too. I would highly recommend buying your machine in a store if you think that for any reason you're gonna want a little bit of help with your machine, some instruction on how to use new stitches or just how to use sort of the bells and whistles that are on it. Often stores will just add that on, it's part of the purchase. Another thing is that it provides you with a warranty, so you can bring your machine in for a cleaning or you can bring it in if something's feeling funky, if your bobbin is not winding quite right. You can just bring it in and they'll usually take a look at it for a certain period of time when you've purchased the machine. So there are perks to buying in the store even though sometimes it's a little bit more expensive. You do get that human touch. The third question to ask yourself is is how much money do I wanna spend? And of course this is very personal question and only you can really answer the question but it's probably something that you have thought about. And if you have very little money to spend, I would recommend going with a general hobbyist machine, just try to buy the best hobbyist machine that you can afford. And the reason why is because most of these machines that are general hobbyist machines tend to also be the most cost efficient. But if you have a little bit more money to spend, you have a little bit more flexibility and you can look at some of the machines with bells and whistles. If you're a quilter, you'll wanna get a machine with a really big throat right here to fit all of your quilts inside. If you're an embroiderer, I mean there are amazing embroidery things that machines can do. And you can go look at at things with crazy features and spend up to tens of thousands of dollars on machines. But another thing to consider when it comes down to price is whether you wanna buy your machine new or if you want to buy it used because like I had it at the beginning a lot of old machines are amazing workhorses and still work perfectly. They maybe don't have the digital readout or they maybe don't have the speed regulator or 59 stitches. But it doesn't really matter because it sews a straight stitch, it sews a zigzag, you have the zipper foot, really basic stuff that you need to just get going and get sewing. So you can save a little bit of money by buying an older machine. But I would recommend being careful to just look at the reviews online of old machines and new ones. And if you're considering buying an older machine to make sure that there are still parts available for fixing it because if something does break like it did on my old machine if there isn't actually a part to fix it, often it's gonna be very, very, very expensive to get it back in operating order. So with those three basic questions you should be ready to go out and think through what machine you wanna buy, good luck.
There are so many other issues, is the bobbin full rotary or oscillating which is important for thicker fabrics or fabric oaks, does it have gears or all belts, what are the parts made of, can you get service for the machine, what is the warranty. Also useful stitches, does have a stretch stitch (most do now) for synthetic fabrics, does it have a blind gem stitch and foot, does it have a needle threader, so many more things to consider
Another VERY important step... * Check out Customer Purchase Reviews for the model you're interested in. * Consider the retailer you're buying from...will they be able to assist you if something goes awry? * Are the components made of metal or plastic? Plastic doesn't last as long... Think about it. * Brand longetivity means nothing - some terrible machine manufacturers are out there banking on you not knowing they have sold out and now make cheap garbage at a premium price, and all based on name recognition. * Purchase price: how many machines you want to buy? Sometimes a little investment is worth it in the long run it the machine is likely to last long enough to be passed on to another generation vs. going in the junk pile and a new one being purchased within the first 5-10 years of use. * Just because it's a "deal" doesn't mean it's worth it... Some machines are so terribad that you're better off stitching blindfolded and by hand. * How likely is it that the machine's tension can be disrupted? Some are easy and others are workhorses. You don't want a hothouse orchid... Buy one that can actually hold up to the task you're buying it for. __|> And More... <|__
I would say that at least 90% of my sewing is for garments and I'm not a hobbiest. I have taught sewing to ladies of my faith and I believe the cheaper machines are a waste of money especially if you purchase them online. One of the ladies paid a little more for her machine to get the extra stitches and the basic straight stitch did not work properly. That machine had to be sent back to be repaired which ended up in her being frustrated with the sewing in general. However, if she had gotten it from a dealer the problem could have been resolved much sooner. If a person is not sure that they are going to love sewing, I have suggested that they purchase an older machine from a dealer that does repairs in their shop. Many of these dealers have saved parts that are hard to find and they often will give a warranty on those machines from 30 to 90 days. If a person knows they love to sew then I suggest they shop around. Talk to people and learn the reputation of the dealer in their community or close by if they do not have a dealer and then try different machines from those dealers that have a good reputation. For you can have the best machine on Earth, but if there is a problem and you have a rotten dealer, then the machine becomes a disappointment. For the person that loves to sew I suggest that they invest in a machine that might offer more than what their current skill level is because as they learn more, they will need a machine that is able to grow with them. Overall I think you did a great job for a person that is learning to sew. However, I always say when you purchase a machine from a dealer, you are also paying for that dealer to fix your machine. I am a nurse and my husband works in tools and dye and I'm the only person that sews in both our families. So, when I recommend a dealer, it is not because I know someone that has something to gain outside of my dealer. I just believe dealers are one of the top 2 important steps in purchasing a sewing machine.
I have a Xr-34 brother sewing and my machine is a us one and the I think the part were the thed goes is not their so I was ask should I us that one or get other one a new?
I have something to add to my last reply, as if I haven't spoken enough. I went back to visit again and found out they had a what's new party, free of course, snacks involved, but I could only go to the Tukwila location where the warehouse was, enjoyed the party and purchased some new embroidery programs and looked in the sale items where I found threads and many other goodies, and a hoop for my machine that was 80% discounted, woohoo! Didn't know it existed, my machine is 10 years old, didn't think I would find something new. The point of this is, If you happen to know what you need ask them to check the warehouse, they might have it even if you don't see it. And ask about free classes, sewing clubs, etc. A good dealer can be your best friend. Especially when their employees remember you and your machine, which can be embarrassing because some of us shop there a lot, But is a sign of good customer service. Woohoo!, gonna go sew with my new hoop. Oh, they hade chocolate, at the what's new party.
If you live in western Washington, Quality Sew and Vac, has locations up the I-5 corridor. They sell a wide variety of sewing, embroidery machines, 10 needle embroidery machines, sergers, Threads, and notions. They offer machine classes free, even if not purchased there. There are embroidery program clubs, a club called "Sew Fun" that is fun. Their staff knows their products, and will help you to find what you need. There is machine repair available. Not kidding. Checkout the website. I am in no way related, just happy. I all dealers were this great. Now that I have moved across the state I make a point of visiting QSV when I am back visiting my family and sewing buddy. And Sadaajit your suggestions are great. The only reason I let my cousin buy her Brother sewing machine and Serger at Walmart is They are good quality machines and Qsv could clean and repair them.
i have/use the brother sewing machine your showing. i love it. i use it for everything
I think one other thing you need to be aware of is what the components are made of. Many very inexpensive machines have plastic components that are not going to hold up like metal will. I cannot emphasize enough to go online and look at reviews of the machines you are considering. There are a lot of machines available for around the same price and to know which ones users have found the most reliable is a great help in deciding between different models and companies. Also, make sure, if you are buying a machine from a dealer, that the dealer actually knows the machine you are considering in and out, so that if you have problems they can help you solve them. I bought a highly specialized machine from a sewing machine dealer (not a fabric store) and when I had problems with it they could not help me solve them. They didn't know how to use the machine. It was the internet that saved me or the machine would still be sitting there unused. They were quilters and I sew predominately clothing and this machine was specialized for clothing construction. I even showed them some of the features of the machine, from what I had learned on the internet. I will not be buying from them again, needless to say.