recommend a sewing machine?

[Adasmommy]

I just found out that the beautiful old Singer sewing machine we got at a flea market needs $150 in repairs, and I'm thinking I could buy a new machine for less.

So, I'm hoping I can get a decent machine for $100. I've never really sewed, so it would be silly to invest a lot when I don't know how much I'll use it.

Could some of you recommend either a machine, or let me know what features are awesome that I should look for . . .

Thank you

[Think of Winter]

Ummm, before you scrap that old Singer...what is it? Is it worth repairing? If it's a good, all-metal gear driven machine, your money would be better spent on it than on a cheapo Walmart machine. You're not going to get a good, sturdy machine for $100-$150.

If you or your dh are mechanically inclined, you may be able to do some or all of the work on it yourselves, too. I just learned to clean, oil, and lube my machine, and it was really easy (and I am not mechanically inclined at all.)

[kittywitty]

I hate my Brother from wal-mart. Total junk. I want a Bernina 430 but it's much more than that. I would not under any circumstances by a Brother which is in your price range.

[GardenStream]

I have never heard anything good about Brother. I've also heard that the new Singer ones aren't very good either. I'm far from an expert sewer, but I have been very happy with my Kenmore which I got at Sears. I spent about $175 on it, but they do have more basic models available for closer to $100.

I love the drop in bobin and the clear plastic cover which allows me to see when it is getting low. I only use about 5 or 6 different stitches, but my machine has 24. I also am a big fan of the automatic button hole feature.

[Think of Winter]

Originally Posted by atobols

I have been very happy with my Kenmore which I got at Sears. I spent about $175 on it

CR recently reviewed sewing machines, and I think a ~$175 Kenmore did very well.

[npl]

I have a Kenmore that is more trouble than it's worth. And when I tried to get it serviced here in Canada, it was a horrible experience and I was without my machine for weeks.
I have a Babylock (much more sophisticated than you are looking for) and although they are a sister-company with Brother, I would recommend them as easy to maintain and not fussy to operate. I'm pretty sure you could get a basic model for a reasonable price. I would definitely advise going through a dealer, and you can usually negotiate on price. The after-care support is worth it. You may also be able to find a decent used model that a good dealer has bought in a trade-in from a customer who is upgrading, and it will have been refurbished and be much more reasonably priced for a good machine.
I have seen some reports that the machines at big box stores are not of the same quality as those at the dealers, even under the same brand name.
Another thing about going to a dealer is that you can try out the different models and see which fits you best, and they will have salespeople who know how the machines work and can teach you and advise you on the best model for your needs (I did not get that at Sears!).

[Adasmommy]

I can't decide whether an older refurbished machine (or fixing mine) is better than a new cheap one, or more of a liability since other parts may be about to wear out.

I believe mine may be from the 50s as it is all metal. It is a Singer Touch and Sew and it says on it "special zig zag Model 638."

I took it to be repaired and was told their were several gears that needed to be replaced and that they didn't recommend our trying it ourselves, as it is very particular.

So, thanks for all the advice thus far. It gives me a great start on finding a good one!

Anyone want to weigh in on whether I should fix it, get a used one, or get a brand new cheapie?

[Think of Winter]

OK, well you've got plastic gears, which isn't great, especially if several are already broken. For the cost of that repair, you could purchase an all-metal gear driven machine, a 401 or 500, in working condition that will produce lovely stitches for a long time.

This of course is jmo...Singer 401 and 500 Slant-o-matics are good choices because they have a variety of stitches built in and are all metal. I got my 500 on Ebay for $160 including shipping. She's being a pain, but I am still so glad I bought her. It was listed as "cleaned, oiled, and lubed," which is debatable, and there are a few minor broken parts, but I kind of expected that. It's 50 yrs old. I still love it! This is my 5th or 6th sewing machine, and I've never said that before. I expect it to be my last, too. I expect I could have found one for far less if I'd been willing to wait and dig. They turn up regularly at garage sales, thrift stores, and Craig's list.

I joined a Yahoo groups for old Singers, Vintage Singers, where I learned this stuff (Thank you to Bill Eaton!!) I just did a message search on 638 and came up with several responses to a problem similar to yours.

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by Think of Winter

I joined a Yahoo groups for old Singers, Vintage Singers, where I learned this stuff (Thank you to Bill Eaton!!) I just did a message search on 638 and came up with several responses to a problem similar to yours.

I am pretty new to yahoo groups, do you think there is a group for old berninas, and how would I find out?

[Timmie]

To be honest, if you are intrested in more than just verylight, simple, not-really-worth-doing sewing, you will have to spend more than $100. As you have heard, the cheap machine don't do much, you do all the work, & they aren't very reliable.
All the major name brands can sell you a wonderful machine but you will be spending at least $250 and up. (As a life-long sewer, I can't recommend any Singer made after the mid "60's.)
If you want a good hard-working machine I suggest you go to Sears. Their machines are made by a sub-company of Janome (great machines!!) and far more reasonably priced. If you are willing to pay about $200 you can get an excellant mechanical (not computerized) machine that has a really strong motor & a good selection of stitches. The strong motor means that you can sew any sort of fabric from light cotton to denim. The stitches means you can straight stitch, overcast & the machine will make the buttonholes for you, you don't do the work.
The drawback to buying from Sears is that you have no one to help you. No one there sews & at many of the Sears stores they don't even have the machines out where you can see them. Even so, the ones in the price range I mentioned will serve you very well. You can take classes if you live near a larger city where they are available. If not, there are several on-line sewing courses available as well as many books to teach you. Good Luck.

[Think of Winter]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

I am pretty new to yahoo groups, do you think there is a group for old berninas, and how would I find out?

When you're on the Yahoo Group page, you can search the groups. I'd just enter Bernina or Vintage Bernina and see what comes up.

[sabrinat]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

I hate my Brother from wal-mart. Total junk. I want a Bernina 430 but it's much more than that. I would not under any circumstances by a Brother which is in your price range.

I have to disagree. I don't think you can get any new machine for $100 that isn't going to be kind of crappy, brother or otherwise. My first machine that I purchased on my own was a Brother from Walmart( I spent about $200) and that machine was a decent little work horse. Anything that was ever problematic was really user error. I know that there's a perception that you can't get a decent machine from Walmart, but you actually can. I'm not saying they compare to a TOL machine (like what I have now), but you can find something that will work for most any budget. That being said, when people think they are going to find a dream machine for $100 I always encourage to think about used machine, particularly vintage singers are great and relatively inexpensive.

[texmati]

I've heard really good things about kenmore, and my white sewing machine is 12 years old-- and works ok. I've never had another sewing machine but that one, so it could be that I'm used to it's quirks.