Any sewing machine recommendations?

jcr16

My sewing machine belong to my husband great nan. she left it to me when she passed away a couple of years ago. It an old singer one but a compact one. It is a god send. It is simple to use but very strong. i've seen similar for sale locally for about £40. so although it an old one it a good one. when i took it for a service they said how excellent condition it was for it age. I've made so much with it.

i highly recommend buying an old one second hand. never getting rid of mine tho, it a family heir loom, lol.

mardatha

Can anybody recommend to me a good CHEAP sewing machine ? Or where to get one ? Is a long time since I used one and that was an ancient Singer treadle :rotfl: but I want to make my own cushion covers and curtains..

miss_independent

Sorry can't recommend a good cheap one but can advise you against a bad one! I could only afford one for around £35 from Dunelm Mill and it is useless! Home Bargains had a singer for around £70 last week so maybe keep an eye out there?

Pink.

Hi Mardatha,

There are a number of recommendations and advice about buying sewing machines on this thread:

sewing machine recommendations

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the replies together.

Pink

calleyw

I bought mine second hand 7-8 years ago. It was janome one it cost me £94:eek:

I know it was probably a bit to much but it was from a shop that services and repairs. And I don't use it that much. Mainly for repair jobs. But I think with the repair jobs I have been able to do as well as taking clothes up and in, it has saved me more than the cost of the machine and then plus some.

My reasoning behind buying second hand is that if it last that long and keep going can't be too bad. It also had a metal body which most don't now.

If you belong to freecyle/freeagle why not try and see if you pick one up from there.

Yours

Calley

mardatha

ok thanks everybody. Am a bit taken a back by the prices, so have asked on Freecycle and will ask friends & beighbours too. TY !

longbaygirl

Got mine from Lidl a couple of months ago for £59. Fantastic.

My cousin works in a very well known London fabric shop and even she bought a Lidl one, saying it was as good as machines she has used for 3 times the price!

They seem to repeat offers every few months - so worth keeping your eyes open.

mardatha

ok will try ty

forumfan_2

There is a sewing machine on Ebay today as their Deal of the Day. It is being sold by Littlewoods and it is £49.99 (reduced from £119.99)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150431146938

It has mixed reviews here...

http://www.littlewoods.com/reviews/pwr/product-reviews/2233/Appliances/sewing/sewing-machines/JMB/p/504426748-sewing-machine-JMSM1030.html

csarina

I have answered questions about buying a sewing machine several times in the past.

I was a demonstrator for New Home, now Janome and you have to go a long way to better the machines. They make machines under licience for several other well known makers.

If you can get your hands on a second hand Janome, preferably a free arm so you can take up trousers and with an autonmatic button hole you will not go far wrong. They are robust machines.

Singer went through a patch in the 80's when the quaility of their machines went down quite a bit so steer clear of machines made then if you can.

The shop I worked in sold Singer, New Home and Brother........I tried all of the machines and to be honest Brother were not quite as good but the Singer machines had a lot of problems especially with tension.

I always advise people to buy a machine that does a little more than they want. It was amazing the number of people who came back to me and said they wished they had paid a little more and got a more versatile model.

At the end of the day you get what you pay for. All manufacturers have made machines that have faults, the TOR Janome which came out a few years ago had a bobbin problem which they solved under warrenty..........and I have had machines which I have returned for replacement. I used to unpack every machine and test it before it left the shop to make sure it was working correctly before I sold it. It gave me something to do when the shop was quiet.