Sewing machine question

[alex30808]

AAAALLLLLL Righty NOW!!!! Yall have gone and done it this time!! I've been wanting a sewing machine for a while now...and even looked at a Brother today while in wally world...My mom has an old Singer...and I can have it...It in a cabinet...and it'll need some work...but I'ma gona get it and taker to Augusta and get it checked out. Thanks for the thread...Literaly!

[psyculman]

I have a Singer 239 (1965) no fancy stuff, but, it is sews thru anything, no matter, even leather. Great for DIY. Have never needed any complicated stitches. Many parts (zipper & button hole, drive belts, old broken rubber parts) are generic, and available at local sewing machine stores, or Wmart. Singer has excellent links to information and parts. Have made an under quilt, hammock, and other things with the help of this great bunch of people associated with Hammock Forums. Have fun !

[Ramblinrev]

Zig-zag can be very useful for a stretch stitch substitute. But in reality unless you want to bind off the edge (which zig-zag is not real great at but it is faster than heat sealing) The need for a real stretch stitch is minimal. The issue that I would look at is the power to go through a variety of fabrics. Two things to look at, how fine and how long the feed dogs are under the p[resser foot. Dollars to donuts the cheap machine has a short set of feed dogs and they are probly somewhat coarse. That means slippery fabrics like silnyl will bunch and clog and wrinkle and just generally drive you bonkers. The industrial machine probably has a much longer set of feed dogs. Two reasons for this. It is a beeter made machine suitable for a wide variety of fabrics including silk and such. Secondly, like a boat... the longer the boat the straighter it tracks... the longer the dogs the easier it is to sew a straight line.

The cheaper machine has a motor that will dfo household sewing. That means if you are doing several layers of taffata and two layers of webbing and who knows what else, you can kiss the cheaper motor good bye, or you can hand turn the drive wheel. The industrial machine will plow through anything.

Do the math... for my money.. the industrial machine wins hands down.

[Dutch]

One other thing to think about: on newer machines that have computer components in them, you can't use a magnetic guide/fence like you can on the older ones. My sewing teacher hates that about her newer machine.

I love my magnetic guide. It really help to straighten out my seams.

[6 feet over]

The machine I’m about to ‘liberate’ from my sister is a ‘Simplicity Pioneer 18 stitch function sewing machine’, what ever that means.

What do you all think of this machine? It may not be heavy duty or the best, but the price was hard to beat. Free!

I already have a knowledgeable neighbor lined up to give me a couple of lessons. I already asked in another thread, but here it is again: What is the best fabric, thread and project to LEARN to sew? Any ideas?

6

[daibutsu]

If it's an old Singer, like a 375, get it. Bulletproof.

[dufus934]

get the old one