Singer 2263?

[Deadphans]

Can't find many places to buy sewing machines around here. Beginning to dive really deep in to DIY stuff and I want a sewing machine of my own.

Found the Singer 2263 at Walmart - to which I usually dislike buying things from there.

However, was wondering if anyone here has any thoughts on this machine.

Or any suggestions as to a machine that can do the simple stitches needed for DIY gear. Nothing fancy, just forward, reverse. reliable would be nice.

I am sure there are threads on here about this, probably many. I searched but could not find them. Sorry if this is a repeat.

[gmcttr]

Here's a quote from one of my posts from another recent thread about a similar machine..."but here are my general thoughts on inexpensive modern machines....consider them as disposable and if you're lucky, will do a fair job out of the box on lightweight materials....until they break. Buy from a local big box store (with a generous return policy just in case). They don't need cleaned up or refurbished to get you going. They may have thread tension problems that drive you nuts or they may be fine. They will not last for decades, let alone centuries.

I'd rather pay $100 for a cheap machine than $300 for a cheap machine with a lot of stitches no one needs.

The throat area on these machines is small making it more difficult to pass large amounts of fabric through when needed (think synthetic quilts).

With that said...I have a cheap Singer bought from Walmart when I needed a quick replacement. It has sewn several hammocks, a couple of quilts and a few tree straps and I feel I've gotten my money's worth out of it. It will last for a few years of light work, break and be thrown away.

My older, quality machines are a pleasure to use in comparison, didn't cost any more than the cheap machines, but required additional effort to put them in good working order.

The choice is yours."

[bowl-maker]

Goodwill is a good place to look...& craigslist

[Ramblinrev]

Check the "guidelines" thread in my sig. Others seem to have found it helpful. Ask around amongst your women friends/relatives of a certain age. Dollars to donuts somebody has one taking up space in the attic, basement or closet.

[Deadphans]

Oh I really appreciate that write up Ramblin! This is perfect and I will heed all the advice.

You raise some excellent points that I did not think of doing/asking.

And you are 100% correct in saying, " Therefore I don't want to address brands here. That opens us up to the same what brand of hammock/tarp/sleeping bag etc should I buy. We all have our favorites and we all have those we wouldn't touch if it was the last option on earth."

Well said, and I didn't even think of that with a sewing machine. Comes naturally when we talk hammock/tarp/sleeping bag companies lol. Thanks!

[ToHa]

I went to my home town, asked my local seamstress about machines, and she gave me an older Singer for free. Just finished my 1st DIY HAMMOCK ONLY 30 minutes ago! Newer machines have a lot of plastic parts, where as older machines were built with more metal parts. A refurbished metal clad machine will out weigh the newer plastic units. You may wanna look for older machines at garage sales, goodwill, etc.

[MDSH]

I went to my home town, asked my local seamstress about machines, and she gave me an older Singer for free. Just finished my 1st DIY HAMMOCK ONLY 30 minutes ago! Newer machines have a lot of plastic parts, where as older machines were built with more metal parts. A refurbished metal clad machine will out weigh the newer plastic units. You may wanna look for older machines at garage sales, goodwill, etc.

Wow, ToHa! What a great turn of events!

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