Thread Injector. What to look for?

[ace8077]

Considering picking up a used injector to make a few projects.

What am I looking for?

I have no clue what direction to head in. PLEASE HELP! lol

[miyanc]

Considering picking up a used injector to make a few projects.

What am I looking for?

I have no clue what direction to head in. PLEASE HELP! lol

not sure how much you want to spend, but i found this one. Looks like a good start. http://louisville.craigslist.org/for/4365995588.html

If you are going to do gear you might not need a fancy machine. This may be a good machine but parts may be harder to find then say a singer. I have 2 singers (15-91 and zigzag 476) both took work to get moving but it was fun to do. I was able to find parts. Not sure how much work you want to put into this before you even get to the sewing. I ran out of time after fixing my machine and will need to wait a bit before sewing. But I now have 2 good machines and I know how to work on both.

[ace8077]

Not sure what to look for. Do I get one of those that has the 25 stitch patterns or go with something like you listed above?

Walmart has a 25 stitch pattern for like $90, new.

[Boothill]

Not sure what to look for. Do I get one of those that has the 25 stitch patterns or go with something like you listed above?

Walmart has a 25 stitch pattern for like $90, new.

to make 99% of the gear you will ever need you only need a machine with a couple basic stitches, straight stitch and zig zag, everything else you will hardly ever use

my suggestion would be to stay away from the cheap plastic machines at your big box stores....find someone with some sewing knowledge and knows what to look for and hit the second hand and salvation army type stores and find an older metal machine with metal gears

or if you have a sewing machine shop in your town go look there, most machines for sale there have already been gone through and quite often come with a 30 day guarantee of some sorts, might be a bit more expensive than the salvation army though

most places will let you plug the machine in and check it's functionality, spending $100 on a machine like that will get you something much much better and more reliable than something from the big box store even if it is 50 years old compared to new

boot

[ace8077]

Thanks!

That's the kinda info I was looking for. Heck, my mom may have an old machine she isn't using anymore.

[supernettipot]

I agree with what you're saying Boothill for someone with some experience, but this guy has not idea what he's doing. How's he going to plug it in and check its functionality? All kinds of things can be "off" with a machine, and look fine in a simple cotton sewing demo.

I think better advice would be to "take a friend" who knows what they are doing to go look at the machine.

[ErickSaint]

Thanks!

That's the kinda info I was looking for. Heck, my mom may have an old machine she isn't using anymore.

That's exactly how I ended up with mine. I scoured every thrift shop in a 30 mile radius, couldn't find anything. Then, as often happens, light shines on my marble head and I realized there was one in my mom's basement.

After a rather lengthy thread, and a ton of help from the masters here, I'm now working with a rock solid 1948 Kenmore.

Check mom's attic and basement, treasures lurk there.

[Ramblinrev]

You might check my "guidelines" thread in my sig. Others say they have found it helpful.

[FLRider]

You might check my "guidelines" thread in my sig. Others say they have found it helpful.

Yes, yes they have (I'm one of 'em)!

[Bubba]

Good advice so far. I've accumulated several vintage machines recently and echo the suggestion of getting an older used machines. I just saw a consumer video warning that some new machines don't even have a metal frame.

I just picked up an old machine from a thrift store for $15.00 and with a little tuning up it works great. It makes a beautiful straight stitch and and has an awesome feel. I've also found other machines that only needed one $20.00 part to be fully functional.

Older all metal machines are fairly robust and hard to break beyond repair. Often they have just been neglected and work fine after some cleaning. Since you are new it may take some education such as watching Rev's videos or many other You tube videos but IMO it's worth it to get a solid machine that will last a long time as well as derive the satisfaction of fixing it up yourself.