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[benihime]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-Se...-1034D/1723621

that is the one I got. I had to take it back once to walmart because it jammed but I was able to get a new one quickly

[Sword-Saint]

Boy. I've got an old, old table-set Kenmore (I think...might be something else) and it's served me just perfectly. Yeah I have to do more complicated stitches by hand, but I've never had any problem with it. On the other hand, twice I've had to use friends' machines, newer plastic ones and holy cow, seems like EVERY time I'd plug them in they'd freak out and have SOME problem I'd have to fix: thread catching, bobbin coming loose, etc...

So... all that to say I like mine, although i want to buy a new one for more stitch options, but...all this talk from you guys is fairly intimidating. i just want something cheap that works well. Yikes. Industrial? Nowhere on my list. But then, I'd also like to be able to do serging, at some point...

[Sutie]

Originally Posted by R1KKu

I have this same one and I absolutely love it. Have not had a problem with it yet (and I hope I dont)

I have the same Brother 1034D like most of everyone on here. It works great except ever since I've had it (brand new!) the under looper thread keeps breaking and I have to stop, rethread it, and start again. Sometime a few times before it goes smoothly.

Does anyone know what is causing this or how to fix it?

It still works great, just takes a lot of extra time to do a project.

[Penlowe]

, vintage machines are not anywhere near as prevalent as modern machines, so they're harder to find. And finding one in working order is even more difficult.

Hmmm.. I think this varies a lot by where you live. I'm in a big city and if I put "sewing machine" into my Craig's List I get 50 or 60 listings, mostly older machines, better than half I'd be willing to test out & set up a beginning sewist with... The prices vary wildly (all those people who think their rust seized treadle is worth $1k :falls over laughing: ) but in general it's a matter of knowing where to look.

Shopping for vintage goods isn't like shopping for new things, if it's listed on-line somewhere, the person listing it either knows it's value is worth the cost of shipping, or (more commonly) they have an over inflated sense of it's value. It's when people don't think it's worth anything that they donate it to charity or list it on Craig's List for $50 in order to get someone else to remove that 40 pound dust collector. The Salvation Army nearest my home has at least two sewing machines for sale every time I go in, usually running & under $50.

Another advantage to thrift store machines is they will often let you test them in store, provided you bring your own fabric & thread.

[tsukeru]

Originally Posted by benihime

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-Se...-1034D/1723621

that is the one I got. I had to take it back once to walmart because it jammed but I was able to get a new one quickly

I got this machine and I haven't had any issues with it. One of the best Christmas presents that I ever got. I simply love it. I just wish I knew how to use more of it's features, but I learn every day when I use it.

[AmamiHaruka765]

Originally Posted by Sutie

I have the same Brother 1034D like most of everyone on here. It works great except ever since I've had it (brand new!) the under looper thread keeps breaking and I have to stop, rethread it, and start again. Sometime a few times before it goes smoothly.

Does anyone know what is causing this or how to fix it?

It still works great, just takes a lot of extra time to do a project.

Probably a tension problem. This happened to me a lot. Make sure your tension setting is appropriate for the thread you're using. 4 is best.

[zandratirith]

Originally Posted by Jantra

I'd like to be able to do more with stretch fabrics provided I have the ability.

The Brother ones you guys are talking about - how much did they run you?

I spent $250 on my Brother 1034D from Amazon about 1.5 years ago. Overall, it's been a great serger to have and I wished I purchased a serger years sooner. It doesn't do everything a 5-thread serger does but it still does a lot. The best part is the color coding makes threading easy. The reviews that I read about it is its a great machine to learn on but if you serge a lot (like professional basis) a more rugged machine would be better.

The only experience with using knits with it was I serged was many, many microfiber diaper inserts. Serging them was really easy. The only issue I had was the layers would shift as a serged so I ended pinning them together but I was doing 3-4 layers at once. (Microfiber is similar in thickness to a towel.) About a year and too many washes to count later, the serging on the inserts has held up well.

[Qu-ko]

The Brother 1034D was my first serger, and for anyone who's never tried it before, it's a good machine to learn on. Mine lasted a good four years before I had to replace it, and that was only because the timing was thrown off so badly that the lower looper wouldn't clear the upper looper anymore. I wound up investing in a more durable serger (an Elna, though I forget the specific model), but for the price, the Brother machine should serve well anyone just starting out.

Serging is a handy, handy thing, too. For finishing seams or even complicated things like stretchy finished edges or use with ruffles. If you plan on getting serious with cosplay and sewing in general, it's a great investment -- the initial frustration in learning to thread the damn thing is worth it, I swear.

(Protip: If you're changing thread color on a serger, don't take the old thread out and rethread it, just tie the end of the old thread to the new one and let the machine run until all threads have come through. If you do it right, it makes life a lot easier.)