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[Rain Miko]

I have decided today that my White machine is a piece of crap and needs to be replaced. So I was looking at different Singer machines, and I came across this:

http://joanns.com/catalog.jhtml;$sessionid$Y4POB3QAAGTDAP4SY5KRIHR50 LD3UEPO?CATID=107093&PRODID=130736

Has anybody used this machine before? The reviews sound great on it, I just want to know if you guys think it's decent quality and worth the price.

[HyperrrMouse]

I haven't tried it, sorry, but I wanted to offer a small bit of thought on the matter.

I'd be careful when buying Singer, since the company no longer manfactures machines. I chose to get a different brand because i was worried that if my singer broke, needed repairs, cleaning etc that it would become increasingly difficult to get said repairs as parts ran out or as people lost training in the repairs of them. I know, that's looking extremely long term, so there's more than a good chance you'll be fine. Also since I've been out of the loop, and out of the country, there may be a chance singer returned to their senses and are manufactoring sewing machines again, so double check that bit of info if you believe that the concerns I mentioned are concerns you too would have.

Good luck, and sorry i couldn't offer advice on that particular machine.

[Pretty Sammy]

Well, this is going to sound rather silly, but I own a VERY old Singer that belonged to my Mom and Aunt. It's probably 30-40 years old and still works like a charm. Singer is definitely a good brand; if not that, I'd suggest Bernina. My sister uses one of those.

[tsuoi_kaze]

Originally Posted by Rain Miko

I have decided today that my White machine is a piece of crap and needs to be replaced.

i'm pretty sure we used to have an old singer (like, 1950's old) and it worked great!

then my grandmother got a new sewing machine and gave us her old one which was newer than ours, so we gave it away.

now we have a white....in short, IT SUCKS!!!!!!!! i've tried voodoo/meditating/alchemy...to get rid of the white sewing machine curse, but it won't go away.

i'm definately hoping to get a new one...but the white would literally have to die before that happens.

[Crazy Flower]

They say, the best sewing machines aren't made anymore. I've heard bad stories about Whites. I would recommend a Kenmore, which has done me well for almost a year.

[Golden Eyed Dol]

I wouldn't go for that machine, if I were you. Paying only 200 for a machine with that many different stitches is bound to get you into trouble. Singer and all of the less expensive brands use plastic parts inside the machine, so if you plan to use the machine at all heavily (and that includes heavy weight fabrics, not just excessive use), there is a good chance the machine will break. You are better off spending the same amount of money on a higher quality machine with fewer functions. Personally, I would NEVER buy a machine that doesn not state clearly that it has all metal parts. If you can afford one, viking is THE best brand, anthough Bernina's are pretty good too. Its the closest you can come to an industrial machine without actually going out and buying an industrial to use at home. I have the platinum 750(? The quilt one, WAY outside the price range I'm thinking youare looking at, but just so you can look it up if you want), and I've used two other people's, and I prefer it to most of the industrial machines in the costume shop. A good rule of thumb is that if it weighs alot less tha you expected, it's probably not a very good machine. Mine weighs about 30 lbs.

Just for comparison, I looked at viking machines to find one that is similar to the singer. I think the Scandinavia 200 is pretty close, and it gos for about 600. Also, make note that the high end brands usually have an economy line that is actually not made by the same manufacturer. Usually these line are X by so and so company. Vikings Huskystar line is one such example, as is Bernina's Bernette line.

[Yumeko]

Rain Miko, I know you do commissions and becuase of this, I would not recommend getting a Singer. If anything, I would recommend investing in either a Viking, Bernina, Jerome, or something with a more solid construction. Though I would say Viking if you are looking for an embrodery machine.

www.Sewvacdirect.com has some good prices and warranties on many different brands of machines

(Please pardon my spelling, right now I am really tired and in fact half asleep)

[SkippingSith]

I use a Brother XL3500, and quite honestly, it can take at least 8 hours of sewing daily (including routine maintenance--changing needles, cleaning out lint and such), and keeps on ticking. It was about 200$. Whatever the machine is, get it serviced at least once a year, no matter how much or little you use it, and if you use it heavily, get it serviced on a more frequent schedule just to keep everything in working order. Pfaff is also a good brand of machine--they can take just about anything you throw at it. I wish I remembered the catalogue number; I was searching for a new machine and at my local SewVac, they're also a Pfaff dealer, so they had one that literally went through five layers of denim and then two layers of sheer without changing any settings. It was spectacular.

[AlphaNinn]

I have that same machine. I LOVE it.

I've only had it since Christmas, but it puts up with what I do to it, I've had no trouble with it other than me being stupid and putting a little cosmetic damage on the clear plastic bobbin cover. I've gotten it to go through quite a few layers by slowing it down, too.

So, yeah. I guess I'd recommend it, because it's worked nicely for me.

[Rain Miko]

Ok, thank you everyone! From what I heard, I'll look at some of the Brother/Viking machines first, since I tend to do alot of 'heavy' sewing (can we say 4+yards of pleather and vinyl?)