Army wife in Hawaii asked:
I have always wanted to get a sewing machine, and I’m finally getting one after wanting one for 18 years. I usually hand sew everything, so i’m finally looking to get a nice machine, no more than $200 for a beginner sewer. Any suggestions? Anyone know about the sewing machines they sell at Walmart? I live in Hawaii, so my store options are limited. Any help would be great! Thanks!
Anyone have any opinion on the Bother or Singer lines?
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8 responses so far ↓
1 tiiffatiiny // Oct 25, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Embroidery Machines
well this may sound weird… but get a kids sowing machine…
seriosly i meen even barbie ones work!
=]
pick for best answer plz! and plz answer my questions!!!
2 ewe2lamb // Oct 26, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Embroidery Machines
Go to the sewing centers where they sell machines, for example Bernina or Janome. Try out some of the machines on display to get a feel for what you are getting into.
Your $$$ amount is so low you will need ot go to a repair shop and look for a machine that has been traded in or refurbished.
I paid over $2000 for my machine about 35 years ago. It has been so totally worth the payments we made on it. I am expecting it to last for the rest of my sewing career.
You might want to rethink the funding and go for a bit more expense and get maybe a better machine to start with.
3 drip // Oct 27, 2009 at 3:08 am
Embroidery Machines
I would really recommend going to a sewing machine store. They will give you free lessons on how to use the machine you buy. They should have used models there.
It can be very frustrating to use a sewing machine, especially as a beginner. Having someone teach you how to use your machine will only help you use it more. And if you run into any trouble or have questions you have somewhere to turn to.
4 motroo // Oct 29, 2009 at 10:54 am
Embroidery Software
I would recommend a SINGER brand. you can get them at Walmart for under $200.00 and they are a good reliable brand.They’ve been around for a very long time. I would recommend also one that doesn’t have all the gadgets and buttons, just a simple machine if you are starting out.
5 Pouf // Oct 29, 2009 at 11:19 am
Sewing Machine
I would say go to a sewing machine store for the support, but given your budget that is truly unrealistic. I started with a $150 Brother machine from Walmart. Boy was it a piece of crap. I thought I wasn;t a very good seamstress until I got my new machine and found out it was the machine that sucked so bad. In your price range, I’d recommend getting a Kenmore machine from Sears. They also sell good quality presser feet. Good luck!
6 thejanith // Nov 1, 2009 at 1:28 am
sewing machine software
I would personally recommend a simple machine for your first one. I have used fancy ones with tons of stitch functions I never touched and I have used simple ones where I used what the machine had to offer, and I’ve used the middle-line ones as well. (I’ve worked as a costumer for summer theatre for many years and have consequently used many machines.) I currently have a simple Brother machine I bought from WalMart with my tax refund 5 years ago. It was their cheapest model. It was just under $100.- at that time. It goes forward, back, straight, and zigzag. I make most of my own clothes, and have done so for years. Sometimes I use it a lot and sometimes not. As long as I keep it cleaned and oiled (read the manual; it’ll explain how and when to do this) it runs like a top. It does everything I need it to do.
My previous machine was a 20-year-old Singer which also ran just fine. (I bought it used and then had to sell it in my last move, but it still worked fine.) Singer machines need to be oiled more often, some as often as after every 4 hours of sewing. Keep it cleaned and oiled, however, and it’ll run just fine.
Does Hawaii have JoAnn Fabrics stores? If so, check there, too. Sign up for their online flyer and you’ll be able to tell when they are having good sales on the sewing machines. A friend got a $400.- machine for $200.- there a couple of years ago, just by watching their ads. They also have less expensive models. If you’re going to pay $150.- for something, you may as well get one that retails for $200- to $250.- if you can for that same amount of money. They often have White and/or Simplicity machines, both of which are fine makes.
Almost any machine will serve you well if you take good care of it (cleaning and oiling regularly, for one thing.) Simpler models are easier to maintain by yourself, by the way. Fancy stuff has to be serviced by a trained technician all too often.
Please feel free to email me with more questions if you have them. Click on my avatar for an email link. I’m glad you’re getting a sewing machine.
7 Rick // Nov 1, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Sewing Machine
Hi, I am a sewing machine tech and collector. I would not advise anyone to buy a cheap plastic machine from any MegaMart type store. especially if you might be sewing regularly. There are so many older machines soooo much better for little costs. Take a look at your local Craigslist.org or thrift shop, yard sales etc. and find yourself a machine that is pre-1980. Most of these machines have steel gears and parts that are not about to break from everyday use (stay away from Singer Touch & Sew’s). Many are fine machines. Vikings, Pfaffs, Elnas and Berninas are examples of higher end machines but Kenmores, Singers and others are probably easier to find. Normally a good used machine where nothing is broken can be found for under $50.00 then just figure in another $50 to $75 to have it thoroughly gone through (cleaned, oiled and adjusted) by a sewing machine repair guy. Most sewing machine dealers have one or just check your Yellow Pages. Usually a technician will always know where or have used machines available or advise you on what to look for. A top of the line used machine from many years ago is so much better (and maybe heavier) than new cheap ones.
A nice used basic sewing machine is not hard to use at all. If you find one without a manual its easy to get a manual by just searching here on line for 10 -15 dollars.
Good luck to you. Now start looking and you will see many good machines.
8 Kate D // Nov 5, 2009 at 6:12 am
Embroidery Machines
First read this:
Then visit a proper sewing machine shop and talk to an engineer who mends the things rather than a sales droid. Tell them whet you want to sew, and look at pre-loved machines. Don’t buy anything new and plastic for that kind of money: it’ll last about 5 minutes (if you are lucky!). There ARE a few OK ones out there at that price, but you don’t know how to judge that yet, and they are hard to find.
I wouldn’t buy a new Singer at present. Singer no longer make machines: they are all bought in from the far east and badged. The last decent one they did in that price was the Singer 117 Featherweight II (I looked long and hard at a lot of this type and bought one for my mum). It doesn’t like heavy fabrics, can’t cope with denim, but was fine as a granny’s light weight machine. NOT what you want if you think you might sew curtain fabric or turn up jeans hems…
Brother in that price bracket are equally patchy.
Look for a nice used Frister & Rossman, Elna, Pfaff, Husqvarna or Bernina pre-loved mechanical machine.
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