Sewing machines - fix or buy new?

[joeranger]

Hey guys,
Sewing is a mystery to me. My wife has an old Singer Merritt 4538. I thought about buying a new one, but a woman at the craft store said "they don't make them like they used to, better off having it tuned up"
A tune up is $145. A basic new machine is $150. A high end computerized embroidery one was on sale for $699.

I would not use it much. I use hot glue to avoid having to sew. Mixed results.

 

[collinE83]

I bought a $50 Brother sewing machine earlier this year for my son's Deadpool costume and was 100% satisfied with its 15-20 stitches and basic accessories. Maybe someone who's been sewing long enough to appreciate the subtleties in old vs new would rather have an old one, but I hadn't sewed since making a pillow in middle school 20 years ago and really appreciated a simple, lightweight machine that I didn't have to invest time or money into.

That's just my own inexperienced opinion, though. I may be getting head shakes from veteran sewers on here.

 

[Rogviler]

I've got an old solid metal Singer myself. If you get them fixed up by the right person (usually look for a dark, dusty store that's been there 40 years) then they're a dream. And they're made to be fixed. Anything new and plastic is made to be thrown out. If they're not set up right though, you'd want to throw it through the window. If you could lift it.

And I'll admit that my favorite part of mine is that it's the kind that's attached to and folds down into a small table, so I get extra table space without having to lug the machine out of a closet when I need it. So I can see the appeal of a plastic one if you'll have to pack it around.

I'd go with what's going to get you into it. If you dread using it then you won't. Definitely read reviews on a new machine though.

-Rog

 

[6644Invader]

As Rogviler said, they don't build them like they used to. The old ones have mostly or all metal internal parts and are very difficult to break. They will run forever with little maintenance. A newer machine likely will have some some computerized components which can easily help you complete otherwise difficult tasks. The downside to some of these (especially on the cheaper end) is they have a lot of plastic or nylon parts which do wear down more quickly than the metal ones and the UI can be cumbersome. Do your research and decide what you want. There is no reason you can't have two; I do.

 

[Gimpdiggity]

A couple of things...

I'm not sure a 4538 is one of the era that falls into "not made like they used to" type of category. Im having trouble getting an exact manufacture date for that model, but it's body is primarily plastic...so it doesn't fall into that "it's made of metal" category, though it's frame may be.

Second...does it even NEED a tune up? You didn't really state whether it functions or not. If you're only going to be using it sparsely, it's entirely possible you don't need a new one OR need to have the 4538 tuned up. Thread a needle and give it a shot, it may suit your needs just fine as is.

Finally...although $699 might seem like a "high end" machine, it's really not. High end is the Husqvarna embroidery/sewing unit that I got to play around with at JoAnn two weeks ago. It was on sale...for $14,999...or $283 per month for 60 months. Yikes. It was, however, completely amazing.

For what it's worth, I've been using a Singer 4423 since 2011 with zero issues. It's been used on some pretty heavy materials, as well, for puppets that I used to make. I wouldn't hesitate at all to recommend it to someone...it's been a great basic machine.

https://www.amazon.com/4423-Extra-High-Machine-Stainless-Bedplate/dp/B003VWXZQ0

 

[Darth Lars]

Operation is everything. If you are used to the machine that you have and it works fine for you, then use it!

For me, manual dials and levers are always the best. The simpler a machine is made, the simpler it is to get a feel for and operate. No badly designed UI that can confuse you.
I got a brand new sewing machine as a birthday present and I have to lean down to see what I am doing because the top of it with lots of buttons is too bulky. I can not even see all of the buttons because some of them are on a surface that is leaning forwards.
It was obviously not designed to be used by tall guys. I did not have that problem with my mom's old 1960's machine that had all those controls on the right side.
The first thing I was going to do with it was of course to spool a bobbin and the machine would not let me: it just beeped at me. Apparently, I had to first lift the presser foot for some inexplicable reason. That was not in the user manual and it took a while of frustrating trial-and-error before I found out.

 

[joeranger]

Found another good "thread" Thanks everyone.

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=132997

 

[Borg69]

My mother is quite the seamstress, and I've learned from her over the years is a sewing machine is like a car.

If you want a good one that will last and do the mileage, you have to buy a good one, AND you have to have it serviced regularly.
OIL all those moving parts and clean it out. Take it in to be fully serviced every 10,000 miles.

 

[mdb]

Don't bother with a tune up! Generally speaking machines that age can be maintained at home. I paid that much and it turns out all I needed to do was figure out where the oil needed to go (we are talking about a machine that needed oil dropped into about six spots on the outside!) and that the bobbin and upper thread tension needed tweaking.

I would though usually recommend something with a stretch stitch. Triple lock. This is the biggest revolution in home machines. Zig zag is really easy, it goes back to even chainstitch days, but the triple stitch basically does two steps forward one step back and that creates a seam that genuinely stretches vertically. So that means gears under the feed dogs pushing the fabric forwards and backwards under the foot (zig zag is the needle moving sideways.)

And whatever anyone says about zigzag being all you need, heck no. It is generally recommended for plain knits, and to hem them. It was never meant for spandex!

Anyway, once you have the triple stitch you also get decent decorative stitches that also stretch and they can be great for finishing hems in a way that doesn't scream home made

But yeah, I have a Janome, and it's the same one I mentioned here: http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=33403&p=435876&viewfull=1#post435876 and yes, I have maintained and restored it Got the reverse to work again too.
Janome/New Home SW-2018E
http://zigzaggers.typepad.com/zigzaggers/2008/04/janomenew-home.html
(Same issue I had with reverse so I think it's an issue of the few plastic parts wearing out, but as said I managed to fix mine )

So basically think of a muscle car and how you need a bit of mechanical knowhow and the model specifics and you can make them last for decades. Newer machines are more like newer cars and generally not built to last and are a lot more complicated.