Do I want a serger???
 

I have a chance to buy a used Husqvarna Viking Serger mjodel 905 for $400, with a box of feet. I have never used one and thought I don't need one, but my DH says I should check it out! I piece quilt and do some sewing for my grandchildren. Should I be using a serger to piece my quilt tops? Seems like extra work (?) Thanks for any help and insight you can give me. This is a great group for information and help!

Try threading it before you plunk down the money. That causes more concern and frustration among serger owners. I have a Babylock with the jet air threading system. I gave my Bernina away because of the threading issues. Personally I would never use it for a quilt other than some charity quilts that I have specific patterns for. I like accuracy in my quilting and that involves ripping out sometimes! Not easy with a serger! Plus the serger cuts off the seam allowance.

I know some people will want to throw rocks at me... BUT, I had a used serger given to me. It sat there for almost a year with me not even wanting to give it a try. So, I passed it on.

I love my serger, but I have never used it for quilting. Some say it would make the seams too bulky. I cannot even count the numbers of items I have used it for ~ sewing clothes, nice finish for hems etc. It can be cranky at times when threading (or maybe I get cranky threading it!) but it comes with practice.

I love my serger. It is my second. My first one was a nightmare because of the threading and tension issues. Once you got it set right you sure didn't want to change it! Unfortunately you need to change it to do rolled hems, which I love. I now have a Baby Lock with the jet air threading and am IN LOVE!!! Let me tell you that I have only done one quilt on it, but scant 1/4 inch wasn't an issue with this one. I know you can measure and accurately mark where your 1/4' is to your left needle and do a good job, just haven't done it. I love it for seams on clothing and you will love it for your grandchildren's sewing. I have the Imagine and would love to get the Evolve, which has so much more for me to use - just cannot afford to do that now. You should try the serger, have the threading explained and try it. If it is too hard, it WILL be hard. Save for a Baby Lock instead. You may even want to check out a Baby Lock so you can see the difference. Good Luck

I have one I use very infrequently. I almost never use it for quilting. I can really live without it especially when it comes to threading and adjusting the tensions. The older ones are particularly hard to thread. AS one responder said .. try threading it before purchasing. The only reason I have one is it was a hand me down.

Someone gave me a serger as well. Never used it and passed it on.

I have two sergers, an older Bernina and a Babylock Evolve. Neither of them make me totally happy. I love how the Bernina stitches and how you can control the width of the stitch, but I have to fiddle with threading and the tension knobs. The Babylock is self threading and no tension knobs, but the stitches fall off the edge of the fabric...they will tell you it doesn't or that you aren't stitching correctly, but it does. Just look at a sample of its stitches at the store, and you can see that they aren't snugged up next to the fabric. This is a particular problem when going around curves. And the space to the right of the needle is very small. Now, they say that these problems are solved with the newest model, the Bablylock Evolution, but I haven't seen it. I would not use it for quilting because of the problems others have mentioned and it is next to impossible to get a quarter inch stitch width without changing some of the settings. I know some people use their serger for just about everything, but finishing edges or doing a rolled hem is about all I use it for. I think they now have an attachment for sewing machines that has a cutting blade so that it does the same thing on edges that a serger does, but I haven't seen that in use yet.

The Huskylock 905, being a fairly recent serger, isn't going to be dreadful to thread, but will take some practice before you feel like it's "easy". There is a definite adjustment going from one needle, one thread and thread path, to 3-4 thread paths and 2 needles! There are serger quilt patterns. I use mine less than my sewing machine,and haven't used it for quilts as of yet, tho' there is a shop here that teaches several serger projects a year and one is always a quilt! It's another tool in the sewing room if you do home decor -- especially nice for pillow cases! -- and if you sew garments -- it's the go-to machine for knits, as well as seams in woven fabrics, overcasting and seaming at the same time eliminating the fraying common after washing homemade items. The Baby Lock automatic threading is wonderful, no ifs ands or buts, and the cost is appropriate for the technology you are buying. Check out some utubes on serging -- then decide! The Crafty beginning serging class would be helpful if you decide to purchase any serger.

I have a simple Brother serger, no problems threading, and it gets used for clothing and home dec projects. That said it hasn't been out for a few months! If I had space to leave it set up I would do more with it.