SewExtremeSeams

Mine is 40 years old and still going strong. It does beautiful FMQing and easily sews through layers of denim. It was my main machine from 1975 until about 5 years ago but I still sew with it. My DGKs love sewing on it. Do you have the red case and everything that it came with? My vote would be to keep it BUT then, I am prejudice!

My daughters learned to sew on it, as well as my grandchildren.

miriam

I'll give you $10 for it if you don't want it...

SunlitenSmiles

Miriam is joking! how far is Roseville from Burbank....please let me know if you do decide to sell...but I really think you should use it a while first, just know you will love it.

RedGarnet222

I had the 830 as my machine for 30 some years. Then I bought a new bernina, and gave the 830 to my younger sister who had always said if I got rid of it she wanted it. It still was in perfect condition and sewed like a dream. Not one problem in all the years I had it. That is a lovely machine and at the time I gave her mine, they still were selling on e bay for as much as my hubby paid for it. About $1,200.00. This was about five years ago. Now the price is lower, but, like someone said condition is everything. I had bought lots of extra feet and kept up with the servicing, so it was a great gift.

Earlier this year I found an old bernina 730 secondhand, serviced it and gave it to my older sister. (That is the older best bernina model before yours) Once she started using it, she is a convert. They are real workhorses and make a perfect stitch, even the decorative built-in stitches are perfectly made. The 830 was the top of the line in it's time.

By the way, it is only a couple hours from me to go and get it if you are donating it to a good cause. I loved that machine!

purplefiend

The Bernina 830 Record is a very good machine, I wouldn't get rid of it. Give it a try, you might just fall in love with it.
Sharon in Texas

rjwilder

Thank you for all the information on the Bernina 830. I'm going to set it up and sew with it today and see what happens. I have two granddaughters but neither of them are interested in sewing. I tried several times to get them interested, they complete one project and that's it. I'd love for them to have this machine but they don't want it. They looked at me like I had the plague when I suggested it. Apparently they are workhorses and worth a few bucks.

Rodney

What the others said. It's worth keeping. I've sewn on other Berninas. They deserve their reputation for being great machines.
Rodney

steihy

I went pretty far to get a 830 after reading so much about it. It was my holy grail for a while, so even though the seller was open about "broken foot-pedal", I paid more than for any of my other vintage machines, about $150. I know, still a lot cheaper than what a good machine sells for, I thought I'd eventually come out ahead.


I set it up and found the machine working, but it needs manual starting help - the motor kind of stalls with current obviously running through it. You could see small sparks. I started to suspect the motor, and found two faulty segments on the commutator. It needs a new motor, and I still haven't ruled out possible problems with the control.


It ran well enough to test all the functions, and I fully understand the following this machine has. It sews beautifully, with a very nice sound and feel even though I haven't applied any tlc yet and it had been idle for years. All the functions work, including the buttonholer, flick the levers and go.


Mine is the Record Electronic where speed is regulated entirely with the foot control, as opposed to the Record with a high/low switch on the machine. Electronic controls are expensive, ($175-200), while a generic foot control can be had for $20. I think you're lucky if yours is plain. I ran my findings by an old sm mechanic, and he told me he had found more commutator problems in the 830 series than in any other make or brand! This is limited to the 230 V motors of course, and may not be an issue with 110 V.


I guess what I'm really trying to say is that if your machine is sound electrically, the 830 is definitely a keeper.


Stay addicted