Originally Posted by Rebie
I'd like everyone's input. I need to buy a new sewing machine. Right now I have a Singer I bought at Wal-Mart for $89. It's not cutting it for quilting. I'm wanting to machine quilt my own stuff. I have a queen size quilt that I tried to put through it. Bad idea, it was way too thick to fit through the machine.
I'd like something fairly simple to use, that I can machine quilt with up to a king size. I figure on spending around $500. What do you think? What brand is best? Does it matter? Singer? Janome? Is one supposed to be better than the other? Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
Personally, I'd get a old Singer 15-91 machine. And here is why I'd buy an old Singer machine of that type, over a new machine. <drum roll please........kim's Top 12 List! >
1. Price. The black Singer 15-91's can be had for anywhere from FREE to $250 if they are reconditioned and serviced by a sew shop. Beats the $1,000's of $$ a 'quilting machine' from Janome, Babylock, or others. (oh, and I HAVE both a Janome and a Babylock machine... they are great but cost as much as my CAR).
2. The Singer 15-91 is all metal, everything. gears too. So there are no plastic parts to wear out. Newer machines strain to push the needle through even 4 or 5 layers. When I'm putting a binding on my quilt, I'm going through 7 or 8 layers of fabric. The old Singers will do that, because the all metal gear ratio's were built to do that. Kinda like the difference in pulling a boat and trailer behind a Honda civic or a Yukon. lol.
3. The Singer 15-91, uses a slightly larger bobbin (means more thread on it, less bobbin changes). But the best part is that it's a vertical bobbin feed (bobbin goes in so that it's vertical, not laying down horizontally). That means that to actually create the lock stitch, the thread does NOT have to make an extra 90 turn. The horizontal drop in (top load) bobbins have to take that extra thread turn and it makes a difference in the quality of the quilting. The 15's stitches are tighter and more balanced.
4. The Singer 15-91 has a single screw on the bottom that when turned, drops the feed dogs. Easy. (Please note, that not all black Singers are 15-91's. Singer made several black models, so be sure you're getting what you want.)
5. Price. Did I mention price?
6. The all metal machines need to be oiled with sewing machine oil (available at any sew shop, Joannes, Walmart, etc. for $2). The metal gears need to be lubed. The oil does not get on your cloth. The Singer 15-91 is totally user servicable. You do you own lub, your own oiling and your own cleaning of it. No costly visits to the sew shop, for a yearly overhaul of your machine (unless you choose to, of course.) You cannot kill them, they are built like tanks.
7. The Singer 15-91 IS a tank. It weighs a 30lbs or so. You can use it in a cabinet (best way) or by setting in on top of a surface. That weight is GREAT for Free Motion quilting. If you're doing a Queen/King sized quilt, the machine will NOT budge! You can push the quilt all around and up to it, and the machine's weight is enough to balance it out/handle it. No 'machine' walking while trying to quilt! Ask me how I know!
8. The Singer 15-91 has an incredible amount of harp space. Much more so than most regular machines. From needle to column is between 8 and 9"! And the height is great too. You can get a big ol quilt under there no problem. Roll it or not, your choice. Flip the 'tail' over your shoulder and GO.
9. The 15-91 takes a regular sized needle (15 x 1). Use any regular ol needle you want. It has a friction bobbin winder too.
10. The old singers have the straightest, most even straight stitch you've ever seen. I mean, really even. I have two 15-91's and both of them sew a better stitch than my Janome computerized machine! No zig zag though. Of the Singer 15 series, the 15-91 had the totally enclosed motor (no belts) and also had a true reverse stitch. Some of the earlier 15's did not have reverse.
11. They are just cool to sew on.
12. Oh yeah... the price! You can find them in excellent condition for next to nothing!
When I picked up my first 15-91... I bought it and it's mahogany cabinet for $125. Then I was too scared to fix the electric in it (always a good idea to replace the wires in the machine that old). It's a really simple task to do, but I didn't think I could. So I had the sewing shop do it. They charged me $100 to 'clean' it and do a 'motor service'. Since then I found the tutorials on cleaning, etc. here on this board! Now I do it myself for nothing!
My latest 15-91 I got from a thrift store for $20. Needed new wires. (easy fix). Needed to be cleaned. (easy fix). Needed to be oiled (easy fix)! Now, it PURRS. I haven't FMQ'd on that one yet, but it's just as good a stitcher as the other one. I've sewn car seat leathers and boat canvas on it. lol.