Originally Posted by miriam
I don't know what Janome I had. It was new in 1998 or so and I barely used it - it was a moderately price piece - it had a few bells and whistles but it wouldn't sew anything very heavy. I had a hard time making it stop where I wanted it to - drove me nutty. It had some kind of whimpy button hole maker foot that I couldn't make button holes as good as I would have liked. I finally got rid of it. I have a quilt top somewhere I pieced on it so it must have been good for something.
I've tested a lot of different machines I will say that. There ain't a new one out there worth 2 cents as far as I am concerned. I messed with some Necchi machines and a couple Vikings. The Vikings were ok but I just never really bonded. The Necchi machines vary wildly - some were ok and some not so much. Some machines have the nose sticking out too far and make it hard to see. Makes my neck hurt. Then I found a Singer 401G in the garbage - it was a mess. My sister insisted that I make the thing work. I think she double dared or something. I did - it took a lot of research and trial and error. I used 3 in 1 oil on it. Talk about stuck up cam shaft selectors!!! I found a 403 and fell in love with it while I was working on the 401G. I had an Elna SU I was very bonded to before I burned out the motor too many times and tried to fix that. I found another Elna after 20 years... I also use a Consew walking foot for anything tough. That thing might sew through a board for all I know - just needs the right needle I guess. My favorite right now is a Singer 403 with all the disks and a bunch of attachments. I like it because it is simple. It does what I tell it to do. I can see what I am doing. It is tough. The decorative stitches look good. I can fix it my self. It is easy to keep the bobbin area clean. The gears are metal. You can peak inside at the bobbin to know how much thread is on the bobbin. My Elna kept breaking gears and burning out the motor. I'll admit when I sew I sew hard enough to kill a machine. The vintage Singer machines seem to hold up better than anything else I've had. I have tested Touch and Sews - they are good for parts and/or land fill. I think anything newer than them is probably junk too. I had a Pfaff for a while and a Bernina. They were ok but I never bonded. I never bonded with the other Viking I had - probably mid 80's piece.
My old machines feel so solid and stitch so well..
Miriam, I have a new modern - only a few years old Janome - that I loved until I got into the vintage machines a couple years ago. I admit I have not sewn on the Janome for a year. I also have a very modern new Pfaff embroidery machine, and a very modern only a few years old HQ 16 Long Arm on a 10 foot table that I use all the time still. These machines all have a purpose and I do like them when I use them. But, like you since I started piecing on the vintage ladies, my Free #5, my Two Spools, and doing FM on my 15-88, binding on my Davis Vertical Feed, etc., all treadles, I don't use the modern Janome. But, I do use the Pfaff embroidery machine and my modern Long Arm. There still is a need for the modern plastic things at times! But, I do agree with you, I really perfer the treadles - even over my FW's - although, I use the FW's alot because I take lots of classes and I can't take a treadle to class! I am not wild about my HC's. I perfer a treadle!
Nancy