hi there, i bought my serger b4 1990(i seem to remember), it was a Singer Quantamlock and i used it a lot. I sewed lots of kids clothes using only that. I also had a reg maching but preferred using the serger. I made tee shirts and used it to put ribbing on neck, sleeves and bottoms. Maybe you should try one out at Joannes before buying to see if you like it.