Originally Posted by
Sewnoma
Well you won't get much disagreement from me! These steel machines are amazing, they'll last long after I'm dust. I'm fond of Janome too, my modern machines are all Janome and I haven't had trouble with any of them. Much as I love my vintage darlings and enjoy sewing on them, my Janome 6600 is my workhorse. But I also know that one of these years the electronic brain is going to have problems and render the machine useless, while my vintage machines will still be as functional as they were they day they were made.
I'm sorry you got a dud, though!! I won't buy any old/vintage machine that has a plastic body, and I TRY not to get any that have plastic gears. The plastic simply can't take the decades of wear and aging like the metal can. But I also think that some day 3D printers will be cheaper and able to print metal, and those plastic-geared machines will become a lot more appealing.
is there a cut off date, for when the metal started changing to plastic?? like,,,, no good ones after (whatever date....1962 or whatever............)????? that way, we would know NOT to buy it if its made after 19?? whatever year............any suggestions about that? thanks so much for letting me pick your brain here..............