Is this a good deal or not? I don't know!
 

My hubby and I went to a yard sale today and saw a serger for sale. it is an Ez Lock and has EZ100 on the machine. It worked, or at least it sewed a chain and was still threaded with a lot of thread on the spools. I didn't have any material to try it with, but did make a chain with it. It is in a soft zippered plastic case with carrying handles and has the instruction book with it, and is old enough that the plastic on the machine is turning yellow. I got it for $30.00. Is this a good deal? Or did I get taken. I know nothing about the sergers at all , except how the stitching looks when sewn.
Next question! Will I use it a lot? What will I use it for????
Thanks for any and all help!

I think you got a great deal. I would google the make / model and pay the price for a manual if it didn't come with one. Have fun with it!

I don't know anything about the machine you got, but I would guess at $30.00 and it works? You did good :) I'm just a quilter, not a seamstress at all, so I can 't answer the how often will you use it question.

I think you got a great deal!! I do not own one but borrow my mom's.

Ummm! Yes you did!! The serger at Walmart sells for about $200.00.

I use my serger to serge around my finished quilt tops if I am sending them out to be quilted. My friend uses hers for piecing. I think you will find many uses for it. Oh my friend says she uses it to trim her quilted quilt before putting on binding. It finishes the edges so its easier to put on binding. I may try this one.

Well, I've heard that the hardest thing to do with a serger is to thread it, and it was threaded and does sew. I looked in the book that came with it, and it also told to cut the threads and then tie on the new ones.
I have 3 grand daughters, 4 and twins 2, and plan to make them a lot of doll clothes and thought this would be a good way to finish the seams on them. I also have made the oldest one a doll quilt that they all play with and can see using the serger as a good way to make some for the others that would hold up.
Thanks, I'll google the model and see what I can find on it.

Well, I googled it and only found where I can get a manual for it, which I don't need, and an old post from someone in 2004 asking about it too. I don't know if she got any responses about it there either. She was looking for the manual, and at least I have that with mine. I dont' think I'd have bought it without one.
Any one have one of these, probably ancient machines?

Janis,

I think you got a very good deal. Not familiar with the brand, but the price is sure good. I think you'll use it a lot with the Grands.

Yes, threading is complicated, but it is do-able. It just takes patience (sometimes I don't have a lot!) and persistence.

I just finished making satin capes for two of my Grands; used my serger for finishing the edges. It worked great!

Have fun with your new toy!

If you make knit clothes they are great, use fabric that ravels you can surge the edges, and some have used them for quilts I have not used it that way.I used mine a lot when I was sewing for the grand kids grandson loved my t-shirts I made for him because I made the neck opening larger.

Oh yes, it'd be great for finishing the play dress up clothes. I hadn't thought of that. Anything that I didn't want to take time to hem up for play things would be great.
Another thing that my oldest grand kids would like to try.
Nicholas is 6, 7 in Aug. and loves to try the sewing machine when I'm there using the cheap Singer one I got for his mother several years ago. She doesn't use it, but I do when we are there.
I got a FW a few weeks ago and want to take that up for them to see. He and Lauren 4, 5is Sept, will love the size of it! Couldn't you just see it.....My back seat of the car filled with sewing machines to show them???
Am I apt to want a rolling case for the serger? It's heavy. I have one for each of my other machines. Does it deserve one too>

I would be dancing for joy if I could find this kind of a deal on a serger!
Older machines are awesome :D:D:D

I just got an older model serger but I can't figure out how to get it to serger without trimming the edge. Can anyone tell me?
Angie

It does work!!! But I had a time getting it to do so. First I needed to re-thread part of it, as it was done wrong. Could that be why the woman didn't keep it herself?? Then I needed to put in another needle as it just had one in it. Can it work with just one? I don't know. I now know why one needs some TWEEZERS with the machine. I got it threaded OK without them, but in trying to put the needle in, I dropped it and it went down in the hole and I tried to get it out from the bottom and then the top with my tweezers. Finally, I took off the foot and had more room to work with ... and then the needle dropped down in to the base of the machine a couple of times before I FINALLY got it screwed tightly in. Now I need to get it a brush to clean the dust in the bottom inside of the threading places, probably need to oil it, I have oil from my FW I can use, I need more needles, a SMALL screwdriver as I used the end of my bodkin I had with another machine as a screwdriver as the two I had with that machine were too big. I need to get a little box to keep all of these things in. Does that mean a trip to Joann's?

I've discovered something more. It has a little storage compartment in the area that swings out to make it a free arm machine. At the bottom of that space, I found the two screw drivers that go with it and also the extra plate for the rolled hem or what ever it is for. I discovered that I can use just one needle and sew with that and three threads. Boy! I've learned a lot today! Now to sew something meaningful with it.

I think you got a good deal.

serger
 

You may be able to move the upper knife up? also just keep the fabric to the left more and Barely trim the edge or not.I do that

I think sergers are used to make underwear, knit tops, swimsuits, leggings, all sorts of things. If there is a fabric store in your area that sells knits, you will have fun making all kinds of easy clothing.

There ought to be a way to disengage the knife. However, the serger stitches always look better if you let it trim a little off the edge.

On my old serger, you push the knife towards the machine and then it can swing up out of the way.

If you make any clothes, you will use your serger to finish the inside edges. Bags, too. You can serge the inside seams on those zipper pouches. The serger seams are not sturdy enough to stand on their own as seams, but they are great for finishing seam edges so they don't ravel

Although I am not familiar with that model of serger, I feel that $30 for a used serger that was so easy to use by a beginner is a great buy. I have several of the older sergers, but not one that can have the knife dis-engaged. I bought my first one because my sister was sewing so many little dance constumes for her daughter using the same brand. I should have had a costume because I danced around it for months before getting up enough nerve to start using it. I took some classes in it's use at the junior college. While we students sewed, the instructor was whipping out lingerie as Christmas gifts, half slips and panties.
Once you get comfortable with it, you will wonder what took you so long to get one. Check your public library for some books on using sergers.