WesternWilson

Whatever you buy, it helps a lot if you have a good machine tech around to send your machine in for a tune up every year or two. A good tech can keep your machine in tip top condition for a lot longer.

ckcowl

A life time
i have a 1956 singer that sews like a dream and I have a 20 year old Viking( bought new 20 years ago) I expect it to last forever. It might not, but I try to take care of it so it will last me as long as I’m still sewing. I find the idea of having to purchase a new machine very daunting. My Longarm I did upgrade/ buy a new one 5 or 6 years ago. Now I’m hoping that is it- will last the rest of my life

maryb119

I have a Singer treadle machine that is over 10 years old and it sews beautifully. I also have a Pfaff that I bought in 1996 and it's going strong too. My ICON is less than a year old and I sew almost every day on it. I don't think the electronic machines will last 100 years like the treadle machine has but they are made with plastic parts and not metal ones.

tropit

I love old, solid, sewing machines that are made of metal and do not have any computer electronics. Almost all of my machines are older then me, (I qualify for Medicare,) and still going strong. I have a 1910 Singer treadle and many other machines from that date on. I love the mechanical nature of my machines...the way they move, the gleam of the metal and definitely the way that they sew. I'm able to maintain them myself, although they never need it, so there are no expensive repair bills.

Still Sew N

Such an interesting topic. I love all my machines, vintage and computerized. My first computerized machine was a Janome Memory Craft 3500 that I bought in 2003. Still use her and she is still going strong. My big plunge was the Janome 9400 and I just love all the bells and whistles - automatic thread cutter, low bobbin indicator, lights - all of it make it a real treat to sew. However, I am 64 so if my computerized machine bites the dust, I will probably buy another. If I were younger, would I make the same decision? I don't know. My 1936 Singer Featherweight has a slogan - You could use it for a lifetime, give it to your daughter and then to her daughter. In this day and age, there probably is not a machine that could even begin to compare to that slogan. Those vintage machines are just amazing.

Lalla

I’ve got a 1930s Singer that belonged to my mother, and a 1905 chain stitch machine that belonged to my ex-mother-in-law’s mother who had it in Burma!! I don’t think any such machine exists now, does it? It’s a funny little round thing, like a sort of wheel. It only does chain stitch. My ex-mother-in-law’s sister, aged in her early twenties, made on it a dress for herself to go to a ball. She walked out onto a sort of gallery overlooking the ballroom, where guests were formally announced, caught a hem on something and unravelled the whole thing, and stood there in her underwear, threw out her arms and said “Well, here I am!!!”
I now own a relatively ancient Juki TL98P and am about to take the plunge and acquire either the 2010Q or the 2200QVP Mini, but here in Hong Kong the finding of a UK machine - HK has the same voltage/plug system as the UK but the machines come from either the US or Japan, and I don’t think transformers are the way to go - is problematic. I’m desperate for the speed control addition to my old warhorse! I too love non-computerised machines, and do a lot of free motion ‘drawing’, so would never go for anything other than an upgrade to my beloved Juki.

Railroadersbrat

For me, a vintage will last a lifetime and beyond, simply because of the craftsmanship involved. Back then, it was all cast iron and metal, nowadays, everything is aluminum and plastic. My sister has our mother's sewing machine, a Singer before it was called Singer and while it is in desperate, desperate need of a good cleaning and service, it still runs. My guess is early 50s.

My Dressmaker is at least 45 years old and after some TLC from me and my serviceman, she runs like a champ and purrs like a kitten. I never, never give up on a machine pre-1980.

I now have a computerized machine and while I believe it's well-built, I know that she won't last as long as my Dressmaker or my mother's machine, even though I clean her religiously and oil the correct spots when its time. Because of the longevity issue with her, I may just keep her to simple sewing tasks and piecing my quilts, but anything heavier than that, I'll take it to my Dressmaker, including free motion quilting.

I've always had the belief that when you buy a sewing machine, no matter what you're buying it for, it's an investment. If you learn everything you can about your machine, do the simple task of cleaning it regularly, oiling it when it needs, taking it to a serviceman at least yearly for a tune-up and not push the limits of the machine itself, you can expect your machine to exceed the actual lifetime. If you don't take care of it and expect it to handle something that only industrial machines can handle, then you're only to fault because you didn't take care of it properly.