hi,
are the sales listed for new, excess school inventory of heavy duty Singers worth looking at? My local Dollar General is having a sale today. They advertise them as solid, built for heavy use machines. They also have a "teacher's" model for $199.
They are advertised as "sew and serge" with a "professional" serge stitch and it it "quilts" too.
I am looking for a second machine to do some heavier duty canvas and sunbrella stitching for some projects for my fiance.
Does anyone have experience or know what these machines are all about, especially the difference between a student and teacher model?

THE Dollar General store has these????? wow

Never heard of it. But i think the tearcher model would be worth doing some resarch on.good luck!

This most likely is an outside company setting up a booth at Dollar General...I know there were 2 guys from Texas that were doing this.
The machines are OK. They do have heavy duty motors...the difference between to student and teacher models is:
Teacher has a free arm machine
Student flat bed
Teacher has many more stitches
Student basic stitches

These are NOT industrial machines, just heavy duty.

I brought one of these after Hurricane Katrina and was not satisfied with it. The serger foot is separate aswell as any other attachment; good for sewing heavy duty stuff but nothing fancy. They will do a demonstration in the store. Good Luck!

Sewfine

I bought a Pfaf school model several years ago and it was nothing but trouble. I took it in 2 times to get it fixed and finally gave up and got rid of it. Maybe the singer is better. I would do lots of research first.

don't buy one. all they are is a machine that sews and has a cutter attached to it to cut off fabric. I boought one for the $199 special and was so disgusted with it, it didn't sew right or anything. It is setting in a box as it quit running. too cheaply made to get it fixed.

Just a FYI. I have read that these are not anything special. They have called them school models thinking that folks will think they are better made and they aren't. I wish I could remember where I saw this info, but I think it was Consumer Reports or some other consumer group. I would beware and not be willing to pay any extra for supposed quality. Just MHO.

thanks for the advice. Sounds like all marketing vs. performance. This forum has been so helpful. You guys are fantastic.

Go to Craigslist and find a pre 1975 machine with metal gears. I got one of mine on ebay and had a good shipper. I found a vintage Necchi at the Salvation Army resale store this week. Right now there is a 1960s turquoise and chrome machine in a blonde cabinet on our Craigslist for $60. You can pick up a vintage Singer for under $100 easily. These old girls were meant to sew. Skip the Featherweights. They are adorable, but not heavy duty, in addition to being out of my price range.