Question for ya - I am wanting a machine that can sew through leather, thick material etc. and I am wondering about some of the old machines I see on Ebay?? They seem pretty good, but how hard are they to maintain and are parts easy to find?

For those that have some of these older machines, give me the pros/cons versus a newer machine from a local shop.

Thanks!

I only sew with old Singers. I have several of them. If you lived close I could probably sell you one of mine. I have way too many of them... lol
Judy in Ohio

Do you feel there is a difference in the quality of stitching/overall machine??

There are specific old Singers that are more heavy duty than others. Can't remember which ones offhand. To find out, join one of the vintage Singer sewing machine groups at http://groups.yahoo.com . Someone there would be able to tell you which models are good for sewing sails and leather.

The pros of one of these older machines is that they cost a lot less than new ones and you can maintain them yourself. It's fairly easy to find replacement parts for them. The con is that they are harder to find. It can take awhile to hunt a good one down.

If you get an old one check out Billy's tutorial on cleaning and maintaining. These old machines are GREAT.

Actually, when I was looking for (and then bidding on) a machine, I asked Billy (Lostn51) to give me some feedback on what I was looking at. He's an amazing resource, and has a good idea about the old machines.

For my money, the new machines have nothing on the old ones. If you want a powerhouse, go for an old metal, mechanical machine. I love my new Juki, in part because it is like the oldies- just oil her up and she'll go.

Ask Billy to take a look at what you are considering. you can just cut and past the ebay links into a PM. He's great.

Seriously consider a pfaff 130. Will sew through just about anything.