Help!!! Buying a serger
 

I need opinions on buying a serger. I actually bought a Singer from a walmart and paid about $180 for it. Then I started reading about them and I think Im going to return it. I would love to hear your opinions on which to buy. I don't want to put alot of money into one because Im not sure how much I will use one.
Thank you,
Judy

If you search serger on the board here, you can find a lot of comments. I always say buy a BabyLock Imagine or one of the other BabyLocks that threads itself. I had a Singer but didn't use it because the tension was hard to adjust and it was hard to thread the loopers. I went to a workshop and tried out the Evolution. I went home with one. It is wonderful! I keep it set up all the time and use it all the time. I recently backed a quilt with fleece and used my serger wave stitch around it for a binding. It really looked nice.

It will first depend on your budget. Once that is established then you get to decide which features you like.
Do you want:
- a new machine that does the wave edging or not
- the cover stitch and chain stitch
- self threading
- automatic tension setting
- new vs. used machine

I have an older Pfaff and haven't found threading difficult at all. I made my own color coded guide in my own language when I first got the machine. I absolutely love it. Do I wish it had more features like the wave edging? Yes. Would I use those features enough to make that investment worthwhile? Probably not.

Try out different brands and models and try to negotiate.

I agree with Quiltinggolpher, but unfortunately not everyone has that sort of budget. After having two sergers over the years that I barely used, I finally broke down and got a Babylock Evolution. I love it. It's so easy to thread and so capable that I do actually use it. But the monthly payments (I bought it on a Zero-Interest payment plan that my dealer offers - not through Babylock, but financed through GE Capital) are equal to what you paid outright, so obviously a HUGE difference in cost.

Look at Janome and also the sergers at Hancock Fabrics which are made by Janome. I have been using a Janome made Kenmore since 2006 and it has never given me a spot of trouble. I have loaned it out to a lady whose serger was in the shop and she loved it.
My serger is equivalent to the Janome 3434D. The next model up has lay in threading which is not easier or more difficult than the tension knobs to thread. The difference is appearance.

I have a plain jane singer serger that I've had for 15+ years, got a fancy smancy babylock and I hardly ever use it...I finally set it up to do the coverstitch hem and use it for that, I use plain jane for everything else, she's fast and does a great finish on my edges.

I bought a White serger in 1986 or 7. Used the daylights out of it. At the time I was doing a lot of garment sewing and a little home dec. Threading was complicated to me, but I soon learned to do it lickity split. Sat in on a class at the shop where I had purchased it. That helped a lot to learn all of the different things I could do with it. Then I began quilting. At first didn't do much of anything on the serger, but then began making Kaye Wood's six-hour quilts. Also use the serger to put my backs together (Why? I have no idea!)

Bought a newer Janome serger a few months ago. (I would say it was almost bottom of the line -- very simple one that does not thread itself.) Very similar to the one I had but easier operation to switch from a regular serged stitch to a rolled hem. Have been using the same thread it was threaded with until the lower looper thread broke when I "forced" a thick piece through. Haven't succeeded in threading that looper yet, but I didn't fool with it very much. The machine seems a bit easier to thread than my old one. It makes a beautiful stitch.

I totally agree!!! I have the Babylock Imagine and it is just wonderful. I know they are a little pricy but when I heard about the threading and the headaches that go with it, I decided on the Babylock, and haven't regretted it for a moment. Good luck in your search.

Several of us have the Brother 1034D which is about $200. If you tie your new threads to the old ones and pull through you don't have to worry about rethreading, in most cases. I suggest you do a search up at the top on sergers for even more recent information.