I'm thinking of getting a new machine. Any thoughts on these two possibilities?
 

Hi -- I've been sewing for about 16 months. I have a vintage machine from about 1960, very basic, non-computerized, of course. It doesn't have a walking foot and I can't find one, and it has some tension issues.

I'm thinking of getting a new machine. My budget is tight. Right now a local store has a Singer 4423 heavy duty machine (the gray one) for $120 and I've read good reviews of the Brother CS6000i with 60 built-in stitches which I can find for about $150.

Anyone had experience with either of these models?

I want the machine for quilting and for making bags from duck or home decor fabric, also little things like hemming curtains and making scarves.

Thanks for any comments or advice. Sorry if I've put this in the wrong category.

I, actually, prefer my older "vintage" machines. I do most of my piece work on an older Kenmore. You may want to consider just getting the one you have tuned up and serviced.

I have the Brother and it is a nice little machine. It is really lightweight, so I found myself pushing it across the table when quilting. It works well for garment making, though, and should do scarves, curtains, and bags just fine. Perhaps if it were set into a table so it wouldn't move, it would be okay for quilting, but the harp is quite small.

I'd delay my purchase for as long as possible in order to save up for a used Bernina. Last I heard, the Singers are all manufactured in China and not of the best quality. Don't know anything about the Brother.

The brother is pretty popular, not sure about the singer but I love my brother that has the same quilting features

I would not buy any of the newer Singers. The Brother CS6000i has gotten great reviews from quilters here on the QB and also at Amazon. That is the one I would buy. Check out the reviews on the Brother at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Featur...dp/B000JQM1DE/

Likethedog, I can't tell you anything about the newer Singers (mine are vintage) but I do have the Brother CS6000i and it is a great little machine for doing home projects. I have it set down into the table and have no problems with it moving on me because of that. I also use it for anything needing fancy stitches. I wanted something with a bigger throat so I could learn to FMQ so I bought the Brother 1500s, which is what I use for everything that just needs a straight stitch.
They both have their place and I use and enjoy them both! The CS6000i is a good little inexpensive, all purpose machine if that's what you're looking for. I hope this helps.....

I have a brother from Walmart that I use all the time to piece and I love it!! It is receded into a sewing cabinet so I have not expreiced the moving across the table. I have had it for 4 years now and I have not had any issues!! I think you will find that most people here have had good experiences with Brother machines. Keep us updated on what you decide!!

Costco.com has several Brother and Singer sewing machines, some at your price point. None of them are the ones you've mentioned. However, their return policy can't be beat. If you're a Costco member or know someone who is, you might want to consider one of those. It may be tough to get a super reliable machine at that price point these days, and your money is tight so I would hate to see you get a lemon. If you can get one at a place like Costco with a super liberal return policy, you may be better off. I don't know.

(no affil.)

Good luck!

I would not buy any of the newer Singers either. The Brother machines are usually good.

I'm not sure if I bought the same "heavy duty" singer but it was grey, I bought it from HSN and sent it back. The rag quilt I made with it fell apart in the washer (never had that problem before or since). If there are any sewing machine stores and or repair shops near you, look there first. You may be able to get a good deal on a used machine with a warranty.

I agree, delay your purchase and keep sewing on your vintage machine as long as you can. You will feel like you upgraded with a quality machine such as a Bernina. If you can not wait, stay away from the singer. Look into getting a Brother from Costco. I have purchased two Brothers from Costco for my daughters and they are happy. You can't beat their return policy if you are not happy. The reason I told you to wait, is as much as my daughter loves her Brother sewing machine, she refuses to sew on my Bernina machine, as she feels she would notice the difference and not be content any longer. Smart girl. Be happy with what you have.

I've bought several vintage machines off of E-Bay with good results. I would probably try for a Singer 305 model. Super machine....and tough. Just make sure that the dealer has high marks.

The best sewing machine is one you use!! The vintage machines are great and with proper servicing/maintenance (done by you!) they sew on and on and on! The newer machines with all the stitches are also great because certain features can make things easier and more enjoyable, but the plastic parts break, servicing may need to be done at shop. Good luck with what you decide!

Since you are talking about sewing homedec fabric I am going to agree with finding a vintage machine. The old Singers are tough - a 201, 301, 15-91, all will go thru thicker fabric. These newer machines have motors that just don't go thru tough fabric. Old Necchi's are priceless, wonderful machines, old Kenmores. Buy the Brother for the fancy stitches and find a vintage oldy but goody at Goodwill or someplace that has reasonable prices on the vintage machines (some people think because they are old makes them valuable - they are, they are just plentiful - look in Craigslist also.

Thanks for all the advice. I think my best course is to keep looking and thinking, visit the two local stores that sell machines and offer service, as well, and keep my eyes open for somthing sturdy and used. My biggest wish is for something that will quilt more readily -- the one foot I have with my machine squishes the layers together, and won't allow me to do anything but stitch in the ditch or straight across a little at a time.

I have the brothersq9000 started free motion quilting on it but like some of the other members said I wanted a machine with a larger throat. So just this year I bought the PQ1500S machine and started quilting with it and because of the pin feed I almost finished it in a day, but I got interrupted and had to go to work on my job, then with the gardening season I haven' t finished it yet. I can't say enough about how well it is working for me. Like you I had to search for a machine that was not to costly. It is still pricey but I was able to purchase it with my income tax refund. I purchased it at an albrands for $599.00. We'll worth the price.Hope you find one you really like.

I don't know anything about the singer machines,but I can tell you I have 2 brothers machine and I am very pleased with them. The first one is qs9000 I like it and did free motion quilting and used the design stitiches on it. But like some of the other members mentioned I wanted a machine with a larger throat for larger quilts, so I search the internet for a good and reasonal price machine and I came across the PQ1500S machine and after studying the reviews I purchased it and am so happy I did. It is well the price I paid for it. $599.00 at an albrands.

I like my Brother XR6060. I do miss the auto needle up & cut off. WE don't need those features, but gee are they nice! This Brother is in my vacation home, so I didn't spend a lot of money. BUT, I do recommend buying from a sewing machine store for a quality machine. This one is from Hancocks & is good, I'm happy..but if you can, buy a little better machine & you'll never be sorry.

I have an old Kenmore that is heavy and durable. I wanted new so I bought an inexpensive Singer which was junk and then an inexpensive Brother. Neither are good for free motion quilting. Gave the Brother to my granddaughter and the Singer I use mainly for mending. The Kenmore went in for cleaning and tweeking and it sews and free motions wonderfully. I decided to save until I could afford a better machine and two months ago purchased a Babylok. The new machine and my old Kenmore service me well. Lesson learned. You get what you pay for. Quilting requires a sturdy machine. I had to learn that lesson by my not so smart purchases.

I would stay away from the Singer machines available at Walmart JoAnn's etc. I know several people that have gone that route and the machines ran poorly or broke all together. The warranty is minimal and it costs more to fix them than what they cost in the first place. I don't know about the Brother. I would scour for a good used machine if you want to replace your machine. I currently have two 1970's era Vikings and they are going strong. One I've had since it was new and the other I bought used. We got a used Necchi for our daughter-in-law to replace the cheap Singer she had that wouldn't sew right. Paid $200 for a nearly new machine that runs like a dream.

I have not found a machine that I haven't been able to get a walking foot for. I have purchased them for my self and picked them up for friends most of who have older machines. They even make one for Singer Slat machines. Nifty Notions is the brand I've purchased most often and it's called and "Even Feed" foot. Runs around $25. They make different ones depending on length and size of the shank of your machine. Check on-line or at sewing machine stores for availability. I have them even for my 1930's era Featherweights.

I have the Brother CS 6000 and it is a great little machine. I've been using mine for seven years. It has a nice variety of stitches and is easy to use. I like it for piecing my blocks (makes a very nice stitch), applique, and the buttonholer is easy peasy. It's lightweight and portable, this is the one I take with me on trips. Do a search here on the Quilting Board and read the Amazon reveiws.

That said, the throat is very small and it's not great for quilting larger items. I also use a 1982 Kenmore and a vintage Singer 301 -- great machines and very sturdy. But I have just ordered a Brother 1500 in hopes the larger 9-inch harp will make the quilting part of a project more enjoyable rather than a chore I dread. My experience with the entry-level Brother CS6000 has been so good that I'm willing to invest in another Brother (and the 1500 also gets rave reveiws).

I have a Janome and love it, but have also thought about the Brother CS6000i as a back up machine. It also has a few more decorative stitches that would be wonderful for baby clothes etc. Good luck in your choice,

I had a brother from Costco. I literally wore it out in about 18 months. Even with regularly cleaning out the bobbin casing area, it eventually just stopped. When I brought it in to have it cleaned and serviced, (which cost about 1/2 what I paid for the machine), the technician explained that all the parts inside the brother were plastic. While I had the brother in the 'shop,' they gave me a very low end mechanical Janome for a loaner. I couldn't believe how much better the feed dogs worked on that little machine (I think it was a $300 price point.)

In the end, I ended up trading it in for a used Janome 6600 and am SO very happy with it. The main selling point for me was the larger harp( 9x5) on the 6600. I knew I wanted to quilt on my DSM and it has been wonderful.

I have the Brother CS6000si and it stopped working in less than a year. I got some error message, took it to a Brother repair shop and the technician told me to ditch it and buy another machine. He said it wasn't worth fixing. It is a very lightweight machine and not for heavy sewing.

I use my vintage machines to quilt with and they sew all types of fabric. The vintage machines have metal parts that make them more heavy duty. I have a Singer 15-91 and a 301. I love them both.

Check Craigslist, estate sales and your local thrift shops for a good machine at a reasonable price. Recently on my local Craigslist someone is selling a vintage Kenmore with a host of cams for all sorts of decorative stitches for $145.00. I am thinking about purchasing it. From Craigslist I just purchased a Singer HD 110 heavy duty machine for $30.00. Good luck on your machine hunt.

The choice is yours but I love my brother machines.

The newer Singers don't seem to be what they are cracked up to be. Brother has become much better than they once were. I would probably keep using the one you have for now and save up for a used high end Babylock or Bernina or Pfaff. I have both Babylock and Pfaff machines and they are wonderful, but are high end machines too.

I agree about the newer Singers. As I understand it, somebody bought the name. I love my Brothers (I have a4 now). If you have a dealer nearby, check out their used machines. You can get a lot more bang for the buck.

Also, check estate sales and newspaper. Sometime people will buy an nice high end machine and find they do not want to sew after all and want it gone at a reasonable price. And by all means, look for an all metal older machine vs the plastic ones made today. I don't see any of them being around 75-100 years from now and still sewing like a champ. You should be able to find a walking foot for your machine so do a computer search for one, might make all the difference with some adjustments to your present machine.

Personally I wouldn't buy any kind of new Singer. The Brother and Janome brand though do have a fairly good reputation. I also prefer my old machines.

Almost everyone says to stay away from Singers these days. On the other hand, almost everyone likes their Brothers. I have a Brother SQ9000 that I got from Wal*Mart. It's very nice and light - I like to take that one to classes.

I would take the Brother, Singers are not what they use to be. In our ladies sewing/quilting group, 4 of us have bought Brothers for our class machines. Pretty good.

Singer used to be the leader in machines, but not so much anymore. I will always take a Brother over other brands, but only because I can work them without a techie helper, and they are very durable. -owner of two Bothers one inexpensive, and one not so inexpensive.

I have the Brother machine and I really like it, especially for going to classes or traveling. The only negative is the space between the needle and the right side of the machine is too small to quilt larger projects without a lot of effort and finagling. It has needle down, start stop and speed control.

I have one of the brother machines and use it to take to classes because it is so light weight and sews very nicely. If you are planning to do FMQ on your machine, I would go for a heavier machine that would not "walk" around on the table when stitching through several layers and manipulating the quilt through the harp.

The Brother machines are great and I agree with others have said about the Singers.
I have the CS6000i and love it for travel & classes but I don't feel it is heavy enough for what you want to do.
I would suggest you save up & wait til you could get maybe the Brother 1500 straight stitch only machine-a very heavy duty machine, great for FMQ & heavier fabrics.
The other choice would be some of the vintage machines that were top of their line in their day-some are still working wonders, check estate sales, dealers used machines, etc.

I have a Brother CS9500 I got from Sears. I have been very pleased with it. I do piecing and quilting on it. I think it goes by a new number now.

I can't speak for the Singer but both my daughter and I have the Brother CS6000i and love it. We have used them on garments, quilts, dolls and my daughter just upholstered a bench. It's very lightweight and this is the reason I bought it. Easy to carry to classes and retreats.

I would get the Brother. I love my brothers and one is an inexpensive machine. It did travel, and the foot pedal did also. I got some of the rubbery shelf liner and put under the machine and under the foot pedal. It helps with vibrations also. I used 2 pieces.

As a collector of vintage Singer machines I can agree with all the above about the Singer sewing machines starting from the 1970's and just getting progressively worse. Plastic gears break, don't have the power, etc... I have read all here who say they love their Brother and I did a fair bit of research on the Brothers and there are many, many complaints about the brothers as well. Basically if you really have to have a newer machine with bells and whistles, then you should wait and buy a Bernina, or Babylock, but plan on spending at least a couple of thousand for a better machine.

BUT, the recommendation I have is to buy a vintage singer that is ALL metal geared, powerful and reliable! The best machines loved by quilters for FMQ are the Singer 15-91 (I own 3), the Singer 301 (I own 6) and the Singer 401 (I own 4) and I vouch for everyone of these models for quilting as I use them regularly!
the Singer 301 and 401 are much lighter and more portable than the 15-91 the main difference between the two is the 301 only sews a straight stitch (beautiful straight stitch) and the 401 has 24 or so built in decorative stitches. Both of these machines are known as slant needle machines and quilters love them because the slant angle of the needle allows a better view of what you are sewing. The 401 does have a drop in bobbin compared to the vertical bobbin of the 301 (uses same bobbins as a featherweight).
The 15-91 is also a straight stitch machine and with its vertical bobbin is prized by quilters for the beautiful stitch it makes and ease of quilting...this machine is quite a bit heavier (that's what you get with all metal gears and cast iron body!) but also sews some pretty heavy duty fabrics...it will take the larger needles needed for canvas sewing, etc.
the beauty of these machines? They are next to impossible to "break!" And if you should need some sort of part, they are easily available. The biggest issue to look for when buying is to be sure the wiring is still in good shape. Some of these machines may need to be re-wired because after 50+ years...but even that is cheaper than buying a new cheap plastic machine. You can most likely find one of these models locally...watch Craigslist...for $25-75 depending on condition and model. That's my 50 cents worth! :)