machine recomendations
 

hello, newbie here. I have been looking for the perfect sewing machine for a couple of years now and my most recent failure has been the brother cs6000i sounded as if the needle was hitting something underneath after only 20 minutes of regular sewing. So I am looking for recommendations for a sewing/quilting machine with"cruise control" variable speed setting for around $150.

Sorry to hear your machine is misbehaving. Unfortunately, like with cars and appliances, you often get what you pay for. I'd save up and buy a used Bernina. That's what I did, and have never regretted it. Good luck with your search!

I agree with Terry, buy a Bernina. It is the only machine made where it has always been made, Switzerland. All the others are farmed out to third world countries for manufacture.

I would go to a Viking, bernina or janome dealer and look at used machines. Often, if you buy from a dealer, they provide a limited warranty and some instruction.

look for the older kenmores. they are all metal and solid. they sew very well, you can get those with "fancy" stitches built in or one with cams. very quiet compared to my inexpensive brother. strong motor. Can often be found in thrift stores for around 40 dollars. My mothers was bought new in 1973 and is still sewing strong. You don't need a new computerized fancy machine to do great work. The older machines do great and since they are all metal and don't have a computer, they rarely truly "break".

Unfortunately, no longer. Only the top-of-the-line Berninas are still made in Switzerland. The others are farmed out to third world countries. If the Bernina does not have the "Made in Switzerland" logo on it, it wasn't.

Did you just purchase the Brother machine? If it didn't sew well after 20 minutes of sewing, return it or call Brother's help line. If it is new, as in just purchased, it might have been dropped somewhere along the route to the store, so definitely return it. Or it could be a lemon...it happens.

In fact, even if it is well used, call Brother's help line anyway. You have nothing to lose.

I have had 4 Brother machines of various price ranges and love them all.

One was an $89 machine that had 70 stitches and worked like a champ for 6 years - even though I rarely did anything like cleaning it! I let my niece and nephew sew on it, too. It went on a trip with me and was dropped when either packing or unpacking the car and suffered fatal injuries! That sewing machine had 3 speeds that you could set, but was still powered from the pedal.

I bought two Brother replacement machines: a Brother PE-350; I've had it for about 2 years and use it almost daily. Haven't used the embroidery part, though, but you never know. It too, works very well, especially considering I'm not particularly gentle with my sewing machines. What I really like about this machine is the push button thread cutter. What a blessing that is!

The other replacement machine is a very low end mechanical that sews very well, but doesn't do anything fancy and is completely un-computerized. I use it when I'm traveling, for obvious reasons.

The newest is a SQ 9185, that cost me less than $200. It's got a slightly larger throat, sews well, you can use a pedal or use a button to start and end sewing, which may be what you mean by 'cruise control'. i don't use it as much as the PE-350 because it doesn't have the push button thread cutter!

Whatever you buy, good luck and happy sewing.

This is true of most sewing machines of that era. I had a Montgomery Ward machine that sat in a closet for about 30 years, took it out, threaded it, put a bobbin in it and started sewing. it was a wonderful machine.

Unfortunately, I truly abused it and broke it but good. I didn't mean to abuse it - I did what i did out of ignorance. Lesson learned.

Be careful of thrift store buys unless they are very low dollar priced. Sometimes they simply don't work. Other times, all the machine needs is a good cleaning and a bit of oil. The thing is, you can't tell until you try to sew with it. If the machine costs almost nothing and you are somewhat handy, then spend the money. You can usually find manuals on line, so that's not usually a problem.

You'll probably be hard pressed to find a sturdy machine with those features in that price range. I would look for something more basic that sews really well. Consider some of the vintage machines. We got a model 99 in a cabinet for $35 and it sews like a dream. If you are only quilting it just needs to go forward and backward. A featherweight that may not look the best can sew perfectly and fit in your price range. So might a Singer 301.

I don't know of any quality sewing machine new with features that will be $150 or less. If there was one we would all have it.

I looked in our search function above, and here are two links that might help you. There are other ones if you are so inclined to look up there.
Need recommendation for sewing machine
New machine recommendations please!

I like my Brother machines, and they are in your price range. I find I don't need any training to use them. You may have gotten a "dud" or there is something that is easy to fix. Good luck on your quest!!

Unfortunately, your budget doesn't have any ability to be able to find a good sewing machine unless you stumble onto an estate sale or a charity store but that is risky since you won't know the history of the machine. I would start pinching your pennies telling your family and friends you want to save up for a DSM. Save all the money you may receive from Xmas and birthdays for your DSM. Shop around and test out the new ones to see what brand works for you. In 1970, my Dad bought me a used Singer for my high school graduation. I saved for a couple of years to be able to buy my Bernina 1530. I have had it since I bought it at a quilt show new in the 90s.

i'm currently looking at the [h=1]SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist[/h]i found it for around that same price as the brother cs6000i and i'm super excited!!!

Just be aware that Singer is not a very good name anymore. To be honest I'd buy a Brother over a Singer.

eta: just looked it up at amazon and that machine does have very good reviews. Maybe it'll work out for you then.

I would check the reviews on the Singer. My daughter-in-law had terrible time with an inexpensive Singer she bought at JoAnn's and I believe others have had too. Other than working on my daughter-in-law's to get it to sew properly I have not personally had experience with the newer Singers and I don't know what model hers was but it was in the price range you are talking about. I found a used machine for her that was a high end machine when new. It cost $200 and has been worth every penny.

YES YES YES - and older European machines and 50 year old Singers. If 95% of what you sew is straight stitch get an old black sewing machine - then use your modern machine for the fancy junk or just go hire it out on the rare occasion you need something.

I bought the Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist Oct. 9th and took it back Oct. 14. The thread keeps shredding due to all the rough plastic parts on the machine. I had so many thread breaks and re-threading of the machine that I was ready to throw it out the window. I was only doing straight stitching, making pillowcases, I like to use reverse to lock my stitches in place. The reverse worked for a while then jammed everything time I tried to use it. I bought this to use on the RV, I figured the price was right, it's lighter than my Brother at home and it would make a good spare machine and I'd keep it on the RV. Boy, was I wrong, I now have an inexpensive Brother and it is wonderful.

Check out the Janomes. They are low end dollar wise and anyone I know that has one is happy. The other option is to check out the garage sales and thrift stores. I have found some good deals there myself. Or check with a dealer and see what 2nd hand machines they have to offer. Beware that the machines sold in walmart are not able to be repaired. Parts are not available. Advertise on craig's list and be sure to try out the machine before you buy. Take different types of fabric that you will be using and try sewing on the machine. Be sure to check out the oiling and cleaning routine. Good Luck.

Many folks have that same Brother machine and have had no problems, whatsoever. It could be you got a lemon or there's something loose or misplaced in there. Could be something as simple as a bent needle (a needle can be bent rather easily and just the slightest bend, will prevent smooth sewing). Needles can be bent by sewing over/hitting pins, using an undersized needle for a heavier project, not letting the feed dogs control the speed at which the fabric move, etc., etc.

If you bought the machine new, you should definitely return it or contact Brother about the problems.

My vote goes to buying an old machine, especially with that budget.

Reason for my vote:
In the 80's I took my Singer in for repair and the guy told me I wore it out, too much plastic. So I remember saying to him, exactly, "You got anything that's metal, and with no computer?" (computerized machines were just coming onto the market and I knew that was more trouble that I wanted, I just wanted to sew!)
I had never heard of a Viking, just knew Singer from my mom's old trusty reliable.
I bought a Viking 630. With a little resarch, I found out that's the machine they sold to schools, back when schools still bought them, so I knew it was tough and could withstand some abuse (which it never saw with me)

About 10 years ago I got the idea of buying used 630's because I thought, they probably don't even make the parts anymore, so that way I'd have some. So I ended up with 4 machines off ebay, for under $100 each. I thought, if my machine breaks, I've got spare parts. Trouble is, they all work, as does my original!

I saw a Janome 2212 on Amazon for $149. It had a lot of good reviews.

I have a selection of makes ages and models. Love playing. If you only want one machine I would suggest you go to your local dealer see which machines from the very very wide selection he sells. Find the one you like after playing with those in your price range and slightly higher. Now go and look on ebay and craiglist and any other second hand sites and see if you can find one. If it goes wrong your dealer should be able. To repair or service itfor you.
Good luck.

My mom had a Singer slant o' matic that was suppose to be a good machine, but I fought with that thing, always. She upgraded to a Singer Diana, same thing. There was always something that made me have to stop and readjust or rethread. I bought my Bernina 930 27 years ago, and have never looked back at another Brand. My daughters sewed on the 930 for 4-H and did not have the trauma and drama that I went through sewing on my mom's Singer. You want a stress free machine; save up your money and hunt for a used Bernina. (Not a Bernette)

Call Brother for sure - all they can do is say no, right? But please think about your sewing budget. If you get a machine that annoys you, you will quit sewing - too much bother. Buy something that makes sewing fun.

I have a Brother CS6000i that I paid $179 for 5 years ago. I used it exclusively for all my quilting for 2 years and now use it for workshops. I've loved it and think for the price it is a great machine. Like others have mentioned, I'd call Brother or go back to where you purchased it. This doesn't sound right to me.

I had a singer touch n sew from the 70s that was great until it wasn't. The nylon gears kept breaking and I sunk about 3 services into that thing (at about 60 bucks apiece) before I finally said no more. I wish I'd still kept it though since parts are valuable on the old machines. But I didn't. I have no idea what my husband did with it.

Years ago, I knew a guy who sold Berninas before they became so popular. I didn't have one, had a Kenmore that I loved. He took great pleasure in calling Singers 'Sinkers', and at the time I didn't understand why. Now I do.

Two years ago I bought a Singer while waiting for my ex to get my Bernina (the one i bought in 2000) to me (no, it wasn't a nice divorce), and I HATED it. It had 2 speeds, stop and runaway. I'm getting ready to sell it. Wish me luck.

I wonder if a different foot controller would help it.