Planing on buying a sewing machine...
 

I'm considering buying a sewing machine. However, I'm limited not only in budget but also by what's available here. So I was first considering a Singer 4423, but after reading some of the reviews here on the board I think Singer is out... :thumbdown:

What about Juki? I could get a Juki HZL-180SZ or HZL-353. Anyone has experiences with those?

Thanks for your help!

I would buy a Brother from Walmart. They will take a return if you don't like it. Prices are reasonable and Brother has a decent reputation for their lower priced line.

I have a low end Juki DZ27 and it's a solid machine, sews a good stitch. For the cost I think the Jukis are good machines.

Cari

What do you want the machine to do? My sister bought the "quilting" Brother machine from Costco about 20 years ago and it is still going strong. Also, if you have some dealers near you, maybe you can buy a refurbished machine with a limited warranty and a class or two thrown in.

Buying at Walmart isn't an option as I'm not in North America. However, I checked and there would be some lower end Brother's available here, namely GS2700, AS145 and GS2786K. Anyone has experience with any of those?

I don't need anything fancy. I just want something to piece and FMQ but have no budget for any of the machines with "quilting" in the name. I found that some of those low end machines have fixed stitch width (zig-zag not adjustable) and I probably don't want that...

I know my expectations (especially in terms of stitch quality, durability and low maintenance) are probably too high for a cheap machine as whenever I'm near my mom (which lives on another continent at the moment), she lets me use her vintage Bernina 830 and THAT's just my absolute dream machine! :o

Buying refurbished is not possible here, so I'd need to go for one of the new ones available.

I had a very inexpensive Brother with all the bells and whistles - Somewhere just a little over $200 - but probably around $300 now! It was a good, solid machine and fun to use.

I got a Brother XR3420 from Costco last year for approx $130. It has many bells and whistles and even is called a "quilting" machine. I am very happy with it and hope it will last me for many years.

Not sure if you can use your phone to Google or not but when you're in a store and see a machine search for the machine then check for the reviews. I didn't want anything too complicated when I got my Singer 2662 and i'm happy with it. I've had it about 15 years now.

I just bought a classroom machine from a shop at a deep discount. This particular store uses the machines for about six months and then sells them. They are giving me free classes on how to use it and even having a maintenance done on it. It comes with a full warranty too.

Try finding a business that offers sewing classes and see if they will sell you one of their machines.