Sewing machine
 

I need a sewing machine. I would like to know witch is the best ? I’m coming to the experts. I know you will know. Thanks 😊

Hi Blossom from another 'Blossom :)

I currently have one of the low end Brothers like you said you had in the other thread. It is chugging along making masks and such but I will be much happier when my expensive machine gets out of the shop. I had a slightly nicer Brother that I got from Costco and it was a good little portable machine for about 7 years or so, but eventually I started having problems with it.

So the first question is always what is your price range? Sewing machines go from under $100 to over $10,000;

Secondly, what features do you want/need, or what type of sewing do you do the most? I maintain that a good straight stitch is all I really need and that's true -- but I do like some of the bells and whistles too.

Third, some of us love our vintage machines, do you want new only, or even if you want modern will you consider used? A used machine from a shop with a warranty can be a good deal.

Picking a sewing machine is such a personal decision and it isn't easy. IceBlossom addressed a lot of the possibilities. You need to go to different places and try the machines out. Can you thread it? How easy is it to fill a bobbin? When turned on, do you have enough light? How large is the harp?....that's the space between the needle and the back of the machine. Five inches looks big when nothing is in there. When you are trying to quilt something, 5 inches is a killer. One of my Brother's has a 10 inch harp and there are times I wish it was larger. I love the start/stop button on one of my machines, especially since my foot pedal isn't working right now.

Edited to add: No one machine is the perfect machine for everyone. Some people swear by the Singers, and others have had a lot of trouble with them, but that goes for every brand out there. My Brothers are good, but I have longed for the Pfaff built in even feed, but I don't want to spend the money to get one. Check them out on the internet and see what people like or dislike about the machine you are thinking about buying.

I just got myself a new machine. I can tell you some of the things that were important to me. One of the greatest things on this machine is the LED lighting! The throat area is big, so I can do machine quilting on it, and there are lights above the throat area! I want the presser foot to "hover" when I'm chain piecing or doing machine applique. The thread cutter under the needle plate is pretty great. And the "Jumbo Bobbin," is amazing! It holds 70 to 80 percent more thread than a regular bobbin. Service where you buy the machine is important. Where I bought mine, they give 3 years of free service, plus classes if I want them. And the owner of the store services the machines, at the store. He doesn't send them out to somewhere else. I wanted the blanket stitch for applique and the asterisk stitch ***** for hemstitching. I have total control of the presser foot tension--which I didn't have on my last machine. I have a knee lever to lift the presser foot hands-free. I have 11 needle positions. 5 built-in alphabet fonts. A stitch regulator for machine quilting. Tons of decorative and utility stitches. I got the 9mm needle plate hole, so the decorative stitches and alphabets have more detail than with the regular 5.5mm needle plate. It has the "dual feed," which is a mini walking foot that drops down behind the presser foot. It's great when I'm piecing. But I can also use my awesome walking foot, too.

I got the Bernina 590 with embroidery module about 3 weeks ago, but haven't had time to use the embroidery module yet. I couldn't be happier! I'm really enjoying it!

Good luck in your search!

I echo all of the above advice. There must be a 'hundred' best machines. After having several other machines, I have two favorites, both are Jukis. For straight stitching and FMQ, I love the TL2010Q. For other sewing, I love my F600 Exceed... includes knee lift, needle threader, lots of stitches and not too complicated screen. Good luck with your choice.

I have used all brands and for piecing and machine quilting I love Juki. Eversewn Sparrow 30 for toting around to classes and retreats. It's great. I have an older Bernina and it's great. I have two Brothers, one mid range sewing/embroidery and one feature loaded lower end model. Both are great. I have a Janome Jem for years and it has never given me or the kids that sew on it any problems. It is great. My three vintage Singers are tried and true and never fail. They are great. I had a Brother 1500 before the Juki, it was great for almost 20 years but developed problems due to a bad repair. New machines are great.

I agree with the others, there are many, many "best" machines. It depends on what you want.

My favorite machine is a Brother Nouvelle 1500s. It's a straight-stitch only, 1500 stitches per minute, not computerized, has a thread cutter, knee lift, auto threader, 9" harp, extension table. I *love* this machine and if it ever goes to the sewing machine home in the sky, I would replace it with another one in a heartbeat. It normally runs about $800, you can find sales or used ones for less.

However, you may decide you want a computerized machine with fancy stitches, or your budget is bigger or smaller than $800, or you want something portable, so....

I think a new machine for you would be to consider what features you want on a sewing machine. I have a Janome and love it but I have owned a Viking also and love that too. Good luck to you and I am sure you will get some great advice from members here.

As has been mentioned, there is no 'one size fits all' *best* machine. How much money do you have to spend? What kind of sewing do you plan to do? I would stay away from the Big Box stores, as they have no tech support for you. Go to some real sewing stores and try out different brand and model machines. BabyLock, Juki,... etc. They are always happy to let you try out the machines and to help you find something that is right for you. Sometimes they have gotten a trade-in that they can offer you at a better price than new. You need to get out and look. Have fun!