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I tried to work on a couple of the cheap Brothers---they are WIMPS! the motors are not very good, unless for two pieces of light cotton!
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I agree, go with consumers report.
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Thanks everyone for all your advice. I do know that Brothers and Baby Locks are cousins and I've never had a problem with my little Baby Lock. I'm sure like anything, where you buy something, makes a difference. As for the Warrenty, yes it would be a PITA to have to ship it to Brother for it to be fixed.
My Sew and Vac shop in Longview sells Brother/Baby Lock machines and most are really high end in the thousands of dollars. They do have trade-ins, but I've never seen anything in my price range. I was told by one shop to steer clear of EBay on machines right now, because they could be some from flooded or tornado damaged areas and are wanting to get rid of them and the consumer is stuck with something worse. |
I would suggest the SQ 9000, in fact almost bought the only one left marked down at my local Walmart because I know friends with that model & they love it, I like the extra features. Since I didn't need it, just wanted it, I told a friend, she bought it.
I do have a low cost Walmart Brother, about 4 or 5 years old, I love it, great for travel & classes. It did need repair, I contacted Brother, they told me to take it to my local authorized Brother dealer for repair, that dealer fixed it quickly & cheerfully, no problems. |
Yes, to those who warned about repair. My local sewing machine dealer will not work on anything purchased at a discount store. Fair? Maybe, but it's his business to do as he wishes.
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Originally Posted by marcialb
Originally Posted by reeskylr
I know some don't or won't purchase a Walmart machine, but, to those who would purchase, I have a dilemma.
My Walmart is moving some machines out because they are going to be bringing new ones in. So they are really marked down for clearance and one is the Brother 80 stitch that is normally 199.99. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-80...chine/14237606 It is marked down to 154.00. There is also the Brother Project Runway which normally sells for 149.00. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-50...chine/14237605 Marked down to 109.00 Which one is the best deal. I'm leaning toward the 80 stitch due to the table it comes with. But, the Project Runway is consumer's Digest Best Buy and would save me a few dollars when money is tight. Oh right now I have a 10 year plus Baby Lock Proline with like 20 stitches. Never ever had a problem with it, I just want one that does a bit more and it is time to upgrade. Thanks for any input. |
Originally Posted by vickig626
Originally Posted by marcialb
Originally Posted by reeskylr
I know some don't or won't purchase a Walmart machine, but, to those who would purchase, I have a dilemma.
My Walmart is moving some machines out because they are going to be bringing new ones in. So they are really marked down for clearance and one is the Brother 80 stitch that is normally 199.99. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-80...chine/14237606 It is marked down to 154.00. There is also the Brother Project Runway which normally sells for 149.00. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-50...chine/14237605 Marked down to 109.00 Which one is the best deal. I'm leaning toward the 80 stitch due to the table it comes with. But, the Project Runway is consumer's Digest Best Buy and would save me a few dollars when money is tight. Oh right now I have a 10 year plus Baby Lock Proline with like 20 stitches. Never ever had a problem with it, I just want one that does a bit more and it is time to upgrade. Thanks for any input. |
i bought a 'Runway' from our walmart just to have an extra.
it sews great and goes very FAST. also because it was an inexpensive machine i feel like i can try things like Lola Jenkins portrait stitching on it. i wish i had gone to the next higher priced machine because it has the optional 'needle up or down' button and the 'speed control'. i really like those features on my "good" machine. |
Originally Posted by reeskylr
Thanks everyone for all your advice. I do know that Brothers and Baby Locks are cousins and I've never had a problem with my little Baby Lock. I'm sure like anything, where you buy something, makes a difference. As for the Warrenty, yes it would be a PITA to have to ship it to Brother for it to be fixed.
My Sew and Vac shop in Longview sells Brother/Baby Lock machines and most are really high end in the thousands of dollars. They do have trade-ins, but I've never seen anything in my price range. I was told by one shop to steer clear of EBay on machines right now, because they could be some from flooded or tornado damaged areas and are wanting to get rid of them and the consumer is stuck with something worse. |
I have the Brother Project Runway and I love it and have had no problems with it.
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Remember these are sold at Walmart, not Walmart machines. That being said, I have a Brother that was a rebuilt NOT top of the line. I bought the walking foot and the darning foot, etc. I had a lot of trouble with it which I attributed to my lack of experience. Several others in our group had purchased the Singer 7469Q and I was encouraged to follow. I finally did after 6 - 8 months. World of difference for me. Again, I emphasize that the lower end Brother was not good for me, an inexperienced seamstress who jumped right into quilting
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I have the Project Runway Limited Edition CE-5000PRW. I love it. It's a great machine for the price, sews perfectly. The only trouble I a having with it is free motion quilting and the bobbin thread. I can't seem to get the tension right, but I think it's more human error than the machine. I am a newbie to sewing as well as FMQ and I am pretty sure I'm doing something wrong. Otherwise, it's a great machine. Oh and I still have not used all the decorative stitches it has. I have had it almost a year now and it is a workhorse, with the right needle, there's no stpping this machine lol
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I bought the Brother SQ9000 from Walmart about a year ago so that I would have a machine to take to classes. I've been very pleased. My main machine is a Bernina 440 but it's way too heavy to carry around. I have the directions for the Brother SQ9000 to change the default needle position when you turn the machine on (I changed mine to center), and to change the needle so it defaults to needle up. The default positions are very easy to change. If anyone needs the directions, just send me an email.
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TeddyB1967: have you tried the thin rubber bobbin case washers? they go in the bobbin case and they do help on some machines. you get them from LQS or quilt catalogs, i cut one out of a flat, rubber gripper bottle opener(one of those advertising ones from our local bank) for my daughter-in-law to put in her machine.
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I have a Brother SE350 which I bought at WM 3 years ago. I use it every day. It has a beautiful stitch. I had a problem last fall when the feed dogs slipped down. Called a private sewing machine repair shop and he fixed, cleaned, an adjusted it in a matter of 3 days. I told him that I had a back up machine but this one was my favorite. My back up machine was also purchased at WM.
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hmmm, I think I will go to my local Walmart and check it out...I have been looking at their brother machines in the past. I now have a viking, but I like the little table on the one brother, altho DH has cut me a plexi makeshift one for this machine. I don't take any of my machines to a quilt store for repairs/cleaning, did once and got ripped off, said cleaned, did not!!! Never went back for anything.....there are authorized sewing machine repair shops around.....and if you keep the machine's moving parts as clear of lint as you can, by compressed air, "lint mop" the thing will go for a long time.....JMHO
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Originally Posted by reeskylr
I know some don't or won't purchase a Walmart machine, but, to those who would purchase, I have a dilemma.
My Walmart is moving some machines out because they are going to be bringing new ones in. So they are really marked down for clearance and one is the Brother 80 stitch that is normally 199.99. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-80...chine/14237606 It is marked down to 154.00. There is also the Brother Project Runway which normally sells for 149.00. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brother-50...chine/14237605 Marked down to 109.00 Which one is the best deal. I'm leaning toward the 80 stitch due to the table it comes with. But, the Project Runway is consumer's Digest Best Buy and would save me a few dollars when money is tight. Oh right now I have a 10 year plus Baby Lock Proline with like 20 stitches. Never ever had a problem with it, I just want one that does a bit more and it is time to upgrade. Thanks for any input. |
Buy it while they've got it! My 14 year old baby died 2 days ago (motherboard, original price $2500). After a severe mourning period I went shopping for a new machine. My dealer tried to sell me on a Babylock Molly; 1/4 the features and 2x (sale) the price of the SQ9000. I bought the SQ9000. At $154 I won't grieve nearly as bad if it dies before I do!
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Originally Posted by janjer
TeddyB1967: have you tried the thin rubber bobbin case washers? they go in the bobbin case and they do help on some machines. you get them from LQS or quilt catalogs, i cut one out of a flat, rubber gripper bottle opener(one of those advertising ones from our local bank) for my daughter-in-law to put in her machine.
Thanks for the info. I will have to give this a shot and see if it works for me. |
If money is tight go with the cheaper one.
I have the other one and it sews well for what it does. Go with what you feel you can afford and is best for you right now. I don't think you'll have issues with either one of them. |
Originally Posted by bakermom
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/warra...em_id=14237606
These machines come with a warrenty. I don't believe an authorized repair person can refuse warrenty work. Now if something's not covered you may have to ship it back to Brother for repair. http://www.brother-usa.com/VirData/C...Embroidery.pdf I agree! And if they refuse to service it and are listed as service repairman for that brand just report them to the company. Personally I consider such machines as "throw aways" after a couple years even if it has several years warranty on it. Now if such a machine was several hundred dollars more or even a thousand or so I'd expect it to last 25 plus years. |
Originally Posted by Candace
Yes, anyone can refuse to repair a machine. Happens all the time. Or the cost of the repair is more than the machine cost originally.
Not if they are an authorized dealer they can't. If they do report them to the company. It's up to the consumer to decide if they want to pay for repairs even if it is more than the machine cost originally. Most customers upon hearing such will just buy another one if it cost more than what they could get a new machine for. |
Originally Posted by Candace
Yes, anyone can refuse to repair a machine. Happens all the time. Or the cost of the repair is more than the machine cost originally.
Not if they are an authorized dealer they can't. If they do report them to the company. It's up to the consumer to decide if they want to pay for repairs even if it is more than the machine cost originally. Most customers upon hearing such will just buy another one if it cost more than what they could get a new machine for. |
Originally Posted by Dingle
I have the SQ-9000. Never a problem. I like that it came with quilting feet. The walking foot was great. I like the up-down needle position but the best thing I like is not having to use the foot pedal. Push a button and your off and running. :thumbup:
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I have that Brother you are talking about....Brother SQ9000? I like it. It's simple to use, even in choosing the decorative stitches, and it includes some monogram stitches, too. It's a little workhorse. You can program start up preferences, like needle position. It also has a needle up button. Also has speed control setting, which I love for doing machine applique...your foot can't accidentally push down too hard on the pedal and make the machine go too fast and off course! It's a great deal at $154. :thumbup:
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I have the SQ900 and have no problems with it. And it was bought from Wal Mart.
I think you will like it. The table is a really nice addition. And it comes with tons of feet, so you don't have to buy any. |
Originally Posted by Katydid2
No comment on deciding which one, but my local quilt store will not work on a machine that is bought from one of the "box" stores. Just a thought if you need service.
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The new ones they're bringing in probably won't be made as well as these, at least that seems to be what's happening with sewing machines. Sounds like a great deal for either one. I'm going to check it out tomorrow at our local store.
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Also, you could go with a vintage machine that is all metal and easy to maintain yourself. Some from the 1960's are still all metal and make nice straight stitches and have cams to make decorative stitches. You can get one for under $200. You might consider that too!! My travel partner is a Singer 301, shown in my avatar. She's wonderful, only a straight stitch machine, but I do decorative on my SQ9000.
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I have a Brother CS6000. It is great. Has about 50 stitches. I use it to take to classes, etc.
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I bought a machine on a clearance at WalMart about 5 years ago, got it home, set it up, it didn't work. WM would not take it back even though I had the receipt. They said I had to send it to Brother. I called local repairman and he wouldn't work on it.
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[quote=clsurz]
Originally Posted by Candace
Yes, anyone can refuse to repair a machine. Happens all the time. Or the cost of the repair is more than the machine cost originally.
Not if they are an authorized dealer they can't. If they do report them to the company. Again, we will have to agree to disagree because this doesn't happen in my world!! |
I just came back from WalMarts. Of course I went to look at the Brother machines. I had one in my shopping cart for $109.00 I think it said 80 stitches. Anyway I talked myself right out of it and put it back on the shelf. I have a Brothers serger, found at a yard sale, and I love it.
I just bought a Monarch, in cabinet, at a yard sale for $20.00. So I really didn't need another machine. Hope I don't talk myself into going back and getting it. |
Go with the Consumer's Report maching but don't get rid of the baby Lock.
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I have the project runway-purchased at Walmart-and I really like it. The stitches are nice and the button holes are wonderful. Sorry I don't know anything about the other machine.
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I have the 9000 brother and love it. It sew's really nice. I love the needle down. The only thing I dont like is when i turn it on the needle is always on the left side. I always have to move it to the middle. I did brake a needle one time because of it.
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I picked up a Project Runway at a garage sale and it works great. I love it almost as much as my other machines.
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I just bought the Brother Project Runway machine and I love it. I paid $149.00 for mine. I'm still wet behind the ears when it comes to sewing and quilting, but this machine is a breeze to use, compact enough for my "sewing table" which is actually my coffee table. It sews denim like a dream and it has some fancy stitches on it as well. I'd love to be able to afford a really big expensive mahcine that does everything but this little workhorse is fine for now. It really is a great little machine.
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I bought the Project Runway Brother about 2 yrs ago and love it! I take it to sewing class because it is so light and it has not given me any problems.
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Originally Posted by MommaDorian
I've had 3 Brother machines. The first one came from Walmart. I had it serviced at an authorized Brother dealer, but she did tell me that not all will do it.
How can they be sure where you bought it? |
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