What is the best straight stitche sewing machine?
 

So I have been looking on online for good sewing machines for me to piece on that way if I need to get my other sewing machine cleaned I can have a back up. I have looked at several but before ordering I would like to know if you have used these sewing machine's or know anything about them. I have read and researching them for a couple weeks know.

http://www.amazon.com/Brother-XR9500...VV5HP4KX3EK68Y

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKKPW3K?psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/Brother-XR1355...sewing+machine

If you are only looking for a good straight stitch, I would skip all of those machines and purchase a vintage Singer in good working condition. Check your local Craigslist, E-Bay, and GoodWill stores. You should be able to pick up a machine for $50 or under that needs some cleaning, or a machine that is cleaned and ready to go for under $200 ... with a cabinet.

Models 15 & 15-91 are good strong machines that can sew a beautiful straight stitch. The 15-91 is gear driven (no belts) and providing you keep it in good working order (oiled and cleaned), it will go forever. It's a fairly large and heavy machine. Another fantastic full size Singer is the model 201. I wish I had a 201 in my collection.

The model 99 is a smaller (3/4 size) machine and is also a nice machine.

The 401 and 221 (featherweight) are smaller and lighter weight machines, but both sew a great straight stitch. The featherweights are harder to come by at reasonable prices - expect to pay upwards of $200. The bonus for both of these machines is the portability - easier to travel with.

While I agree with DogHouseMom mostly, don't overlook vintage Japanese machines. I've got several 1950's Brother machines that will rival any Singer for stitch quality ( I have several Singers too) and can usually be found for less $$.
I can't really comment on the machines you're looking at, but for just a basic back up any of them might fit the bill.

Cari

I can tell you that I have a bunch of low end Brother machines and they are very good. I have the first one on your list and although I don't use it much in favor of a different low end Brother I am very pleased with all of them. I also collect and spruce up a few vintage machines. I have a featherweight, a 301, a 401, a very old red eye, a 15 without a motor that shares the treadle cabinet with the red eye, a 66 in a cabinet and a sew handy. The vintage ones took me years to collect. If you want something faster go for a Brother. If you have time to spare search out a vintage. It is easy to think you can just find a good vintage. And maybe you can. That has not been my experience. Good luck whichever way you go.

Thank you Stitchnripper, I will defiantly looking in to buying the first one just wanted some incite and yes I would love the get vintage machines, but haven't been able to get one. The lady that I wanted to buy it from was too far away for me to buy it from her.

I have a Juki and Babylock Jane. Both straight stitch only. They are all I use and I love both of them. I have four other machines, these are my favorites.

My old Pfaff makes a beautiful straight stitch! IDT is the way to go!

Although proponents of vintage machines have a low regard for the new machines....I will duck as machine parts come flying over my head....my feelings are get a NEW reasonably priced, good rep machine as a traveler or a backup or even the everyday go to machine.....vintage is for those who want to collect.......thought I really wanted a FW until I bought it...NOT!!!! Love my new plastic ones better!!!

I totally agree with this. I have several 15-91's, 201's, featherweight's, 301's and they are all terrific at straight stitch sewing. They are also very easy to maintain and rarely need a repairman.

I picked up a barely used Husqvarna viking for $150 off craigslist, doesn't have all the bells and whistles but it purrrs like a kitten, just love it. freesia 415. I was able to find an instructional video on line before purchasing. The poor woman bought it new then lost most of her vision. Her son had it posted for a year, can't believe my luck.

I also want to put in my vote for a vintage machine, I believe that their stitches will put to shame any new machine.

I agree that vintage machines are nifty. But if someone wants to start sewing and not go on a long quest to find a decent vintage machine that works then a newer one could be a starting place while the quest continues.

Absolutely! Get a machine with both upper and lower feed dogs. You'll never regret it. For years, Pfaff was the only brand of machine with them, now some others have top feed dogs built in (so you never need a walking foot, and top and bottom fabrics feed at the same rate. Thus, piecing points match!). I know Babylock makes some machines with top and bottom feed dogs built in, and some of the Janome machines have them as well. Not sure if there are others brands now. Just fyi, both my piecing machines have built in top feed dogs. The newer one is a Babylock and the other an older Pfaff. Once I experienced the joy of piecing with both feed dogs, there was no going back!

I bought a 9 inch throat Janome on Craigslist. It sews 1600 stitches a minute. Awesome!

I bought an old Singer 15-91 last summer and love it. The tension is forgiving, the stitches are beautiful and it is working really well for my FMQ. I'm new to sewing and bought the Singer for quilting because we were making the move to Ecuador and I wanted a machine that my husband could take care of for me. It is simple to use, runs like a champ and doesn't look like it will ever need a sewing machine repair person.

I agree with others. Skip the new Brother machines and either purchase a vintage Singer or a new Juki. I have both and they are definitely my favorites.mi also have a Husquavarna and a Brother. I use the Husquavarna for decorative or zigzag work and have not had the Brother out for a couple years. I really do not care for the Brother as I find it hard to trouble shoot when there is a problem with it.

I have several vintage Singers, and all of them have been GIVEN to me. Never paid a cent for them. I suggest you tell everyone you know that you are looking for an old machine, and I just bet Aunt Betty or Fred from down the street will tell you they found one in their Grandmother's attic. One of my dear QB friends was talking to me on the phone while she and her DH were on their way to church and saw an old machine in a front yard. Long story short, they picked it up for $5, cabinet was worth much more than that. I cleaned it up and it is in my bedroom in front of the TV. That is by far my favorite machine. My DS emailed me from work one day asking me if I wanted an old Singer portable that someone found while cleaning her Aunt's attic out. Another wonderful find. They are heavy machines but the straight stitch can't be beat. They are very easy to maintain, no dealer necessary. I love my electronic machines, but for a plain old machine, nothing beats an old Singer.

You don't have to duck, GeriB! I do everything except appliqué on my vintage singers, but also have two modern Janome machines! I think the advantage of the vintage machines is no plastic gears to break. They are all metal. The advantage to modern machines are all the decorative stitches and most are light weight.
For vintage I would recommend: singer 15-91, 201, 301, or a Featherweight (sorry, GeriB, I love mine).
For modern, I would recommend a Brother or Janome machine. I had a Brother 6000ci that was very good, but the needle always defaulted to the left and I would forget to center it when I had a straight stitch foot on. Broke a lot of needles that way, but otherwise a great little low cost machine! I think the more expensive Brothers default to the center.

Buy a machine that only does a straight stitch. The ones that can zig zag will have a slight zig if you look at them closely through a microscope. Old vintage machines are hard to beat!

I love my Singer Feather Weight for straight line piecing. My DH got mine off Ebay. I went to a FW class and I know how to take it apart, replace the belt and oil it. Just my 2 cents - Susan

.....slight "zig". Where/how. Don't have a microscope....don't want to buy one either......

I have found that my Singer 301 is excellent for the job. It is a basic machine forward and backward only. The feed dogs can go down so you can machine quilt, Very little goes wrong with it as it is a basic machine. If you are a speed demon, this is the machine for you but you have great control of fabric.
It is like a souped up Featherweight--

I've been quite happy with low end Brother machines. Usualky I end up passing them on to friends or family needing a machine. Lol!

However I will hang on for dear life to my Featherweight! I use it almost exclusively.

Love my Singer 15-91. (Paid $80 in a cabinet with no attachments.) And love my Pfaff. I totally agree, I am also spoiled with the IDT.
My next machines will be a Singer 201-2 and a Juki 2010Q.
If you do go the vintage route I strongly recommend purchasing a walking foot, wished I bought mine much sooner. Found it cheaper online vs local store. Good luck!

I have the Brother XR9500, I've had it for a while and love it. Have used some of the decorative stitches and it works great. I bought it as a back up and to take to classes because it is lightweight compared to my other machines. I also have a featherweight, I use it but it is mostly for looks. I like the Brother because you can just about take it to any sewing machine repair shop for service and parts are usually available. With the featherweight service and parts in my area are hard to come by.

The 301 is called the Featherweight on steroids. Mine came with a "Zig-zag attachment". It works well if the fabric is firm enough or starched. It also has a buttonholer that works much better than my $2,000 Bernina.

I use a Babylock Jane for straight stitching. Jane handles the bulkiness of quilts, denim, leather, etc with ease. She is easy to clean, and if purchased new, quite a few different feet come home with her. Some of those feet included a hopping foot for FMQ, a walking foot, and a 1/4" foot. Jane is mechanical, so don't expect any means for computerized design or s stitch regulator or even a zig zag stitch. Jane is completely a straitch machine with a 9' throat. Check out your Babylock dealer....store demo models are being sold to make way for newer products.

Vintage machine for straight stitching hands down. My favorite is either the 15 or the 301. I've purchased many straight stitch machines for $20 and have been given some. Don't spend big bucks for a straight stitch only machine. That's money that can be spent elsewhere.

I have a cheap Kenmore and I love it...

Sorry I have to disagree with you about the vintage machines only being for collectors. I have a 201 and a featherweight that I love and use all the time plus an older Pfaff that I wouldn't trade for anything. Many ladies in my quilt group also have and use vintage Singers regularly. So far I have not had to have any of them serviced, my husband checks them out for me and keeps them cleaned and oiled. By the way I don't consider myself a collector. Forgot to mention that I take the featherweight or the Pfaff to retreats or my quilt group. The 201 is way too heavy and is in a cabinet so it stays home.

[QUOTE=oklahomamom2;7198538]So I have been looking on online for good sewing machines for me to piece on that way if I need to get my other sewing machine cleaned I can have a back up.

Singer 301 slant, my favorite over all the other one's I've sewn with, and it comes with a handle. With the narrow feed dogs you can sew tiny pieces without having them bunch up or being "eaten", and the straight stitch is perfect. I have not tried it for FMQ, just piecing, mending, and sewing tiny gowns for foreign mission work. It's so much easier to sew close to the edge with this machine. I have a house overflowing with sewing machines, some fairly new, but most vintage, and still go to the 301.

If you want a machine right now, I'd go to WalMart and get the mid to high end Brother, don't touch the cheapest one. A friend has had several of the WalMart Brothers and she is hard on machines, yet they keep on producing. Her only reason for buying new ones is that she goes back and forth between states and will leave one with a relative.

My best stitching machine is my 404 Singer bought in 1962. My mom's Singer 301 was very good too.

I have a Brothers 1500s straight stitch only with a 9" throat. I love it and do all my piecing and FMQ on it. It comes with a FM foot and also a walking foot. It has adjustment know for presser foot pressure with is really nice since you can adjust the pressure foot pressure high for quilting and lower for piecing. I got it on amazon for $600 with free shipping and no tax. warranty if good since amazon is an authorides dealer. Also I would suggest that you go to dealer and "test drive" machines to see which one you like.

Vintage machines are like potato chips. You try just one...and then suddenly you have 14 or so.

My kenmore has the best straight stich and 1/4 inc of all my machines, I have Brother, pfaff, and baby lock!