carolynjo

I still do my primary piecing on my 1958 Singer 401A and I still love that old tank! Has been "in hospital" only once, last year, when I turned it upside down accidentally.

quiltjoey

I have several old Singers and a FW. I use my Viking Designer I for sewing and piecing and my Viking Ruby for embroidering. My FW has become my traveling machine. They all sew very good and I don't have issues with any of them.

tlpa

I have a mechanical Bernina that I use for my quilting...wonderful stitching..I use my computerized machines for piecing

laughingquilter

Ditto to this - - I have a Bernina 440 QE that I love but I honestly use my 1950 Singer Featherweight more because I prefer that for piecing.......

Sewnoma

I grew up sewing on a machine from the 50's (my grandmother's Pfaff 332-260) and that thing sure was a tank.

But I'm still pretty young and maybe that makes the difference....I love my modern, computerized sewing machines. Needle up/down button, settable default needle position, scissor cut button!?!? Oh yeah baby!!

I still love the looks of the older machines though, and if I could get my hands on my grandmother's machine I would definitely thread the old darling up and use her just for sentiment's sake. And some day I think I'm going to have to buy a Singer Slant-o-matic, just because I am absolutely enamored with how that machine looks. Today's machines have awesome features but compared to those vintage machines they don't have much style! (With some notable exceptions, of course.)

I feel the same way about cars, actually. My car is a modern miracle with every technological doo-dad I could add to it (and I actually USE those doo-dads too) and I love my car, but those glorious old Buicks and Packards and Chevys and Fords sure do turn my head. I kinda want one, but I'm also awfully fond of airbags and GPS.

QuiltnLady1

I love the stitches that I get with my Elna Supra (vintage 1972) but I am spoiled with the needle up/down and thread cutter of my Janome 7700. I an looking covetously at the Janome 8900. Just may be able to swing it as a moving expense since we are downsizing -- what do you folks think?

maryb119

I have 2 Pfaff computerized machines and I love them both. I use them for sewing and quilting. I use a mechanical machine at work and believe me, I prefer the computerized ones.

StephyH2

I love my Janome Horizon 8200, it's a dream to sew everything on, until recently when my thread breaks with FMQ, perfect for everything else still, go figure.. have to bite the bullet and take it in for a service I think, I shall go through withdrawals as I only have a tiny brother otherwise. Ok for simple sewing but no good for anything else.

miriam

Your older machine does not have a way to stop with the needle all the way up so you have to be the one to make sure the thread take up lever is all the way to the top when you take fabric out of the machine. If the needle is up but the take up lever is not all the way up you will have tangles. It is a user problem not the machine.

miriam

I sold my Janome and have been using all mechanical machines ever since. My sewing improved and I am happier. Has anybody else noticed that you have a lot of neck fatigue when you sew on some machines? I like the Singer 403 and the Singer 15 (or a Singer 15 clone) because I don't get neck fatigue - I think it is because I can see what I am doing so much better on those machines.