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Old 02-20-2014, 04:24 AM
  #17  
miriam
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Join Date: Mar 2011
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Posts: 15,506
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We aren't suppose to buy and sell things on this part of the forum. I would recommend looking on Craig's List in your area. There are quite a few people on this board who repair and then sell on CL. That said, there are TONS and TONS of older sewing machines that will do what you are asking. Many have been mentioned. However, you need to look for something in good condition not just a model name or number. When you buy a straight stitch machine check the sewing on it to make sure it sews a nice stitch. Check to see if it has been cleaned of lint and dried oil. Some people want one that does zig zag - check to see if it goes in zig zag and does reverse. Does it bother you to sew on a machine that has the needle to the left? Check needle position. See if the stitch length and width still adjust. See if it turns freely. Check the wiring to make sure it isn't broken or frayed. Check to see if it will sew through heavy and light material. If you buy it on CL you might find someone who works on them and will be willing to work on it if something isn't right. If you don't mind doing your own work then you can get something for cheap and learn to do the clean up and repairs yourself. As far as cost goes expect to pay a few dollars more for one that has been cleaned up for you but the ones needing work can be all over the map for prices and can be found at yard sales, thrift stores, Craig's List and Ebay. As far as personal favorites, I like a good Singer 403 or 503 - they are simple to use and maintain and do everything the more complicated 401 and 500 do - those are good machines too though. Then there are Kenmores. I've seen some problems with Kenmore reverse and control knobs. There are some really good older simple White, Brother, New Home, Montgomery Ward, JC Penny and other non-Singer machine, too. The costs will not be huge. There are any number of old Japanese machines. I would look for the ones with drop in disks rather than a built in camstack. We have a huge amount of info here about the vintage machines. It could take a month of reading to look at all there is here on Quilting Board.
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