Bernina 1030 - holding my breath!
 

I'm going to see a Bernina 1030 tomorrow. It's four times what I've ever paid for a sewing machine, so this is a big decision. But I've somehow lost my treadling zen since 35 years ago when I used to sew with one, and I'm so frustrated trying to use the more modern machines - I have a Brother XL-3200 and Singer 5050, which both bog down easily if there's any thickness. My granddaughter's birthday is next week and I'm trying to finish a dress for her and matching doll dress.

Anyway, I went online and read about machines people really love and compared with what's on Craigslist and came up with the 1030. (There's also a Bernina 830, but it's $125 more, further away, and appears to not have the knee lift).

So, I'm looking to you for advice! What should I look for? Any red flags? Does the 1030 have a knee lift?
I understand that the feet are expensive, but I guess I'll just get what they have. It comes with a manual. Any other advice?

Just curious - what's a walking foot for? I saw several people say they had or wanted one - don't know if this has one, but I wondered how they're used.

One more thing - I'm entirely self taught. No one in my family sewed much and my friends don't sew, so I'll be on my own (other than the internet!) figuring out how to use this. I've read that the Berninas are easy to use...is that true?

Thank you as always for your kindness and willingness to share your wisdom!

I can't help you a bit, but hang on here. Someone will be here who knows. These people are so good to help.

Typically if I'm interested in a machine I research it using the net and decide if it will fit my needs. Test drive and price should help you decide if it's the machine for you. You can find what accessories go with which models by googling. There should also be lots of reviews available on the net to read through.

I love my Bernina 830 Record. It just purrs like a kitten and makes beautiful stitches. I would bet the 1030 does, too! Take your time looking at it - try all the stitches (take some scraps of the type of material you use most, also the thread and a new needle if possible). Ask the seller to go over everything possible with you. Berninas are awesome machines!

I don’t recall test-sewing any machine that I ever bought. The Seller of an Industrial Consew 225 flipped the switch to show me that the clutch motor ran, but I think that’s been the extent of it. I didn’t even ask him to do that, and I was paying a pretty penny for the machine.

I picked up my 570th sewing machine today. I keep a database of all of the machines that I own or have owned. It’s a Singer 221. The Seller says that it works, but I haven’t even plugged it in yet. If the Seller was mistaken (tongue deeply embedded in cheek), I figure that I can probably get it going anyway.

I’m sorry, but test-sewing at purchase to me, is not a good idea. Test-sewing at the Sellers location can be stressful and lead to basic mistakes that kill the deal. If you use your thread, and the machine is set to use another size thread, you’re not going to be happy. The tensions will probably be off. If the fabric that you toted along to use for a sample is something vastly different than the machine has been set up to sew, you’re not going to be happy. If you want to simply let them show you how well it sews with their thread and their fabric, then go for it. It will probably sew well with your thread, your needle size, your fabric, and your type of sewing....

I should probably mention that I don’t care for, and have never bought a Bernina.

CD in Oklahoma

Hello!

My mom owns a Bernina 1130 It's still going strong. She bought it brand new in 1984 a year before my baby brother was born. Just recently she had to replace the light bulb for the very first time. LOL The 1030 is a good solid mechanical machine. It uses the 'old style' foot basically unlike modern low shank feet instead of it sliding on side way, think of the Bernina as having a boot that slides down in to the feet. I think ebay has sets for the old style feet for cheaper than the dealers.

A walking foot basically is a foot that grabs the fabric from the top along with the feed dogs on the bottom. Think of the regular feet like this, the feed dogs grip the fabric from beneath while letting the top slide through under the presser foot. A walking foot essentially grabs both top and bottom fabric at the same speed so if the fabric is slippery then it's being pulled in at the same rate. I hope that makes sense.

If you go to the bernina website and check out their mechanical machines link they have a model 1008 that goes for about $1200 I know used that same model goes for roughly around $500. I was just checking one out at mom's bernina dealer *see new light bulb* lol These models are in the same series. The used one i was checking out was used in a costuming department of a large university. They just updated their machines so it was available. It ran pretty good for it's age and how much it probably was used.

It's a good mechanical machine. Replacement foot pedals run about $150, light bulbs about $5. My mom's machine (1130) is a higher series number and had a knee lift that you might have to ask about. I'm not sure about the 1030.

As for ease of use, I learned to sew first on the Bernina (mom's machine), then on the Singers (Jr. High Home Ec. Classes) Even then I found Bernina's easier to use, or maybe it was mom hand holding me as i used her baby. LOL

Hope this helps. :D If the machine is under $400 it's a good price, get her serviced and she'll last you forever. As I said mom's machine just recently burned out a light bulb for the first time since 1984. She's an avid quilter. :D

Not everyone wants to repair machines . I don't care if it works or not, but most people (and sounds like the OP is one since she's new), want a machine that actually sews. If she is paying a premium price, she should know it will do what she needs. If the owner can't prove it's operational, and she can't sew with it...that's a big piece of info. she should know.

Parts and accessories like a foot control may cost as much as the expense of buying it. Berninas don't come cheap and neither do the parts. If it needs any sort of repair test driving it would be the way to go.

Agreed. But test-drive it with the thread and fabric that it’s set up to work with. No offense intended Candace. It’s just that if the test sew is done with something other than that, I just wanted to point out that the results may not be as good as expected.

CD in Oklahoma

Thanks to everyone for the advice!

I read everything I could find online and saved pictures of the 1030 with all the feet, accessories, etc., in preparation. We drove up to Albany (equipped with fabric and thread) and the owner already had the machine set up for a test run. Since I'd never seen a Bernina, it took me a while to figure out how to try everything, and we ended up staying for about three hours! I tried many, but not all, of the stitches, and made sure the buttonhole function worked.

I didn't catch on immediately, but when I actually read the front, it turned out to be a 1020, not a 1030. It doesn't have the knee lift, but I found a table extension (missing a screw and with a broken off corner section) in the closet. Also missing: the darning ring/arm, cleaning brush, extra needles, and screwdriver. It has feet: 0, 1, 2, 3, 3b, 4, 5, and 9. It has a manual - yay! The cover is canvas.

The owner was gracious in offering a price reduction, so we ended up with a price I think was fair.

I don't think I'd be happy if I bought a sewing machine that didn't need some work! When I was testing it, it was pretty loud with a pronounced squeak. So, I came home and took off the stich plate and opened the bobbin area. It was packed full of lint. When I tried to open the the oil, I discovered that the top had never been punctured! I hope that she was just using a different oil and not that the poor machine has gone for years without any. As soon as I finished cleaning and oiling, everything was quiet and smooth.

I'd been working on a dress for my granddaughter, and just had to do the buttonholes and hem. It's amazing to sew on this. The buttonhole function works well, and the foot for hems keeps everything lined up perfectly. I've never had anything like this! I decided I'm happy about the model and can call her KDKA for the radio station in Pittsburgh, where I grew up, which is at 1020 AM.

So, here's a picture of the new baby.

Here's a picture of the dress - mostly sewn on other machines, but still the first project. I am just so excited about this machine! But I forgot to mention that the owner said her favorite machine EVER was a Featherweight, which she'd already sold. Someday...