Bernina 717 & 730
 

I can buy both for $80. Pros, cons, advice on the differences between them? Anyone thrilled with machines like these? Thanks for sharing.

Both of them? Yeah. Good deal.

I have a 730 with a broken gear, and cannot wait to fix it! (too many other machines to fix first, though!) I have read -such- great things about them. Apparently they have a special mechanism on their zigzag which makes the best zig zag and satin stitch in the Whole. Wide. World.

Apparently the 720 is every bit as good or better than the 830, but the 830 is all expensive and coveted. The 730 is the unsung hero.

I am merely parroting what I have read, by the way. I have not sewn with my 730.

Is the 717 the minimatic? I love that word. Mini Matic. I would have to have it just because it is called the MiniMatic.

Where are they so I can go get them. LOL

I bought a 720 (from the eighties) and it's brilliant! I'm favoring it over my Brother Deluxe Zig Zag and my Copper Kenmore. Both machines go for $100 plus used on Ebay and parts are coveted too. So It's definitely a great deal for the price your stating. ;) I lucked out with mine paying only $25. :D Mine is mostly metal, aluminium with a plastic cam stack and that thing that you remove to make it a free arm thingy. Plus two of the side panels so roughly 75-80% metal with a bit of plastic.

I did a google search and found this link. If you're talking about the machine from the 60's Totally buy it, it's definitely worth it. http://www.retrotechgeneva.net/2012/...na-record.html

I'd say go for it!!!

Gonna pick up tonight. Looks like the 730 does not have the extension table or any attachments. Would that be a showstopper. Should I just get the 717? I think to find the table would be more than its worth? And id find it annoying sewing on it without. Am I being too picky?

Yes. Honestly, yes.

What Candace said. I watch Berninas of all modles on shopgoodwill.com and have yet to see an auction end for less than $100 for a lesser models and some of the others such as the 730s and 830s will easily top over $200.

For the price you mentioned you should have them at home bragging about them.

Joe

I did get them home and cleaned, oiled set the tension. The 717 sounds like a 99 and the 730 sounds like a 201. My first vintage berninas :)

The knee lift on the 730 - drives me NUTS....I almost have to sit on an angle to get the knee thing moving. Just weird. Would love to get a foot pedal for it. But images I see of the side....mine doesn't have a plug for one. Thought Swiss design would have thought of that. LOL.

I am looking forward to using the invisible zipper foot - something I do not have but have been pining for a long while.

Glad you are back at home Joe. You were missed!

And the cam gear is intact on the 730? If yes, you definitely made out like a bandit.