Sewnoma

I want to find a machine that has as narrow and skinny a free-arm as possible, without going to industrial patcher machines or similar - I want a standard DSM.

I do some other crafting and sewing besides quilts, and I don't really have a good free-arm machine right now - I have a smaller modern Janome that has a free arm but it seems large (wide) to me, compared to what was on the old Pfaff I learned to sew on. (I should measure it...)

I'd like to find something that's not terribly rare or expensive, that doesn't take rare needles or need impossible-to-find parts. Zigzag ability would be nice too. But the main thing is to find the smallest diameter free-arm so if there's something really skinny I'm willing to spend some time hunting for it. I don't need a large throat for this so the overall machine can be a small one. (But I don't want to spend a fortune so that pretty much rules out a 222, lol)

What would you recommend? Am I asking for the moon?

J Miller

Vintage Berninas, 730, 830, 930 etc. have skinny free arms, zz, patterns and are really nice machines.

Joe

Macybaby

I measured what I have (but not the two new plastic wonders, elna and singer).

Circumference:

Singer Patcher 3.75"
Singer 222 7.25"
Viking 21A 8.75" (this is the oldest of the group, not counting the patcher)
Bernina 530 9"
Viking 6570 9.5"
Viking 990 10"
Pfaff 2140 10.25" (this is the newest of the group)

All but the two Singers are multi function machines. The last two are electronic with step motors, the rest are mechanical.

Macybaby

I will also add that the newer machines have wider, shallower arms, while the older have narrow, deeper arms.

I'd say that if you can get any of those I listed, in serviced condition, for under $200, you've done very well. All but the patcher take readily available needles and bobbins, though the Bernina takes a needle that isn't as easy to find as the rest. I think new Berninas take the 705H instead of the 705B. My husband did something to his so he could use the H needle, but I don't recall what that was. I think just an adjustment to the timing.

Sewnoma

So it's probably NOT my imagination that my newer machine has a wider free-arm than gran's 1954 Pfaff. That's good to know! I was thinking maybe I'm just crazy. (Which is still a possibility...)

THANK YOU so much for taking the time to measure all of those machines!!! Some of those measurements SOUND huge but I just curled up a piece of printer paper and it's not as big as they sounded at first. I eyeballed what I think would be an ideal size and measured it out and looks like I WANT something about 7-1/2" in circumference. Hmph. Maybe I can convince DH to buy me a 222 for my birthday? LOL

That patcher's arm sounds awesome, but I don't know anything about industrial machines and not sure I'm ready to learn...probably just being silly but it feels overwhelming to learn enough to make sure I'm getting what I need and for the right price and how to care for and maintain it...and aren't they pretty big, and need a stand? I don't have a lot of room... A 222 would sure fit into my house a lot better, but not into my budget very well at all!

Joe - I will look for some Bernie's to measure! I haven't ever sewn on a Bernina and am not at all familiar with them, but I don't mind branching out a bit. Do you happen to know if the ones you listed all take "regular" needles? So far all of the machines I use take standard needles and I'd LIKE to keep it that way, but that's not mandatory. I could survive having one or two "special" machines.

Macybaby

Bernina's "sort of" take regular needles. The story I was told, they didn't want to use the 705H (because H was too much like Husquvarna to them) so they have the 705B, and the scarf(?) is different.

I believe newer ones take the 705H, so now it's getting hard to find the 705B. I know we looked and looked and Dh finally did something to the machine so it would work using 705H needles. We had stopped at a couple of Bernina dealers, and were basically told "get rid of the old junk and get a new one" which of course, we had no intention of doing.

DH also says that the 830 Record we had, had a bigger arm (more like my 990) than the 530 we now have.

We need to get someone to measure an Elan Grasshopper for you, that is a smaller machine so it may be more like the 222, except it's going to cost a LOT less. And that should take regular 705H needles.

Sewnoma

I wish I knew more people in my guild and would feel comfortable sending out an email blast asking them all to measure their machines, LOL. I don't see other people doing stuff like that though, so that's probably a no-no. (Plus I think I've missed more meetings than I've attended, ooops)

I'm home from work now and just measured my Janome 3160 and I wasn't imagining that it was big, it measures out to almost 11-1/2" at the needle!

I happen to have a non-working copy of the machine I learned on (Pfaff 332-260) that I tend to forget about, so I just measured it too and its arm is 9-1/4. Not my "ideal" but pretty good for a non-miniature machine. I've been thinking of treating myself to getting this one fixed (if it can be) so that might do. I'd still like smaller if I can get it, though.

I'm actually not even sure what's wrong with it, but it sounded dire and frightening. Now that I'm more comfortable with machine guts I should at least open it up and see. I was so disappointed I just put it at the back of a high shelf so I wouldn't have to see it and think about how badly I got hosed on buying it. (Never drink and browse on ebay, it leads to unwise impulse buys!)

ThayerRags

I measured the 830 Record that I have handy in my Bike Shop for you, and it has a circumference of 9 1/8” at the needle.

My wife has her JC Penney 7057 set up on top of her 401A cabinet right now, so I measured it too. It has a 10” circumference, which should be the same as the Singer Stylist series of freearm machines such as the 538 and 834.

CD in Oklahoma

manicmike

Just measured my daughter's Stylist 498 and is indeed 10".

SteveH

Just measured the Viking 1030 ZZ and it is 9" even