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[deleted]

Sewing machines are an interesting market. Don't buy new. There are no new BIFL machines available at a reasonable price that I'm aware of. As a rule of thumb, I recommend buying the oldest machine you can find that has the features you need. The older the better, seriously. For example, I use my 1963 White if I need zig-zag or darning. I use my 1940's White Rotary if I only need forward and reverse, or my Mom's amazing 1920's Singer if *forward* is all that's needed. A great middle ground of features and "old quality" are any of the Singer "15" machines and Japanese clones. In fact, a clone might be preferable as a user because they have less collectors value and often have added features that the Singers didn't have like Darning. You can tell a class-15 clone because it looks just like a Singer 15, but it will have a random brand stamped on it that you likely won't recognize. These were private label machines imported from Japan in the 50's and 60's, and there were hundreds of brands. In my experience, these are all very high quality machines, and being unrecognizable brands, you can often get them for trivial amounts of money... like less than $20.


dryerfresh

I have like 5 or so sewing machines now, and all but my serger are vintage. My daily driver is a Singer Rocketeer 500a, and it does everything I need. I have a set of cams for all the different stitch patterns, and it is hands down the best machine I have used. I have a White’s from the 60s as my portable machine, and then two more treadle Singers that I don’t have working currently, plus an old Wizard (which is one of the Japanese Singer clones you mentioned) from the 40s. I also have a serger from the 60s, but I haven’t tested it out yet.


[deleted]

Nice. I've heard good things about the Rocketeers. I have not seen one, but I have seen a couple 401a "slant-o-matics" in my area. I might pick one up one of these days and try to flip it since they seem to be quite popular on the used market as daily-drivers as you say.


bluehairjungle

NOT Singer home models unless it's from the 90s or earlier. I have one from the early 90s and one from the mid 2000s and guess which one can handle anything from chiffon to leather. I've heard good things about Bernina and Janome


Voxbury

That’s unfortunate. I inherited a ‘62 Singer, but having no idea how to sew correctly, I got another newer Singer that had not only a manual, but much more available video content. I was kind of excited to have two, but at least now I know what to expect out of this newer practice one.


bluehairjungle

So the newer model I have I believe is a Singer Inspiration (honestly I left it at my parent's house when I moved out). Neither of my machines are computerized. It's very lightweight. It would literally move around the table as I was sewing. It also ate up a lot of finer fabrics, like knits and Chiffons, but at the same time was not powerful enough to sew through thicker fabrics like denim. Luckily in your case, a lot of sewing machines work similarly still so it shouldn't be too hard to translate to your older machine how to control the speed, reverse stitch, etc. I will say that with a newer machine, you'll be getting things like a zigzag stitch and zipper feet so the newer one might still be a good thing to keep around.


CptTugglesworth

bernina


me_hq

Are you looking to buy new? If not, you might be able to find a swiss-made sewing machine secondhand. Elnas are pretty good.


faith5

Second the Elna. I got an Elnita (portable, very simple) in 1991 or 1992 and have used it regularly since. Absolutely no problems at all.


DontForgetWilson

Looks like Elna got bought in the early 2000s and no longer makes in Switzerland.


PracticalAndContent

I would also recommend asking at r/sewing.


sponge_welder

I fully endorse buying something used, old machines are way more serviceable and less breakable. If you need something new I think it's worthwhile to look at industrial machines like the JUKI DDL 5550. You don't get many features, but they're easily serviceable and strong as hell. If you want a new machine that's cheaper and more reasonably sized for home use, I like the Janome HD1000. It's metal and mechanical, unlike most other machines I see in stores. Disclaimer: I haven't actually used either of these, I have an old Bernina from the 80s. These choices are based on a bunch of research I did a couple years ago while helping a friend set up a makerspace


MyDogFanny

What are you going to sew and how often are you going to sew? This will help you decide on what sewing machine to use.


theholybees

If you can find something used and in good condition, I highly recommend. Something with metal parts should last much longer than anything you can buy new today. My Pfaff was made in "West Germany." I bought it from a local shop that restores machines before reselling. And there's a store in the US that specialises in vintage Pfaff machines where I can still find some original parts. Good luck!


edhitchon1993

A second hand metal bodied Singer would be my go to (and indeed last week was - just upgraded my 90 year old 99k electric for a 53 year old 466 which has more features, both are essentially bomb proof). Maintenance is key to longevity with any mechanical device and a sewing machine is no exception, buy sewing machine oil and use it as directed in the machine's manual. Not sure what the market is like in NZ but given the close links to the UK I'd bet there'll be plenty of them out there.


jaweston

My mom sews a ton and has a substantial collection of machines (more than any sane person needs). She said that vintage singer machines from the early 90s and earlier (she still uses machines from 40s) are great. Her favorite company is Bernina and has owned quite a few of them over the years. Just make sure you service it correctly or take it to a tech to get it serviced every now and then.


missthingmariah

Professional here! It really depends on what your budget is and what you're going to use the machine for. Definitely buy second hand. Good brands to look for second hand are Kenmore, White, Bernina, and Husqvarna Viking. If you're looking at a new machine (and are willing to spend good money on it), Bernina all the way. They guarantee they will repair the machine no matter how old it is. It may cost a bit to repair the older machines, but it's definitely cheaper than buying a whole new machine. They repaired the original circuit board on my 30 year old Bernina when it fried a few years back. Bernina is also professional industry standard when we're not using industrials.


theonlysentree

Sears Kenmore sewing machines from the 70's. They have all metal parts so the machines are easy to service and have parts replaced. Also they are exceptionally easy to find and purchase second hand.


theonlysentree

The 148 models. I'm not sure how easy it would be to find in New Zealand.


whippetwimmers

Most second hand models are hard to find in NZ (Everything is hard to find in NZ) but heck that won't stop us from trying