Buying a second hand sewing machine

[Racecardriver]

I want to get back into sewing so I only need something fairly basic and don't want to spend too much but I am not sure what I should be looking for. Are there any reputable dealers in second hand machines in the UK? What should I be wary of?

You can get a new brother basic machine for £70. It does pretty much everything. Or just look on Facebook selling groups - loads of barely used machines. Brother, Janome and Singer all do good basic models :)

I bought a second hand Janome New Home machine off Ebay and it's brilliant. It cost me £35 IIRC and came with lots of extras that the previous owner had collected; presser feet, stitch puller/cutter, machine oil, spare needles, bobbins etc.

I'd happily buy second hand again, especially Janome.

I'd prefer an older Janome or Singer to the new basic Brother (which I have).
All you really need is straight stitch and zig zag, with an adjustable stitch length.
On many older machines the stitch length is fully adjustable and you can change it as you stitch to make a decorative ribbon pattern. On new ones the width is limited to a few settings.

My best ever machine was an ancient Singer Italian model.