Which sewing machine is best?

[Polgara2]

I am eventually getting round to buying dd1 a sewing machine (taking on board advice from here already thanks). However, I would appreciate it if anyone who knows can tell me what the main differences are between these ones (ie is it worth buying the dearest one!) :
first four on this page www.sewingmachines.co.uk/janome_sew.htm

or this john lewis one www.johnlewis.com/231096318/Product.aspx?source=63258

Thank you

The JL one is a Janome one under their name for the same price as the Janome one but with a few extras. I bought a more advanced JL/Janome one about 3 yrs ago, it's been great. I'd go for the JL one out of those, have you got a JL store so you can have a look at it closer up?

How old is DD? Would you consider one of the mini machines like this:
www.johnlewis.com/231159225/Product.aspx
or is it too basic?

Hi thanks sewcrafty. No that one would be too basic - dd1 needs it for her GCSE Textiles as well as all the craft things she has going on for pleasure!

We can get to a JL store so will try and get there at the weekend I think.

Or if you wait until next Thurs/Fri
www.johnlewis.com/231206204/Product.aspx
this one is in the JL sale same functions as the JL one but under the name as Janome and £10 cheaper

Ooh that looks good sewcrafty thank you will probably do that! I assume it just says out of stock because you can't order until Thursday do you think?

Sewcrafty or anyone - do you know anything about that machine as I can't find any reviews or much of anything else about it really?
Thanks

No, not that one specifically. But janome ones are pretty good for most purposes. Best to ask for advice in store, or if you've got an independent machine shop they'll be good too. Good luck.

I think if your DD is doing GCSE Textiles - and possibly hoping to continue to A-level? - that machine may be too basic. I'd really advise going to your nearest sewing machine retailer to try the machines out before buying. You'll get a lot more advice & support that way.

Thanks ladies but don't have any sewing machine shops around here unfortunately. Only real option is John Lewis or internet buying.
I can get those Janome options I posted earlier online or JL.

Blotted - which machine did you mean is too basic please? Did you look at the janome ones as well? Thank you

Have you talked to the teacher about what your DD would need to get out of the machine to make it worth buying? I'd try and find out what the machine needs to do, and maybe run your 1st choice or shortlist of 2 or 3 past the teacher and see what they recommend - they should have a good understanding of what your DD needs to achieve and so should be best placed to advise on what standard of machine you need to buy to make it worthwhile.

It was the Janome 2032 I was referring to.

I can advise you on Elna machines but they're the only range I stock and I think they're usually a little pricier than Janome machines (despite essentially being the same machines!)

Can I ask what kind of thing your DD is sewing? The difference in the more expensive machines isn't just down to the number of stitches they offer. Things like automatic buttonholes and additional sewing feet are helpful but generally speaking, the more you pay for your machine the more solid it's likely to be. If your DD is only sewing clothes then right now, any machine will suit her needs but if she's going through 3-4 layers of fabric then she'll need a machine that can cope with that.

Also - Tangle suggests talking to the teacher and I wouldn't necessarily say that's a bad plan, but you'll get better advice (although admittedly from a salesperson slant!) from your staff in JL. They should have been trained on the different benefits of the machines.

Thanks but tbh her textiles teacher is not hmm how you say especially friendly, she can be a bit abrupt! I don't think she needs anything too complicated just yet - maybe clothes, small projects, fancy stitching on things so we are going with the JL machine.

Went to JL today but the only person to speak to was the young man on haberdashery. There was no option to try anything though. Anyway he did seem to know about the machines and thought that one would be fine for the moment if we didn't want to fork out loadsa money just yet. He said the motor might be a bit less but not drastically different from the next one up and it didn't seem to have many less functions. If she needs something else a few years down the line we will revisit then.

It is her birthday next week so she doesn't want to wait any longer and is happy with the feel of that one.

I had to literally drag her out of JL - she was in heaven and has now developed an unhealthy (for my purse ) desire to have Cath Kidston everything! I am sure I will be back asking about where else to buy it.

Thanks for all your help ladies!

Glad you got it sorted and that your DD's so pleased :)

For what its worth, my gran was a very competent seamstress. She used to make all my mum and aunt's fancy dresses and did tailoring, boned bodices, the works. She had a treadle machine that just did straight stitching. How much more robust her machine was compared to lower-end models today I don't know, but there's a HUGE amount you can do with a basic machine.

I hope you manage to restrain her Cath Kidston fetish - and that she has masses of fun :)

Those old machines were amazing, if you can ever get your hands on a well-maintained vintage machine it'll hands-down beat any modern machine. The difference is night and day, those old vintage machines are all metal and are so robust it's unbelievable which is why they're fairly easy to come by. The newer models which are largely plastic have nowhere near the longevity.

I'm getting dangerously close to a rant about disposable white goods and that's a rant for another day ;)