Sewing machine recommendations please

[YossarianC22]

My Singer that I’ve had for over forty years has finally died and needs a replacement part which is no longer available.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good, solid free-arm machine for dressmaking and some occasional soft furnishings? Preferably mechanical rather than computerised and I don’t need lots of exciting stitches. I’m very happy to buy either new or second hand - the main criteria are that it should be robust and repairable when its time comes

I bought a very basic Brother machine for about £99 from Argos. It’s brilliant and just gets on with the job.

Thank you! Will look into that. I bought my daughter one of the basic John Lewis machines when she started sewing, and she’s happy with it. It feels a bit lightweight though and it struggles with denim, multiple layers etc.

The chap at the repairers mentioned a Bernette, which is think is the cheaper version of Bernina. Bernina is definitely out of my budget!

I would look on youtube for people showing you how to service the machine and work off that sort of criteria. I stripped my entire overlocker down following a step by step video on youtube which also showed how to put it back together again. My overlocker is a Brother, I have had it 11 years and the reason I stripped it was I overlocked a lot of velvet through it.

My sewing machine is a Janome but branding with SMD (Sewing Machines Direct) and I have had that 15 years. I bought both my sewing machine and overlocker from them.

Knowing how to service your machine will save you a lot of money over the years hence why I suggested youtube rather than a specific machine. Personally I want an automatic threader and thread cutter. Mine has threading assist but my embroidery machine threads itself and the bobbin insert is a dream. Plus it tells me when my bobbin is running low.

A top load bobbin case is a dealbreaker for me, it is easy to see when you are running low without removing it from the case.

What sort of budget do you have? Janome do decent mechanical machines in a range of price brackets but their big, metal, sews through anything one (HD9) is a flatbed machine. I have one of their computerised flatbed machines and very rarely miss the free arm, mind.

Above the one you probably looked at, there's the 725S (used to be the Sewing Bee machine) and the HD2200, which are both popular.

https://www.franknutt.co.uk/janome-725s-sewing-machine
https://www.franknutt.co.uk/janome-hd2200-sewing-machine
https://www.franknutt.co.uk/janome-hd9-professional-sewing-machine

The LS14 the PP is talking about is very much an entry level machine and while it’s very good it won’t be up to what you want it for

I have a bernina, had it for 40 years and still going strong. Recently had a service and tension adjustment after the foot pedal broke. While it’s a brilliant machine, it’s totally metal and pretty heavy! Same for my bernina overlocker. Should either of them ever have a problem that’s not repairable I’ll be looking for something much lighter!

My mother had a Janone she was very happy with, seems a reliable make.

I think John Lewis machines are made by Janome.

I would go to an independent dealer, know your budget and requirements and then try the machines they suggest.

Budget?
do you prefer top loading bobbin or side?
ds has the Lidl sewing machine (he uses it for making / mending tent canvases, so pretty heavy duty work) and it’s pretty much identical to my janome. My janome is slightly quieter and has more accessories (which fit DS machine….mores the pity as the brute regularly nicks bits of my kit!) , but both can do all the things you want. i Liked my Brother (top loading bobbin easy to put in and out and change), but the bobbin winder stopped working and the repair was going to cost more than a new machine so I treated myself to Janome (side Bobbin and more effort to change bobbins as the whole metal case has to come and and then be lined up to put back in, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy enough). The Rolls Royce of machines is the Bernina, and if I was minted that would be my next machine. However I’m not minted and both the Lidl and Janome are perfectly adequate for mine and Ds needs! I tried the mid range singer but really didn’t like the feel of it. I think sewing machines are like cars, you have to go for a test drive to see how much you like it.

John Lewis have loads to choose from you’ll find you want for the price you want to pay

Janome is pretty bulletproof tbh. Is there an Independent near you which sells and repairs machines? That's how I chose mine. My mum had an ancient Frister Rossman, and the guy who repaired it also sold Brother and Janome. We liked him and bought the Janome on his recommendation, never had a problem with it.

This will sound crazy, but depending on how simple your needs are, I would highly recommend a vintage machine. I have a modern singer, and at the start of the year I bought a hand crank early 1900s singer 99. I bought it as a project, but honestly I’ve not used the electric machine since. It’s incredibly robust, it’ll sew through nigh on anything, and it’s simple.

Bernina if you have the budget, Janome for mid range. I wouldn’t touch Brother or the Supermarket versions they’re just not great. There’s a Singer heavy duty machine in a silver/metal colour that’s often recommended, but the reviews aren’t great nd it’s plastic dressed as metal.

Budget is the most important question here followed by what do you plan to sew most often?

Then, go and try a few machines out in a proper sewing machine shop, where the staff selling them also service machines, so not JL.

Modern cheap plastic machines often have plastic parts inside that wear out quite quickly so aren’t much good for a serious sewer. They’re fine for the odd pair of curtains and sewing up hems on dresses but not regular use.

I’ve had a few machines in recent years and bought my Bernina 475 after trying out several machines in a family owned sewing machine business who’ve been going for years. It will power through layers of leather and denim with ease. Whilst I like the extra power from an even bigger machine, I need to be able to lift it on and off my sewing table. The bigger Bernina’s are quite heavy!

I use a Brother A65 to take to my sewing group as it’s lightweight but has a few fancy stitches and is a decent mid range machine. It has an excellent auto threader and auto thread cutter. I consider an auto threader to be essential these days as my eyesight isn’t always good.

I don’t particularly recommend Bernette as the motors are not as strong as the Bernina. I have a Bernette b79 that does sewing and fancy embroidery but I’d never use it for normal sewing as it doesn’t feel as competent to me as my Brother machine.

Juki also make excellent mid entry and higher end machines and seem to last well. They’re also Japanese.

Thank you so much everyone, such great knowledge and really helpful suggestions and advice

My budget is probably £500 ish but if I’m only buying a sewing machine every 45 years I’m happy to go above that a bit. I’ve got an old flatbed Reeds (Sailmaker I think) which is hugely heavy but fantastic for heavy curtains etc but just too much for fiddly things like children’s clothes and I’m going to be making a wedding dress soon as well

My first sewing machine was a hand crank wheel Jones, which I loved and still have in my attic, and I learned on a cast iron foot treadle. My mum still has that and it’s in perfect condition - must be over 100 years old. She learned on it as a child and she’s now 89.

Will follow up your suggestions - thank you everyone

My Singer is a top load bobbin and the Reeds is a side load. On balance I prefer top load but I’m quite happy either way. I think I’d get used to either as long as the tension is stable

Argh I took my Brother overlocker apart and could never get the looper timing right again. (didn’t mean to go so far, just got carried away trying to get it to work… realised later I probably just needed to oil the poor thing)

Anyway if you remember any of the useful videos you used I’d love to know. (Hopefully not the one where the woman sits in front of the exact model I’ve got holding up a broken stitch finger saying what a piece of shit this machine is 🙈)

@Offcom I pinned it to my Pinterest board so I can find it again easily, same with how to thread it because there is always one step that I like to see. She threads the lower looper through the eye before she puts it behind the slider bar thing and I find that much easier to do.

Hopefully yours is the very common Brother 1034D.

Service guide

Threading

I would try and find a local sewing machine shop where you can test some machines. This will not be a John Lewis or Hobbycraft as they don't demonstrate any more. If you've sewed before you will have know what good looks, feels and sounds like. Janome, Pfaff, Husqvarna, Bernina are all good. You will probably be surprised how cheap and plasticky most modern machines are, even expensive ones.

There is a Janome that's heavier dutyused a lot in schools, HD2200 I think, might be a good start.

It is and I’ve not seen this one. Thank you so much!