brendafromtenn Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 My 14 yo has started sewing on her own. However, she has been using my Kenmore, but I would like to get a machine of her own for Christmas. Should I stick with a Kenmore from Sears, or go with another brand? Hancock fabrics will have some on sale on Friday of this week. Here are some they will have on sale: Janome 3128 Singer 7422 Brother LS-590 All of these are listed for $79.99 except the Singer which is listed for $129.99. Any thought? Blessings, Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I bought my 11 year old a Baby Lock. We have been very happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtsmamtj Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I too need suggestions for a sewing machine. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Of the choices you listed, I'd go with the Kenmore or the Janome. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Remember, you get what you pay for. These lower priced, bottom end machines are typically made with plastic parts and don't last a hugely long time. Kenmore is a Sears label, not a brand. Meaning, when you get a Kenmore, you could be getting a cheap Singer, or some other brand. My suggestion is to skip the cheap sales that always show up this time of year and go to either a Bernina, Pfaff, Viking or Brother/Babylock, or Janome dealer and try out one of their used machines. You can get a nice, mid-line machine at a good price and I think your dd will be happier with it than with one of the super-low priced ones. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I got my daughter a Viking last year on sale at JoAnn's which we love. If we decide to upgrade we can trade in her old machine for a credit towards a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I would recommend checking out the reviews here. I have a basic Singer that I like, but I'm not a serious sewer. I got it mostly to teach my DD. My MIL is a retired schoolteacher and at one point taught home ec. She has used my machine while visiting and thought it was fine for basic sewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean too Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Consumer Reports lists the Kenmore 15358 ($120) as one of their Best Buys. You can read more about their other Best Buys here: http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2009/02/consumer-reports-rates-the-best-sewing-machines.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 My suggestion is to skip the cheap sales that always show up this time of year and go to either a Bernina, Pfaff, Viking or Brother/Babylock, or Janome dealer and try out one of their used machines. You can get a nice, mid-line machine at a good price and I think your dd will be happier with it than with one of the super-low priced ones. :001_smile: I agree with this. I was helping a student with a sewing project using her entry level Singer and it was so frustrating that I moved her over to my Bernina for the challenging parts. You also might watch for Bernette machines, which are made for Bernina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) Thank you for this thread! I'm currently shopping for one too. I'm not looking for anything fancy as I'm a beginning sewer. This is one I'm looking at because it seems very simple. I'm extremely bobbin-challenged. With the old machine I have now I'm certain you need a PhD in Engineering to change out the bobbin, and since I don't have one of those, lots of colorful language can be heard during the process. :D I'm hoping the newer models make that part of it easier!! ETA: Oh no, I'm hearing bad things about the Singer in this thread... I'll take a look at some of the other brands people have mentioned! Edited November 23, 2009 by Firefly ETA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 :iagree: But check out thrift stores like Goodwill. I found a wonderful machine there for $14 and it's a heavy workhorse. Remember, you get what you pay for. These lower priced, bottom end machines are typically made with plastic parts and don't last a hugely long time. Kenmore is a Sears label, not a brand. Meaning, when you get a Kenmore, you could be getting a cheap Singer, or some other brand. My suggestion is to skip the cheap sales that always show up this time of year and go to either a Bernina, Pfaff, Viking or Brother/Babylock, or Janome dealer and try out one of their used machines. You can get a nice, mid-line machine at a good price and I think your dd will be happier with it than with one of the super-low priced ones. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I have a Janome and love it. Best machine I have owned so far. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Remember, you get what you pay for. These lower priced, bottom end machines are typically made with plastic parts and don't last a hugely long time. Kenmore is a Sears label, not a brand. Meaning, when you get a Kenmore, you could be getting a cheap Singer, or some other brand. My suggestion is to skip the cheap sales that always show up this time of year and go to either a Bernina, Pfaff, Viking or Brother/Babylock, or Janome dealer and try out one of their used machines. You can get a nice, mid-line machine at a good price and I think your dd will be happier with it than with one of the super-low priced ones. :001_smile: :iagree: I owned an older-model Viking, which I loved, but gave it away eventually and bought a Bernina. A Bernina (or a Viking, or Pfaff, etc.) will work like a Swiss clock. I don't know if there are any sales, but it's worth a try, for a better machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Another place to look, particularly for an older workhorse machine (my grandmother's Singer was passed down to me and I used it until I could afford the Bernina I wanted), is on Craigslist. There are tons of sewing machine listings for my area. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 It's not just Singer; many of the less-expensive machines are made cheaply and end up just being frustrating to work with. And, I'd have her try some out. I've had Viking, Pfaff and Bernina and liked all 3, but my favorite was the Pfaff, because, well, because I just did! LOL Just preference is all. All machines worked beautifully. I tried a Brother and hated it. Again, it worked fine, I just preferred something else. Oh, and I liked the Janome, too, but didn't get it because I was getting an embroidery machine and Janome's is all one unit (embroidery and sewing) and I wanted to be able to take the embroidery unit off. If you're not wanting an embroidery feature, then that's not an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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