Kenmore Sewing Machine Carrying Case

What are some tips for buying a sewing machine and what is a good ...

I have a basic machine that I bought in the early 90′s. It’s a Brother. It has been doing very well for me. The only issue I have had with this cheap machine is that when I sew metallic knit dance costume material, it skips stitches. Now some ladies I was chatting with at the fabric store kinda bragged that their expensive Pfaff or Bernina machines wouldn’t do that & I don’t know if that is true or not. But all the other fabrics I have done very well with this basic machine. I sew doll clothes to sell & do use some exotic fabrics sometimes. So if you get some yahoo answers pushing an expensive machine, you don’t NEED that. Those machines are hobbyist splurges in my opinion or for professionals.

The machine you are looking at looks very different to me – but sewing machines all basically work the same, so I would think this one would be fine. You want the machine to be able to do zigzag, for sure (and almost all machines do – this one is old enough that you may want to email the person and ask, though). The thread on the bobbins may be old – what you do is pull on it, and if it breaks easily, throw it away. It doesn’t look specialized to me – I think this is probably a basic machine. But as I said, it is a little strange looking to me. All I’ve used is a late 1940′s machine, then skipped to the mid 70′s.

If you get it, make sure you oil it with light sewing machine oil, since it may have been sitting around a long time with the oil getting gummy. I was cheap and used 3 in 1 oil for a long time & my machine was noisy. So I tried sewing machine oil & it is much better.

What do you think? Answer below!

I’m not familiar with that machine but it appears to have zig zag which is the only bell or whistle that a beginner needs. Ask if they have any maintenance records. Best thing is to try it out yourself before buying. Use all the features to make sure they work right. Bring some fabrics, a few different kinds, to test the machine with. If you don’t know how to use it, get the seller to put the machine through its paces. It should run smoothly with no clanking, thumping or clattering noises. If the seller doesn’t know how to run it, I don’t think I’d buy it. You want a used machine that’s been used and cared for by someone who knows how to sew, not something that somebody picked up cheap or free somewhere and is now flogging for a profit. I’d consider the lack of a manual to be a major disadvantage unless you know sewing machines well enough to figure stuff out on your own, and it sounds like that’s not you. You should be able to find manuals online, try sewusa.com or a similar site. I don’t know how old this machine is, but unless it comes from a shop which has tuned it up and made sure it’s running well, I don’t think I’d pay more than $ 50, if that.

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