What would I look for as far as features and the likes when buying a machine? Got rid of a welll.....hunk of junk years ago..but I miss it somehow when I want to make a little mod or something. This time I'd rather buy a more user friendly machine,,,,if that exists ....any suggestions?
I sold an older singer and bought a singer 4423. Have not had it long but have used it quite a bit so far and it is one of the most forgiving machines I have used. The tension is not finiky at all and sews fairly well at any tension setting. Not perfect if way off but not bad enough to cause problems. It has a good many bad reviews but it seems most machines do. Itried it through 6 layers of denim, no problems. I have sewn 1.1 silnylon, 1.1 ripstop, tyvek and . 5 noseeum mesh along with some just plain old cloth. I have had a couple of bird nest but my fault. Had to use walking foot and tissue under the mesh. I paid $130 at Amazon but they have gone up as high as $187 but have started back down in price. It is a manual machine. No oiling information anywhere on this machine. You can download free repair manual if you like to tinker. It is too fast, takes a little getting used to the foot control. I have figure out a way to make it less sensitive but have not tried it out yet. I think is is a good basic machine with enough gee whiz stuff on it wihout being overwhelming or confusing. So far I really like it and I am sure it will do anything I will ever need in a sewing machine, but the bad reviews are sort of worrisome. I have had most of the covers off and checked it's guts out thoroughly and it looks like a well built machine. Metal gears on the hook drive, some plastic gears elsewhere. Metel shafts and bushings. It really looks good under the hood. Easy to do adjustments such as hook timing, needle position and such. Hope this helps. He 4411 and 4432 machines are nearly identical. The 4411 has a few less special stitches and the 4432 a few more special stitches. 4411 now on Amazon for $125.
Last edited by Charliev; 03-16-2017 at 21:58.
That hunk of junk you got rid of might have been gold if you knew how to fix it up. Many older machines are that way. Years of neglect often make people get rid of them only to have the machine work very well after some TLC.Having said that, I usually recommend checking out thrift stores or Craigslist if you don't want to spend a lot of money. Solid machines can be had for cheap but require a little knowledge. If you are happy buying a new machine, I'd avoid any machine with a bunch of fancy stitches and electronics. I can't recommend anything new since all my machines are old but I'm sure you'll get some input here. As Charliev posted, the Singer 4423 is mentioned a fair bit here.
Don't let life get in the way of living.
There are two features on my machine that people seem to like and I get asked about quite a bit:
Motor speed control, which will slow down the machine regardless of how far you press on the foot
Down needle position, so when you stop sewing, you can automatically have the needle down.
My machine is a Husquvarna Viking, but my sister has a Brother that also has these features.
I would also insist on being able to move the needle from side to side. This is often found on the zig zag width adjustment. That way you can sew close to a zipper or use a rolled hem foot more easily.
I sew things on youtube.
I don’t sew on commission, so please don’t ask. Thanks.
Thanks for all the replies. I'll likely end up with a used one....thanks for all the tips so far
If you point me to your local CL I'd be happy to take a peek to see if there are any good deals in your area.Originally Posted by Bigtimber
I like my 4411 but it's the only machine I've used . My one gripe about it has been a sticking point in the pedal that has would cause me to surge the sewing speed accidentally. It seems to be correcting itself and I rarely have an issue with it now .
It has whetted my appetite , though. The needle down feature sounds like a great feature. A kneebar for the presser foot would be sweet at times. The 4411 is great ,though. Cheap, too. I did accidentally snap off the spindle for winding the bobbin but a drop of super glue and it's been no issue. That was all user errror btw.
Savannah Ga craigslist and thanks.
I'd hate to spend over a 100 bucks at the moment.
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