Can anyone recommend a good sewing machine that won't break the bank? Anything a must-have on a machine for sewing gear?

Can anyone recommend a good sewing machine that won't break the bank? Anything a must-have on a machine for sewing gear?
try here http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3003&highlight=sewing+machine

Good link-- thank you very much :)

Here (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7823331&st=sewing+machine&lp=4&type=product&cp=1&id=1142294522804) is the machine I own.

Here (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7823331&st=sewing+machine&lp=4&type=product&cp=1&id=1142294522804) is the machine I own.

How is it working out? How does it work on webbing?

How is it working out? How does it work on webbing?
I've had no issue so far. I've made several homemade tarps, bivys, modifications to my dog backpacks, homemade tree huggers, etc.

My only suggestion would be to get a mechanical machine over an electronic one. I've owned an electronic Singer and Kenmore and found I used very few of the features and they were both less powerful than the Kenmore model 385.16530000 that I finally settled on. I make my own climbing harnesses using 2 and 3 inch flat web and nylon tubing as well as sew projects utilizing sil nylon, tyvek, mosqito netting and codura. It handles them all flawlessly. I use all thread types from upholestry to light invisible and the machine has never waivered during a project after the initial set up.

The only problem I've had with it was when I clogged up the feed dogs by doing freshly treated silicone sealed seams. I was able to repair it myself with out much effort. I bought mine used for $175.

Savor Happy!

i wish I could sew !!!..belay you still owe me a story or 2 on your 71 At hike...:)) and maybe one on the cdt hike too..lol...hows' things in Ark ?

Nomad,

There is a plethora of choices on Ebay. I just bought an older all metal gear heavy duty machine with zig-zag and other stitches. There are a few sellers that get these machines, service, adjust, etc... and offer them on ebay. I'm cheap, so it took about 6 weeks to get one in my price range, but I ended up with a nice Singer model 328k. Ebay worked for me.

FeO2

As others have said, try the Goodwill store, sewing machine repair shops, and the newspaper classifieds. You don't need a fancy machine, and anything with forward, reverse, and a few zig-zag choices will do. (you need the zig-zag feature for fleece and buttonholes, as well as for bar-tacking reinforcement areas). If you plan to sew silnylon, you can buy a walking foot as an accessory either at a store or on line (it's very difficult for a beginner to avoid making a mess out of silnylon without it).

I have two machines: one is the mid-range Singer I bought for my wife as a gift 20+ years ago, and the other is a 1937 Singer I picked up by the side of the road after someone put it out for a freebie. Both work fine, and I was able to download an entire owner's manual from the internet for the oldie.

Thru-Hiker.com has some great tutorials, and AYCE is a gem of a guy when it comes to giving advice over the phone, and he has a large selection of mail-order fabrics and kits which I've found to be superb in quality and design.

You get some envious looks from backpackers with 40 pound, $1000 loads when you unpack your 6 pound baseweight, and set up your homemade tarp, bag, clothes, stuffsacks, then cook dinner in your grease pot on a supercat stove and settle into bed before they've stopped fussing with their excessive stuff. About five years ago, I was on the other side of this dichotomy when I sauntered over to an ultralighter to find out how he did it.

My only suggestion would be to get a mechanical machine over an electronic one. I've owned an electronic Singer and Kenmore and found I used very few of the features and they were both less powerful than the Kenmore model 385.16530000 that I finally settled on. I make my own climbing harnesses using 2 and 3 inch flat web and nylon tubing as well as sew projects utilizing sil nylon, tyvek, mosqito netting and codura. It handles them all flawlessly. I use all thread types from upholestry to light invisible and the machine has never waivered during a project after the initial set up.

The only problem I've had with it was when I clogged up the feed dogs by doing freshly treated silicone sealed seams. I was able to repair it myself with out much effort. I bought mine used for $175.

Savor Happy!
I keep a small brash that I bought in the sewing dept, & I use a can of air & clean the bits has I go. Also useing #14-16 needels for webing exct.:sun

I was thinking of getting this machine for some stuff sacks, tarps, and whatever else I feel like trying to make. What do you guys think? Thanks for any input. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11099434&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|89|28514&N=4010113&Mo=7&No=6&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=28515&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=

Sorry, Here's the Link (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11099434&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eC%20at=BC%7C89%7C28514&N=4010113&Mo=7&No=6&Nr=P_CatalogNam%20e:BC&cat=28515&Ns=P_Price%7C1%7C%7CP_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=).

i wish I could sew !!!..belay you still owe me a story or 2 on your 71 At hike...:)) and maybe one on the cdt hike too..lol...hows' things in Ark ?

yappy if you can harness a sled team, you can learn to sew no problem. You only need to understand about 5 different stiches and the basic machines seem to actually be better than the yuppy computerized ones.

Life here in paradise is exceptional other than a broken arm and busted up shoulder. Gettin to old for snowboardin:o. I'll send you a PM

Thanks for all the replies.

No Belay--Think I agree w/ you on the older machine. It seems to me that the newer, digitized machines would be great if they included heavier duty motors. Disposability-- keeping commerce moving. Too old to snowboard-- blasphemer!

coss-- Thanks for the rundown. I doubt I'll ever be a ul guy, but I am pretty happy as a mostly light one.

Feo2- I'm sick of ebay :) but I did some digging there.

Question-- some of the heavier duty machines I've looked at on ebay give a range of needles they accept-- something like a #8- ~#18. It's been years since I've used a machine-- am I losing needed functionality in the lower ranges (<#8)?

I think I may hit the local Singer Repair & see what they have...

Definitly hit the local repair places. My grandma found one for me there. An old 1960's heavy duty singer for only $250. It works wonders and never lets me down. If you are getting into sewing a lot, look into older machines with all metal working parts. The newer ones won't hold up to the stress.

Let the repairman know what you are doing. If you are making a quilt or sleeping bag you are going to sew through 6 layers of fabric down the length of it and 12 in the corners. Not for the cheap machines.

Nomad,

There is a plethora of choices on Ebay. I just bought an older all metal gear heavy duty machine with zig-zag and other stitches. There are a few sellers that get these machines, service, adjust, etc... and offer them on ebay. I'm cheap, so it took about 6 weeks to get one in my price range, but I ended up with a nice Singer model 328k. Ebay worked for me.

FeO2

I just bought a 328k at Goodwill- on Tuesday. It was frozen and nothing would turn. For $15.88 it had the foot pedal, power cord, instruction manual and a box of goodies including extra feet and attachments and the sewing pattern disks. I don't see me making much use of the ruffler.:-?

Tri-Flow lubricant is good for breaking loose old stuck machine parts in sewing machines, and so is P-Blaster. These worked to get the parts lubricated and moving easily.

The needle was off-center, and after taking the top off, it was not hard to figure out two places where this adjustment might possibly be made. I lucked out and picked the correct adjustment place on the first shot.

The thread tension took a little playing with, but that was fine finally. There was no indication of anything wrong with the timing, so I didn't do anything there.

Looks and feels like a very good machine. Worth every penny of the almost $16.00.

Previously, I had spent some time acquiring old books on sewing machine repair. Paid off nicely.

Jim

Nice purchase and repair. $16 is well invested!

I just bought a 328k at Goodwill- on Tuesday. It was frozen and nothing would turn. For $15.88 it had the foot pedal, power cord, instruction manual and a box of goodies

If you come across any more 15.88 sewing machines, let me know :)

If you come across any more 15.88 sewing machines, let me know :)

There is a $9.99 Singer 234 or maybe 236 in a local thrift shop. Not a good box of goodies and no manual. It is also missing a metal plate which covers the bobbin area. It isn't frozen. The internet price for the missing bobbin compartment plate is about $12.00 plus shipping.

Yes, one missing piece can cost a large sum compared to the old machine.

The problem is shipping. You need to package these heavy old machines well to keep them from further getting messed up during shipping.

And the heavy weight - adds up to easily $30 or more just to ship.

Head for the Thrift Shops including Salvation Army and GoodWill and other places. Ask if they have sewing machines and if they get them often.

Go often, and be picky.

You might easily blow $15 or so, and get a machine that you can get a service manual for (search for places that sell service manuals on the internet), and then learn something about repairing these old things.

There are only a handful of books on sewing machine repair out there (that I could find). Lots of the old service manuals (not user manuals) were only made available to service people, so many of these old things are either lost or only available from some of the remaining manufacturers.

Then you may find one of the real "Quality" old machines, and be able to really fix it mostly by yourself and have something to keep for a long time.

I keep looking for a Bernina or Pfaff or the right age of Necchi (made in Italy, not Japan) or a Singer 401 or Singer 500 Slan-O-Matic with no luck yet.

I don't know much about the modern electronic ones. I do have one of the early electronic ones, but the disadvantage of these is that in addition to the mechanical issues, the service manuals have you running around measuring voltages all over the place to make a diagnosis. The more modern machines may be simpler as modern computer motherboards are "simpler" because the guts of the work is now done on just a few chips and swapping boards is the normal repair process, not fixing components on the boards.

Jim