There's Martha, my New Home 170 that I got back in April of 2009. She's all metal, a true workhorse! She only sews straight, just front stitch and back stitch. No frill with this little gal, but she could sew two tin cans together without missing a beat. I found her at a thrift shop in San Bernardino for $25! I had her refurbished for about $80, so she came in at just over $100. I've only had to clean her and replace a belt on her since I got her. If you ever see a New Home 170, buy it. Trust.
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| Pic via www.sewusa.com. |
Then there's Stuart. He's my Husqvarna Viking Emerald 116 and I love him long time.
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| Photo via www.planetjune.com |
He was on sale but still very pricey, at least to me! He originally retailed for $499, but I got a $100 credit for trading in my poor old Singer. I'd never spent more than $150 on a machine before, so this was a huge deal for me. But at this point in my sewing game I felt like the investment is worth it since I know I'll use him to death. I highly recommend this machine if you're in the market for a new one and can spend this kind of cash. I've had no issues with him whatsoever and have sewn quite extensively on him since I bought him in December of 2010.
If you're new to sewing, just buy what you can afford. It helps to have a better machine, but regardless of what you get you still have to sew your stuff. No machine will do it for you, no matter how much it costs. I used my two Wal-mart Singers for years and only got into trouble when I started sewing exotic stuff like raincoat fabric, thicker denim, and leather. I can see a difference in my machine's abilities now, but that took years to start seeing. Don't feel like you're not in the game with your "cheap" machine. $100 is $100, and that's a lot of money. If you spent $100 on dinner you'd be one swanky dame, so don't let anyone tell you you should spend more than you're comfortable spending. That's my two cents! :)
xoxo
