Here, I will post my successful and unsuccessful vintage and modern sewing projects, along with other things I sew, make, refinish or buy and want to share.
I am thinking about buying a serger. My sewing machine is from the 50s and it only does a straight stitch. I think having a serger would be a nice addition to my arsenal.
Do you have any brand or model you would recommend? I want it to either come from Craigslist and be cheap, or cost less than 300 bucks.
I use a Brother Serger, the 1034D, and I'm happy with it. I've had it almost a year, and the only thing that has gone wrong with it, was needing to replace the needle plate that broke. That was my fault though: I yanked a piece of denim through and bent the needle, which then struck the plate and snapped off this little super important piece, oops! After replacing that, it's works good as new! I also found that learning to thread it, was super straightfoward and easy to do from memory after a few times following the guide. It's available on Amazon for $191.50 today with free shipping if you're a Prime member.
From Australia, that is a pretty good deal. I have a 20 year old Singer 4 thread (no differential feed model) and it's been great, but I would suggest whatever you get, make sure your budget includes some lessons - you don't need much time, but boy it saves some aggravation (and we all know there can be lots of aggravation with overlockers!) Good luck in the search.
I bought a second hand baby lock imagine on eBay a couple of years ago - the white plastic was a bit faded but it had hardly been used. It's so easy to use - threading is quick (it has jet air threaders) and I haven't had any headaches with tension. I think it's probably a better machine than a newer basic serger, if you can find one for a good price.
I also have a Brother 1034D & recommend it. I've had it over 4 years & haven't had any problems. It's a trooper with several layers of denim & anything fine & slippery. Just save your cutting scraps to check tension settings on. There's a ton of bloggers out there with one too. It's a great basic model.
I also bought a second hand BabyLock on Ebay - I don't think it had ever been used . It is so simple to thread and use I love it. In a big city you might find a second hand one at a dealer? much less risky than ebay.
I also have a Brother 1034D. I love it. I have had it 2 years now? and I haven't had any problems with it. It is a great machine for the price - and it can take a beating. Mine likes to squeak at me if I go really fast but I read that I should have oiled it before using it the first time and maybe that is why. I'm terrible with the oil - like only doing it ever 3-4 months and I use my serger daily. It is a trooper!
I have a white speedylock 1600 with differential feed. It was $45 on Craigslist. It's amazing! They are older but it's a total workhorse. They are a bit difficult to thread but you do get used to it. If you do find a good one on CL make sure it has differential feed for doing knits. I sew primarily off of a 1946 singer 201 and the serger has made a huge difference in sewing time and quality.
I also have a 1034D Brother, I love it and it's so simple to thread. Other sergers I've had are almost impossible to thread! I ended up not using them and getting rid of them because I didn't want to spend all my sewing time trying to thread my serger. There's also lots of info out there on techniques you can do with this very popular serger.
I use a Brother Serger, the 1034D, and I'm happy with it. I've had it almost a year, and the only thing that has gone wrong with it, was needing to replace the needle plate that broke. That was my fault though: I yanked a piece of denim through and bent the needle, which then struck the plate and snapped off this little super important piece, oops! After replacing that, it's works good as new! I also found that learning to thread it, was super straightfoward and easy to do from memory after a few times following the guide. It's available on Amazon for $191.50 today with free shipping if you're a Prime member.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your search!
That's a reasonable price!
DeleteFrom Australia, that is a pretty good deal. I have a 20 year old Singer 4 thread (no differential feed model) and it's been great, but I would suggest whatever you get, make sure your budget includes some lessons - you don't need much time, but boy it saves some aggravation (and we all know there can be lots of aggravation with overlockers!) Good luck in the search.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip!
DeleteI bought a second hand baby lock imagine on eBay a couple of years ago - the white plastic was a bit faded but it had hardly been used. It's so easy to use - threading is quick (it has jet air threaders) and I haven't had any headaches with tension. I think it's probably a better machine than a newer basic serger, if you can find one for a good price.
ReplyDeleteI also have a Brother 1034D & recommend it. I've had it over 4 years & haven't had any problems. It's a trooper with several layers of denim & anything fine & slippery. Just save your cutting scraps to check tension settings on. There's a ton of bloggers out there with one too. It's a great basic model.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI also bought a second hand BabyLock on Ebay - I don't think it had ever been used . It is so simple to thread and use I love it. In a big city you might find a second hand one at a dealer? much less risky than ebay.
ReplyDeleteI will look into dealers. There is a sewing machine store less than a 10 min walk away and I still haven't gone there!
DeleteI also have a Brother 1034D. I love it. I have had it 2 years now? and I haven't had any problems with it. It is a great machine for the price - and it can take a beating. Mine likes to squeak at me if I go really fast but I read that I should have oiled it before using it the first time and maybe that is why. I'm terrible with the oil - like only doing it ever 3-4 months and I use my serger daily. It is a trooper!
ReplyDeleteThanks, this one could be a contender.
DeleteI have a white speedylock 1600 with differential feed. It was $45 on Craigslist. It's amazing! They are older but it's a total workhorse. They are a bit difficult to thread but you do get used to it. If you do find a good one on CL make sure it has differential feed for doing knits. I sew primarily off of a 1946 singer 201 and the serger has made a huge difference in sewing time and quality.
ReplyDeleteI was just looking at a White on CL, but the guy sold it before I could drive there and get it.
DeleteI also have a 1034D Brother, I love it and it's so simple to thread. Other sergers I've had are almost impossible to thread! I ended up not using them and getting rid of them because I didn't want to spend all my sewing time trying to thread my serger. There's also lots of info out there on techniques you can do with this very popular serger.
ReplyDelete