# Sewing machines - a discussion



## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I'm wondering about sewing machines of others here. I know several of us have some fairly top of the line machines and more than one, each one has a different purpose, or we just ended up with them.

And as many of you know, I sew with Janome brand machines, and really will comment on how good they are. I do have a Brother 650XL (I think those initials), it's another near top of the line machine.

But, I'm wondering about all of you that are just starting out, or having sewn a bit, and are struggling with a machine that just does not inspire you to sew, so it's used mostly for "have to" sewing.

Tell me about your machine frustrations or wishes, etc.

Angie


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Also, if you have many machines - do you have some, one that you don't use these days, and why? 

I have a Janome 4623LE mechanical, that I hardly ever put up - I use my 6500P mostly. But there is nothing wrong with the 4623LE, just I've used the other machine more because of a few of the features.

Angie


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## BusyBees2 (Dec 10, 2004)

Ok, I'm one of those with many machines. Not all are used.

My workhorse is a Janome 8080. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything! It was a well planned-for machine. I determined what features I had to have (needle down, lock stitch, speed control) and then searched for those near my budget. This was it. I am in love!

I have more recently bought another Janome (can't remember the model) with a few of the features, to use as a back-up. I don't use it much because it's not the same as the other one (which can't be found any more :0)

I have a cast-iron Singer...an old treadle that's been motorized. It's an elephant!! BUT, it sews through leather like butter! I don't think I use it for anything but leather, but there's it's job!

I have a serger for it's purpose.
I have a Brother embroidery machine for it's purpose. I move through cycles with this one...use it for a bunch, then it sits idle for a while.
Then there are 2 other antiques that don't work but look real pretty! That's reason enough for them.

Jennifer


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I have a "New Home" treadle and a Pfaff Creative (some number I can't remember and too lazy to go see.)

ETA: Its a 7570


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

Mine is a Brother runway edition...I don't know, really haven't used it. It suppossedly finishes the sewing for you, so you don't have to go back and forth, but all my projects unravel. And I hate trying to fiddle with the stich to get it to sew decently. Then again, I am a COMPLETE newbie. I mostly hand sew, because I can control that more...


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## PinkBat (Jul 15, 2006)

I had an Elna Quilter's Dream that kicked the bucket after 14 months. I couldn't believe it and my husband about hit the roof because we paid around $900 for it.

Then I had a cheap Walmart Singer which lasted around 9 years.

Now I have a cheap Janome 11574. Hopefully it will last at least 9 years too, though I have my doubts...it looks too plasticy to last. I won't buy expensive computerized machines anymore.

Grandma was a professional seamstress and sewed on a Singer treadle all her life. I don't know who has her machine now, probably my sister. Grandma used to sew leather pants and jackets on it too.


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

When I had my first child, my parents bought me a cheap Singer from Walmart. I really, really hated that machine, I tried to sew on it but nothing ever went right. I was 19. I never touched another sewing machine again until I was in my 30's.

I "inherited" the next machine from my hubby. While we were dating, we wandered into a quilt shop, where he became entranced with the idea of learning to quilt. It happened to be a Bernina shop, and he's an easy sell... and walked out with the then TOL Bernina.

He never did sew on it, and I didn't want anything to do with it, after my experience nearly 20 years earlier. But one day I decided I would learn to quilt, but that machine scared me, so I traded it down for a lesser model Bernina.

I've gone through several machines since then, as I learned to sew and learned what features I use and can't do without. All my machines have been Bernina's though, and I've been really happy with them. It's less expensive to stick with one brand, because the feet and accessories are interchangeable, so I've never even bothered looking at anything else.

Until... I decided that I would love a machine that I could service myself, non computerized so I didn't have to worry about it quitting on me, and I bought a beautifully restored Singer 201-2 from Jenny (she posts here sometimes).

It also sews like a dream, but I've found that I don't enjoy using it at all, I guess I got too used to sewing with all the bells and whistles, and I really use those features. I believe I am going to put it up for sale.

A few features I absolutely CAN'T live without are needle up/down, a knee lift, and adjustable presser foot pressure. And flourescent or LED lighting.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

CJ, what kind of LED lights? I can't use fluorescents, they give me a pounding headache. 

I had a Singer for many yrs and hated it.


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I'm not sure what "kind" they are, all of my Bernina's have LED lights built in, they are fabulous for sewing!

Go here:
http://www.berninausa.com/3series/en-us/
and watch the 2nd video, "Style and Function". You'll see how nice and bright the lighting is as she sews.

As for the fluorescents, mine are very much like the OTT lighting, I buy the daylight spectrum bulbs and have them in my ceiling fans in my sewing room. These don't make any of that humming noise like the old kind do. Those make me crazy!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Oh, I thought you had purchased it separately. I've been looking at LEDs but can't figure out how bright most of them are.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

well I have a Kenmore computerized machine that does some embroidery....its about 12 years old and was top of the line then. Dh thought I would love embroidery. I don't. I do like some of the decorative stitches it does though. I also have my Grannie's 15 clone that I put in a treadle. I love love love using it. I have a few other old machines around here too that I use once in awhile.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

I started out with cheapo machines from WalMart. They'd usually last me a couple of years before they'd bite the dust. Before they'd die, they'd cause me untold frustration with thread snaggles, machine glitches, etc. 

After my latest one started going downhill, I tripped over an old cast iron Singer in an antiques store. It was probably about 80 years old, but it still seemed to work. It was about $400 and I didn't need a "collectible" that badly. But I happened to mention it to a friend of mine who said that she still sewed on her grandma's old Singer. Probably same vintage. 
Then I started doing some research and discovered that there are a LOT of old Singers out there, still plugging along doing their thing. So I decided what I had to have (a nice straight forward and backward stitch) and found a 15-91 for $30. 

Alice is my primary machine. 

I still have that WalMart wonder that was dying (and still is!) for the occasional fancy stitch, but as I mainly quilt, my straight stitch, cast-iron Singer is exactly what I needed. A little oil now and again and she's happy.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

I have 3: treadle that can patch overalls w/ease, featherweight (gift to myself) and a '49 that has one zigzag ...has made more quilts than you can imagine. I bought a walking foot for it and it does a nice job quilting, too. I bought it at a pawn shop for $50 in 1971...didn't even own a car. Took a taxi to carry it home. If I had more room, I'd have more Singers!


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## homebody (Jan 24, 2005)

Bought for $12 at a thrift store. Was priced for more but when the lady saw that there was no belt to be seen, she dropped the price. LOL These don't have belts, are gear -driven ( like CJ's 201) and it is priceless to me. Had to put a different foot control on it. Goes from denim to thin,silky fabric to knit without adjustments.:bouncy:

Have had several singers in the past, a green one and several tan colored (don't know numbers). Junk, long gone.

I do have a 1970's Kenmore that does other stitches that is a good machine.


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## menollyrj (Mar 15, 2006)

I have a "cheap" Janome - Magnolia line. I love, love, love it. I've done all my piecing on it, and have quilted a few small lap quilts with it. It does what I ask, when I ask it to. I should probably take her for a "check-up" soon... It has enough stitches to keep me busy, but not so many that I'm overwhelmed.

I'd love to have a long-arm quilting machine, but when would I use it? I would also like to have a suitable table for my Janome to sit in (instead of "on"), but that is a Christmas present for another year...

-Joy


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Well, I have an old Jc Penney model, all metal, in a cabinet, looks very much like the Singer my mom made my school clothes on in the 70's. It's not fancy, it goes forward, backward, and (sometimes) zigzag. I say sometimes because I really need to take it in for repairs, but I just can't stand the thought of being without it--and I rarely use the zig-zag feature anyway.

I wish I could find a manual for it, but haven't had any luck finding one on-line. All those 'thousands of sewing machine model' sites don't have mine listed!! Luckily it is similar enough to the one I used in home ec in 7th grade and my mom's old Singer that I have been able to figure out on my own how to use it good enough to make untold play costumes, pj's & nightgowns, clothes for my kids, several sets of curtains and about 8 quilts.

What keeps me from sewing more isn't being unhappy with the machine I have, it's just having way too many other things I need to get done. Sewing tends to be a winter thing for me.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I have an old Singer that I've had since we were first married (28 years). When I put it up about last year, it was still working perfectly.

Last year, I bought another Singer from Walmart and, so far, I'm very happy with it. I also have a Brother serger that I use occasionally.

I "wish" I had my GGM's old treadle Singer...it was a thing of beauty!


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## Plant_Nerd (Jul 27, 2010)

After sewing for about 35 years on tough, mechanical machines, my husband bought me a Janome 6500 - a computerized machine - I couldn't believe it - it is like sewing on a dream - it is a dream. So smooth and so nice.

My first machine was a Brother -in the early 70's - (my mom was a great seamstress and sewed all of our clothes when we were pre-school. I have her Kenmore now - a solid hunk of metal that you have to drop the cogs in the top for each stitch.) The Brother was a good, solid, basic machine. But in the mid-80s I wanted more, so I bought a Singer - being fooled by the name. It was a cheap piece of junk so I went back to sewing on that old Brother. Then my husband scrounged a Nelco from a job - it was a good machine. In the mid 90's we traded my original Brother, the Singer and the scrounged Nelco for a new, fancy - at the time - mechanical Nelco - it was a tough solid machine that I could even fix myself! On the rare times it had a problem. I was sewing along just fine oblivious to what I was missing until about 2 years ago when my husband decided to buy me my dream machine. Stupid me - I had no idea what a dream machine a fancy computerized machine was - I figured that I would never have one, so why get myself worked up looking at them - I really didn't know anything about them. 

I still have the Nelco because it has a removable free arm and I need it to fix jeans and overalls - plus I don't want to put grubby work clothes thru my good Janome.

I sew welding caps for my spending money, at http://blueroseweb.com, and it has been so much quicker and easier to sew them on the Janome. It also monograms - but I haven't had much time to play with that part of it.

I am still in awe of what I have been missing out on for years before I got that Janome. The only downside is every year or year and a half I have to take it into the shop for a $100 maintenance tuneup. I can't oil it or work on it myself - all the electronic parts.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Plant_Nerd - you can do the jeans on the 6500P with no harm, just put on a jeans needle. I do it all the time. And the 6500P can do big jobs. The stage curtain below is a fake suede cloth, but it gives you some idea of my 6500's biggest project.



my 6500P with the ice rink stage curtain fabric



and this shows the curtain across the 85 ft width, there is 25 ft more of it off the side at the bottom of the photo. It's where the area between the ice and the wall is, so the skaters are not seen before hitting the "stage"


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

> After sewing for about 35 years on tough, mechanical machines, my husband bought me a Janome 6500 - a computerized machine - I couldn't believe it - it is like sewing on a dream - it is a dream. So smooth and so nice.


I agree, the 6500 is indeed nice! (Or the 6600, for that matter). 
Having worked in a friend's quilt shop, I did a _lot_ of sewing on her 6500. (We finished quilt tops for people). It truly spoiled me for any plastic wonders from WalMart...

However, not having an extra $1000-1200 sitting around, I'll stick with my cast iron Singers.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

Well, I just have two old Kingston's from the early 50's. I love them and wouldn't trade them for anything. I think they must have been top of the line in their time as the price was on one and it was $190.00! I piece quilts and they serve their purpose nicely. I did take them in and have them serviced a couple of months ago(for the first time) and the guy was going on and on about what great machines they were(like I didn't know). He suggested that I needed to bring them in every year at $35.00 each for service. I explained to him that the one I use all the time I've had for over 20 years with little problem and that if it was all the same to him I'd just see him in another 20+ years when it needed a good cleaning again and save myself a ton of money.

What's kind of funny is that a friend of mine has 3 or 4 expensive machines at any given time and has had times when none of them would run and had to borrow my spare. She throws a fit about how much they cost and I rub it in that mine cost $5.00. She found one like mine at a yard sale for a back up.

I also have a serger, I don't know what kind and then the fun quilter long arm.


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## Garnet (Sep 19, 2003)

Angie, do you keep your walking foot on your machine?

Tripping back along memory lane... I had a brand x soon after we were married. Then a Viking with plastic cams. Then a Bernina 630. Then a Pfaff 1473. And a White Jeans Machine (for travel.) Then a Janome 6500. 

Still have the last 3. The Pfaff and White have been used for years. I got the Pfaff for the Creative Designer digitizer, decorative stitches, and programmable buttonholes. No one I know has ever been able to get their Pfaff to stitch out a series of uniform buttonholes. I ended up using my White everytime I made buttonholes. Pfaff's answer was to buy a new model, they'd changed the way to do buttonholes. But I did do a lot with the decorative stitches and made a lot of my own designs with the digitizer. I liked the builtin walking foot.

The Janome is quiet and smooth and is a pleasure to use - now. It makes beautiful buttonholes - now. I had my problems with it. Needle thread fraying and breaking. When that happened halfway through a second buttonhole on a quality garment - and I had to pick out half a buttonhole ... I stressed about how to negotiate with the dealer. 

I'll skip the saga. Short version is a burr on the hook was smoothed off to solve the problem. Don't know why it had a burr. I rarely used it for a couple of years because of the problem and being preoccupied with caregiving when my husband had long surgery recoveries. 

I used the White so much for nearly 20 years that I can hardly adjust the stitch length and width now. It will still do a little seam mending. It was my light weight GAG (grab and go) machine. Decided to look for a new one. 

I am now checking out my Brother cs 6000i machine ordered on line from Walmart. It came Saturday. I spent some time reading the manual. Did some straight stitching to get familiar with the settings and operation. 

Next, I looked at a stack of table runners that were waiting for stitching in the ditch and edge stitching. I put on the walking foot, and it was easy to di the runners. I liked the results.

Of course, I will do buttonholes.

For a long time, I've intended to work on free motion quilting and embroidery. The machine has 4 evenly spaced feed dogs, which I have wanted on any machine I get from now on. And the feed dogs can be lowered. (Didn't have that on the White, so I couldn't take it to a sew group to work on free motion.) Now I can take it to a couple of quilt groups. 

It's quite a machine and a good value. So far I am very happy with it. We'll see. Stay tuned.

I now have 4 new Brother machines: 2 sergers, embroidery machine, and the sewing machine. I will sitll use the Janome 6500 for major projects at home. The Pfaff still sews well, and I will continue to play with the digitizer and decorative stitches. Had it serviced recently. It does make a growling sound. Something might be wearing out. Not surprising. It's 20 years old and has seen a lot of use.


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

I, alas, have a $99 Singer from Wallyworld. I really can't complain as it keeps on chugging along, but having used higher end machines at quilting classes I do still dream about having a better machine.

I just made a cute dress for my dear gdtr, though so can't complain. I would love some of those Bernina features though.

My dream machine would be a Bernina quilting machine with the BSR and at least the ability to upgrade to the embroidery function but it is $3000....


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## Garnet (Sep 19, 2003)

Piney Girl, my new machine does just about everything. And I paid less than $150. The work opening is a bit small. The Janome 6500 has a larger work opening and has some memories. It's heavier and a little quieter. But I paid about $900 for it on sale. And had to have 2 service jobs to find the cause of the thread fraying and breaking.

Before I ordered the Brother, I was commenting to DH about the opinions I had seen about machines with metal vs plastic (nylon) parts. He said well, remember how we thought the dot matrix printer wouldn't last, and we used it steadily until the technology changed. (He has worked on a lot of all kinds of equipment and computers and periferals.)

The Pfaff was even a lot more expensive. I have friends who have machines that cost several K. So I guess there is amarket for every price range.

I think the important thing is to make full use of whatever you have available.


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## txquilter (Dec 29, 2009)

I have 2 machines. The first is an old machine my MIL gave to me about 20 years ago and I think she had it for about 15 years before that. It's made by Singer (I think) and called a Dressmaker. It's a pretty basic machine made of all metal parts and while it still sews pretty well it is just about time I started looking for something a little better that can handle all the sewing and quilting I am doing.

My other machine is the one I have the most fun with. It is a Baby Lock 6 thread embroidery machine I got from my Mom. She had 2 and was going to sell one of them so I was kind enough to take it off her hands. 

As far as the sewing machine replacement? I've been looking at the following machines:

Brother: QC1000, PQ1500S and SQ9000
Pfaff: Grand Quilter
Husqvarna: Mega Quilter

Anybody familiar with any of these?


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Kris in MI said:


> Well, I have an old Jc Penney model, all metal, in a cabinet, looks very much like the Singer my mom made my school clothes on in the 70's. It's not fancy, it goes forward, backward, and (sometimes) zigzag. I say sometimes because I really need to take it in for repairs, but I just can't stand the thought of being without it--and I rarely use the zig-zag feature anyway.
> 
> I wish I could find a manual for it, but haven't had any luck finding one on-line. All those 'thousands of sewing machine model' sites don't have mine listed!! Luckily it is similar enough to the one I used in home ec in 7th grade and my mom's old Singer that I have been able to figure out on my own how to use it good enough to make untold play costumes, pj's & nightgowns, clothes for my kids, several sets of curtains and about 8 quilts.
> 
> What keeps me from sewing more isn't being unhappy with the machine I have, it's just having way too many other things I need to get done. Sewing tends to be a winter thing for me.


I think the J C Penny machines were made by White--you might try looking for a white manual that would be the same.

I have an old Bernina 730, my work horse, a Singer 221, Janome 300E, and a Babylock serger that I'm not too crazy about but don't use it much anymore. I'm thinking about a new machine but can't decide what I want. I'd like a machine with a bigger throat for quilting. Oh I'm refinishing an old singer treadle cabinet- my husband has the machine back in running order.


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## Garnet (Sep 19, 2003)

Angie, thanks for starting this thread. It's fun to read what machines people have and like and what they are doing with them. I laugh at the antique auto shows and the collectors and also the concept cars. We could just about have our own version with old and new sewing machines.


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## Priscilla (Aug 6, 2010)

txquilter said:


> As far as the sewing machine replacement? I've been looking at the following machines:
> 
> Brother: QC1000, PQ1500S and SQ9000
> Pfaff: Grand Quilter
> ...


I worked for a Viking/Pfaff dealership for a couple years. The Grand and Mega quilting machines are virtually the same machine as the two companies engineered them together, each putting their own logo brand. Both are excellent machines and will go years of use.

I continue to receive "news" from the dealership and the owner/fantastic technician sent an e-mail from Pfaff convention, where Pfaff announced a new quilting machine. He was excited about the machine and knowing the man and his technical expertise, the real news is the front loading bobbin. Yes, the arm length is nice, but for quality stitching the front loading bobbin is key to much. He referenced the new quilting machine's under-the-hood to Pfaff's machines of a few years ago [before adopting much of Viking's engineering you see in today's machines]. No other machine on the market at that time had the stitch quality of Pfaff's machines. Pfaff has learned from Viking to make machine controls/features more user friendly. I would definitely check out the new Pfaff quilting machine.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Garnet - I don't keep the walking foot on the 6500. I use all sorts of feet with it. Everything from the regular foot, rolled hem, overstitch, zipper, sometimes walking, etc. This machine goes from making doll clothes and baby bed skirts, to mending jeans to piecing the quilt swap blocks. Mostly change the feet and change the needle and thread, clean the bobbin area, and GO.l


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

I have three, which since I am a professional seamstress is not as extreme as it sounds hopefully LOL. The one I use the most is a 1914 Singer 66 treadle. I also have a 1922 Singer 66 with a motor and I have a Singer 127 vibrating shuttle that is sitting in a coffin top table waiting for me to find a treadle base for it. I have had newer machines in the past but, they just don't hold up to corset making like the older Singers do and I love a treadle, guess because my grandma taught me to sew on one. At any rate, there ya go.


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## Garnet (Sep 19, 2003)

Angie, I thought the machine in your picture had a walking foot. That's why I asked.

I use various feet, too. I got extra feet for my Pfaff, including grooved feet for all the couching and pintucking. I may have to get grooved feet to fit my new Brother.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Garnet - in the picture it does have a walking foot. It was for that stage curtain sewing. Made it not pucker as I sewed the 15 foot seams.

After that, not so much right now.


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## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

I want to learn on an old singer treadle, I'm just waiting for it to get out of the shop


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## Colorado (Aug 19, 2005)

Kris in MI
I do have a Penny machine. Got a yard sale for $5. Greg said she had not used it much at all. Just sat. I am sure got a little booklet with. Tells how to take plates off to oil so has to be older one. I have never gotten it all oiled yet and just use my Pfaff, Model 6915 and double needle. It plastic as I can move it. Pfaff 19 is so heavy to lift any more.


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## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

I have a Brother which is very lightweight, sews nicely, does nice decorative stitches and is good to take to classes or just do repairs on lightweight things. It isn't heavy enough to do thick denim or heavyweight fabrics but I don't sew those very often. I really like it for what it is. I have my grandmother's 1929 Singer that she used until she passed away but I am afraid of the wiring on it so it just sits now. I also have a Euro-Pro serger (don't even know if they make these anymore) and a Brother PE-700II embroidery machine. I use my embroidery machine almost daily!


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## Garnet (Sep 19, 2003)

cc, you reminded me that I have to get back to using my embroidery machine.


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

ErinP said:


> Then I started doing some research and discovered that there are a LOT of old Singers out there, still plugging along doing their thing. So I decided what I had to have (a nice straight forward and backward stitch) and found a 15-91 for $30.


What is the difference between a 15-91 & 15-90? I have one for sale, but after reading this, do I want to keep it??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170526385604&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

So far as feet/attachments/etc. they're identical. 
Basically, the motors are what's different. 

A -91 has a potted motor on the back. It's directly operated by the motor (geared). 
A -90, on the other hand, has a belted drive run off its motor. It's basically a treadle run by a motor instead of a foot pedal. 

So far as selling it, are you needing to get rid of it? Or are you hoping to actually make some money off of it? 
You can definitely do the former (probably easier even, if you pull it out of the cabinet and offer shipping). But the latter? I dunno... There's an awful lot of old Singers out there. Model 15s might even be the most comon. 
Most of which are in fairly good shape. You might make $50-75 off it if you're lucky...
But it's not like they're something rare and special. Loved? Yes. But not rare.



cc said:


> I have my grandmother's 1929 Singer that she used until she passed away but I am afraid of the wiring on it so it just sits now.



The wiring on these is fairly straightforward, cc. If you have some basic electrical knowledge, you can redo it yourself. 
Otherwise, haul it into your local machine shop and I'll bet they'll charge you less than $50 to redo it.
My "portable" class machine is a 1917 aluminum 99K. We redid the wiring when the motor burned out last year. It was really easy.


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks for the information regarding the difference between the 15-91 & 15-90. Not so much a matter of getting rid of it as wanting it to go somewhere that it will be appreciated. If it doesn't sell on ebay I might just set it up and try it out for a while.


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