| Brother:Profile 821 (Sewing Machine) | | Viewed 346 time(s) | | Review rated Very Helpful by 1 people | | Reviewed by: | johnr55 | About johnr55 | | TX USA | | Member since: 3/22/08 | | Reviews written: 22 | | Sewing skills:Intermediate | | Favored by: 1 people | | sewing machines reviewed: 10 | | Bio: Freehand machine embroiderer and freehand quilter since early 80's, virtually no garment sewing. Healthcare manager, sewing work is a hobby. No interest in computerized embroidery machines out now--I ...full profile |
| | Posted on: | 5/3/08 2:58 PM | | Approx price paid: | $50 | | Had this machine for: | 1 month | | Recommended? | Yes | Features
- Adjustable Stitch Length and Width
- Adjustable Presser Foot Pressure
| | What johnr55 likes about this machine
This machine is a trip back in time. I'm not certain when this Project 621 machine was made; I'd estimate the 70's. I purchased this machine, new in the box and still in its wrapper, on EBay. I have a pile of machines but it fascinated me, so I bought it. The accessories box was still sealed, the owner's manual in its little baggie, and there was actually a wooden spool with thread and the test stitches still in the machine! Of course, before touching it I took it to my local Bernina/Brother dealer in Houston and we unwrapped it together. It was so dry the thread take-up lever didn't move at all. After a week and another $70 it was ready to go. This is a flatbed machine and didn't come with any speed control; these machines offered the choice of a foot control or knee control. There are two plugs coming out of the machine, one directly from the outside belt-driven motor and the other from the base. I purchased a generic foot control into which these two plugs insert; these used to be very common but are hardly seen nowadays.
I must say it is a very interesting machine; this was manufactured before Brother got airs and started selling upscale machines. By today's standards it is basic indeed! The motor is external, on the back of the machine and driving the machine with one of those external toothed translucent belts. The feed dogs are adjustable with a knob on the flatbed, from normal to silk to darning. Stitch length is adjusted with a large, convenient knob on the front along with a large reverse button. Zigzag width is controlled with a slide lever on the arm. As with so many of these older machines, there is a chrome knob next to the spring loaded lever to the hold the zigzag stitch at its setting; otherwise it springs back to 0. Strangely, there is a separate little lever on the arm to 'turn on' the blind hem stitch. These are the only three stitches available: straight, zigzag and blind hem. Of course, back when this machine was made that was rather the average. The machine is of all-metal construction and quite heavy, though more compact than most of my machines. There is a separate light switch on the back of the arm, though the power appears to be 'on' all the time it's plugged in. I will say that the quality of the cosmetics is much higher than the average plastic Brother made now. There is a large 4-step buttonhole knob on the top of the machine, along with another little chrome lever to turn it on and off. I told my dealer to skip worrying about the buttonhole adjustment as I'll never use it. To those of you with an older machine, bobbin winding would seem quite familiar. One places a spool of thread on the holder at the right base, threads through a little bobbin tension disc, and attaches the bobbin to a winder integral with the front of the handwheel mechanism; it's all external. Push the bobbin winder with its little rubber ring into contact with the handwheel, disconnect the needle mechanism by turning the handwheel knob, and step on the pedal. I just think this is neat because it is so external and so unlike today's winders, so many with separate winder motors. When the bobbin is full the mechanism pops off its contact with the handwheel and that's it. I usually wind bobbins by the dozen and I use a Sidewinder for bobbins, so it'll get little use also. I can see how this feature could be inconvenient if one uses the same spool of thread for both top and bottom threads. The bobbin is very conventional, using the so-common series 15 bobbins in a conventional case. However, unlike more modern machines, it loads from the left side with a sliding plate, rather than being in front. It should also be noted that when inserting a new needle (conventional 705), the flat side goes to the right rather than the back, and the needle loads left to right rather than front to back. Again, typical of machines a few generations ago. My Bernina/Brother repairman, who is certainly younger than this machine, was delighted to see it and tried to explain to me that the bobbin mechanism itself somehow moves with zigzag stitching, but I haven't taken the time to watch it.
Sewing with this machine is simplicity itself, at least for those of us who have been sewing a long time. There are several oiling points on the top of the machine for the all-metal gearing, along with oiling the needle mechanism, feed dog feed and of course the oscillating bobbin hook. If there is an adjustable needle mechanism I haven't found it either on the machine or in the owner's manual. The owner's manual is more comprehensive than an equivalent machine today, complete with some of the unusual translations that we saw coming out of Asians back then.
Playing with the machine, I have found the motor and the machine itself to be rather quiet--quieter than the Singer Fashion Mate machines I have also with the external motor. In fact, it is extremely solid in feel, much more so than the equivalent newer Brother machines. It doesn't vibrate even at top speed, and I've gotten a beautiful satin stitch with the dogs up. Stitch quality is very acceptable, and certainly equivalent to good Asians now. Better than the average Wal-Mart Brother.
Our expectations of our machines are certainly greater than when this machine was manufactured; setting this machine beside a modern one will quickly illustrate that. However, for a conventional or conservative garment sewer, this machine does have the necessities, assuming the buttonhole option works properly. There is always a certain joy using one of these all-metal traditional machines, a certain smoothness and quietness obtained after a quick oiling, that is not possible with either computerized machines, or those with plastic drive components. I've played with the machine with my usual freehand embroidery, and it aquitted itself quite well. Stitch speed doesn't match my Berninas, I'd say it's around 700-800, but it does a very acceptable job freehanding. It's rather neat hearing that external motor and looking around the side at that whirring little belt! Additionally, this machine has a large chrome handwheel-notable for both its light touch and buttery smoothness. I know of no current machine that has such a nice handwheel, and that's a shame. No matter how many needle-option buttons we have, there is still no substitute when doing precision stitch-by-stitch work, for a great handwheel. Newer sewers won't understand this, but we oldies will know. What johnr55 does not like about this machine
I am looking for a small and compact sewing cabinet for this machine. So few flatbed machines are sold now that virtually all the cabinets are made for freearms with inserts. I'm keeping an eye out on EBay for something contemporary to the machine's manufacture. I won't pretend this machine is equivalent to a well-made modern one, but so what! It is truly uncanny to have a brand-new machine of this age, rather like finding a brand-new car from the 70's. Having said that, this machine could be eminently practical and usable for a modern sewer who didn't insist on having a couple of hundred stitch options or power-everything. I have no doubt this machine, in the hands of a competent sewer, could produce garments of high quality. The all-metal construction combined with the ability to have this machine serviced anywhere, could be a real and tangible advantage. It uses the most commonly available and inexpensive supplies. Like some of the vintage machines of other brands reviewed on this website, it hearkens back to a time when manufacturing sewing machines was much more labor-intensive, even when cost was a factor. I certainly will not be using this machine on a daily or even weekly basis, but when I want to take a time trip it'll come out from under its cover, ready to give good service.
Incidentally, it's amazing how often one can find brand-new vintage machines, still in their boxes, on EBay. Like many other home appliances, certain numbers of these machines were given to people who simply placed the box in their closets until they died! | *LOGIN to add a comment to this review
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| Reader Comments | | ButtonFaith | 5/3/08 | Wow, I never would have imagined you could get a new-in-the-box vintage machine! What a great story and review! | | * * * | | Celeste | 5/3/08 | I'd LOVE to see a picture of this. I think it's like the one my mom had back in the late 60's, early 70's and I did some of my earliest sewing on it. You could attach the foot pedal high on your cabinet on the side near your knee and use knee pressure to run the machine and I STILL miss this!!! It was a great feature--the pedal not on the floor gathering dust and getting in the way, and always in the same spot, not moving around. Boy, that was a cool machine. Is yours beige?? | | * * * | | johnr55 | 5/3/08 | Yes, mine's beige, a quite nice enamel. I don't know how to put a photo on here, have several stored from the auction. You have a profile with no e-mail access, or I'd send them that way. My e-mail is johnrktx@sbcglobal.net; if you wish to send me an e-mail I'll attach the photos. If you know how to look up auctions on EBay, it's #380013366945, "Vintage Brother Profile 821 Sewing Machine NEW Zig-Zag". There are a bunch of photos on there with the machine still in its wrapper and you can see the wooden spool of blue test thread. As I said, I've seen many machines brand new like this on EBay. In fact, there was recently a new Viking Classica on there for less than $100 still in the box. I didn't buy it because I own no Viking feet, etc. | | * * * | | karen149 | 5/4/08 | I, too was rather fascinated by this machine when it was up for auction but...I didn't bid. I'm actually doing some sewing machine spring cleaning but it was nice to find out someone here at PR got it and to be able to read this review! | | * * * | | Celeste | 5/4/08 | John, I looked it up on ebay and this is newer somewhat than my mom's. This machine looks like it may have been made in the early 70's and I think hers probably was made in the early 60's, as I was sewing on it in 68 and I know she had it several years by then or had gotten it second hand. I cruize the old machines on ebay all the time. Maybe I'll see it sometime it will be like an old friend.
Hers was a darker beige than the one I saw on ebay also. | | * * * |
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