| Brother:Dressmaker 7000 (Sewing Machine) | | Viewed 358 time(s) | | Review rated Very Helpful by 5 people | | Reviewed by: | johnr55 | 
 | About johnr55 | | TX USA | | Member since: 3/22/08 | | Reviews written: 65 | | Sewing skills:Intermediate | | Favored by: 7 people | | sewing machines reviewed: 20 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 11/6/09 6:57 PM | | Approx price paid: | $50 | | Had this machine for: | 1 month | | Recommended? | Yes | Features
- Adjustable Stitch Length and Width
- Adjustable Presser Foot Pressure
- Adjustable Needle Position
| | What johnr55 likes about this machine
This is yet another vintage Japanese machine from either the late sixties or early seventies. All metal, and weighs a ton. It is under Brother because I think Brother made it, and there is no choice for Dressmaker!
This is yet another iteration of those well-made Japanese machines sold under so many shells, under so many names. To my memory, Dressmaker was a brand back then that was mostly sold by sew-vac places as opposed to the name brand dealers.
Just as with cars and some sewing machine brands, one can tell the approximate age of the machine by the styling. This is particularly true of the fifties into the eighties. The metal shell on this Dressmaker is beige with a sky blue accent panel on the front. Another feature that separates this machine from older ones is that by the early seventies they had finally discarded the old front bobbin winder, the one where friction from the hand wheel drove the winder. This Dressmaker has a conventional top bobbin winder. The machine has a rather more restful appearance than its cousins in other brands, particularly the Morse machine. There is still much, much more chrome than one would see on a contemporary Elna or Bernina, though.
Being one of this group of generics does mean, though, that many features are either similar or in exactly the same place from brand to brand. For example, there is an external belt drive to an exposed motor on this flatbed. There is the so-common press and lock mechanism for adjusting presser foot pressure. I don't like it because it is more difficult to replicate pressure, as opposed to a dial with numbers. However, it is certainly adjustable. Some of these machines will have a full dog, partial dog, and total dog drop. This Dressmaker has only full and 'darn', which works with two buttons in front of the tower. Stitch length is adjusted with a big chrome knob on the front, with a large ivory colored 'R' button in the middle. Thread tension is adjusted with a large multicolor dial on the front. One of the characteristics that labels these machines as old technology for their time is the stitch width. There is adjustable stitch width from 0-5, on this machine adjusted with a horizontal lever on the front. However, it is spring loaded; it will return to zero unless locked. There are two heavy chrome locking knobs, one to restrict each range of width. It's not a great inconvenience, just rather like the old locks necessary on antique straight stitch machines. The bobbin case and bobbin are the ubiquitous class 15, which makes supplies both dirt cheap and very available. There is a top-loading cam system that gives a total of 30 stitches. However, don't expect a buttonhole program at all; it is not there. This machine has so many similarities to the Brother I reviewed a couple of months ago, except that on it there was a separate 4-step buttonhole knob on the top that is absent here. The owner's manual gives instruction for making a manual buttonhole which I expect many of us made in past times. The cams give a good selection of both decorative and practical stitches.
So how is it to use? Nothing special. It is a decent stitcher that would work for most of us on here. I admit I rather like the hum of an external motor, and being a guy I don't have to worry about catching hair in the external belt. The funny thing on these Asian machines of this vintage is the ultra-smooth and light needle motion, whether on straight or zigzag. One of the joys of these older machines is that there is a real handwheel as opposed to the knob on today's machines. To my knowledge, Viking is the only manufacturer that offers a knob cover to greatly enlarge the gripping surface, and unfortunately it is only available on top-line models. Stitch speed isn't high, but then it isn't low either! Certainly fast enough for garment sewing as I know it. Of course, there is no needle up-down or any of that electronic stuff. Makes one feel rather elemental when using one of these machines. We may complain about plastic parts, etc., in so many of the modern machines, but it would come as a shock to the owners of recent machines to discover the multitude of oiling points! And, as others here know, oiling properly is almost an art. Too little oil, and the machine will bind and run noisily. Too much oil, and it can run down from the needle mechanism onto the fabric. On a machine such as this with both top and bottom oiling, one of those oilers with a long thin spout is a real boon.
Would I recommend one of these machines? Absolutely! The difficulty is in choosing from the dozens that come across EBay under various names. They are all very solid, very easily maintained and fixed, and extremely reasonable in price. A couple of caveats: make certain that the accessories, such as cams, come with the machine if you want to use them. Second, buy the best you can find. My Dressmaker has obviously had very little use, somebody bought it and put it in a closet. A machine that has been in a hot attic, for example, will usually show its history. However, particularly as a backup machine, one of these machines can be an inexpensive way to keep sewing when the 'good' machine is in the shop! What johnr55 does not like about this machine
Nothing; it does what it was designed for. By the way, should anyone want to see what the machine looks like, go to sewingmachinemanual.net, pick Dressmaker brand, pick the 7000 model and that's it! I would recommend for anyone out there lookinng for old manuals, that this is a reliable vendor as I have bought a bunch from them. | *LOGIN to add a comment to this review
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| Reader Comments | | Peter in NYC | 11/7/09 | Great review, John! I have often wondered about the dozens of chrome-heavy Japanese machines out there on eBay -- so good to hear how one really functions. If you do a Google Image search you can also find a pic of the Dressmaker 7000. Quite a looker! | | * * * | | maryl | 11/7/09 | Hi John,
Yes, thank you for taking the time to write such an interesting, complete review. | | * * * | | johnr55 | 11/7/09 | Peter-these machines have been underrated for decades. True, they aren't anything special in terms of features, but they can be so much fun! Morse, Dressmaker, National, Brother, and so many more. Look at the controls and you can see their family heritage. These machines can be faithful friends just like your beautiful Singers. | | * * * | | dbsewer | 11/7/09 | You must have the most amazing sewing machine museum. Thanks for a nice review. | | * * * | | voet | 11/7/09 | John, thanks for all of the info. It is obvious that you love the engineering of old sewing machines. Your review is not only informative, it is very interesting to read. | | * * * | | downs | 11/7/09 | Your reviews are terrific! I look for them all the time as they are very informative. You certainly have a lot of machines. I believe you mentioned 22 in one review. Am I correct? | | * * * | | zanylady | 11/8/09 | Good review. Those old machines can almost always be fixed by someone with minimal mechanical skills. And they do what they were designed to do and do it well. I am in the process of fixing up an old Domestic and they really were pretty machines. | | * * * |
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