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which of these two machines best for beginner? sewing machines
liverlipsyyz Member since 10/20/08 Posts: 6	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 10/26/12 3:00 PM hi. love the forum here! i've never sewn before and i'm looking for an inexpensive machine to get started with to see if i enjoy it. i'm looking at these three machines from sears: http://www.sears.ca/product/kenmore-md-horizontal-sewing-machine-46-stitch-functions/620-000018598-16242 http://www.sears.ca/product/kenmore-md-horizontal-sewing-machine-54-stitch-functions/620-000018598-16554 http://www.sears.ca/product/kenmore-md-17-stitch-sewing-machine/620-000018598-15758?campaign=rr_search_SolrSearchToView_0_1 any advice? thanks!
andye   Beginner VA USA Member since 5/9/09 Posts: 1532	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 10/26/12 4:15 PM First, let's make those links clickable: 6 stitch machine 12 stitch machine 17 stitch machine The "46" stitch sewing machine looks like it doesn't even have stitch length and width dials, which you'll find to be somewhat limiting. The "54" stitch model has stretch stitches which might prove useful on knits, if the machine had some way of adjusting the foot pressure, but very little information is given in this regard-- not even a manual. What I think you need, as a beginner, is a reassurance that the thread will not bird nest, that it's reliable, and that your second machine will be bought for the new features, not because the first one has decided not to work properly.Check out the Compare Sewing Machines link at left
andye   Beginner VA USA Member since 5/9/09 Posts: 1532	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 10/26/12 4:15 PM duplicate post -- Edited on 10/26/12 4:16 PM --
PattiAnnJ   Advanced OH USA Member since 12/3/06 Posts: 4991	Login to reply to this post 2 members like this. Date: 10/26/12 4:23 PM Why Sears? You cannot get any assistance for how to use the machine nor can they answer any sewing questions. Visit as many sewing machine dealers as you can find to see what they have as an entry level machine. Tell them what you would like to learn to make and if there is a budget, add that to the conversation as well. My nearest dealer is over an hour's drive, one way. It is well worth the time and expense to have someone who can answer questions, offer lessons as well as service for the machine if and when it is needed.
beauturbo Advanced CA USA Member since 5/2/09 Posts: 1449	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 10/26/12 6:50 PM Maybe they even have a gift certificate to Sears in Canada? Or a Sears kind of charge account and can't afford to pay cash? Or just like Sears. But if I were choosing among just only those 3,and only from a picture, I think I would not pick the most expensive one, and pick one of the other two instead even. Probably the one that had the Normally I think I would get the most expensive machine out of 3, as most times that means it was made better/had more useful stuff than some less expensive one. But looking at all 3 of just those, I don't like the most expensive one, just there, best at all. Just because it looks made different from the other two which I actually like better. The reason is the most expensive one looks not like the best one to me of the 3, just to me, is I don't like the way the front of the machine and over the thread take up might be all in one piece. If so, you probably can't remove the area over the thread take up with just one screw and take that cover off to clean in there, all by yourself or take a thread tangle out of that part of it. But it is hard for me to tell for sure. On the two lesser expensive ones, it looks to me like you can actually do that. Also on the two lesser expensive ones, I like the reverse lever better. So to me the $149.99 machine, looks like the best made one to me, (even over the $199.99 one to me machine, even though it's not the very most expensive of all 3 of them.
andye   Beginner VA USA Member since 5/9/09 Posts: 1532	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 10/26/12 7:57 PM The md54 12 stitcher looks similar to a Janome 5812, reviewed.here . (Many Kenmores are made by Janome, but this is sheer speculation) -- Edited on 10/26/12 8:01 PM --
sew2006 Advanced ON CANADA Member since 6/24/06 Posts: 1705	Login to reply to this post In reply to liverlipsyyz << Like this post Date: 10/26/12 10:16 PM I would also suggest looking at dealers to see what they have. I sewed on the 6 stitch machine and it felt like it struggled through 2 pieces of cotton. The shank on the machine I saw was plastic and the bobbin wider piece is also plastic. There's no stitch lenght, stitch width or stretch stitch on this machine. Side by side, in a class beside a Janome 1108 (has stitch lenght and basic stretch) the Kenmore sewed at 1/3 the speed. The take up lever's thinner than other comparable machines. Watch out for "stitch functions", they like to count each possible type of sewing you can do. Sewing a straight seam, the botton hem on pants, zipper with a foot and a quilt block all count as functions (all done with a staight stitch.) ------ Janome10001, Babylock ESG3, Brother ULT 2001, White 634D serger, Pfaff 1472, Singer featherweight, Singer 14T957Dc, Bernina FunLock 009DCC coverlock, Brother PQ1500S, Janome CP900.
B Intermediate MN USA Member since 12/5/03 Posts: 626	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 10/27/12 10:08 AM Finding a good used machine at a dealer could get you some help if you needed it. Do you have someone to ask if you need help getting started? I think you can do it by yourself if you like to follow directions and ask here, for instance, especially if you get the best machine you can afford. I would get the most expensive one of your three, or even better if you can swing for a bit more, like this one which looks more like the popular Kenmore 18221 (not sure that it is). Do the Canadian Sears stores have frequent sales like they do in the USA? Perhaps you could wait for a sale to manage the better machine more easily? -- Edited on 10/27/12 11:35 PM -- ------ Janome serger 634D, Brother PC6000, Singer 500A & 328K, Bernina 600, White Rotary treadle, New Homestead A VS treadle

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