Do any of you have favorites brands of sergers?
I have borrowed my mom's White, but it is the only one that
I have ever used. I am not in the market right now, but I am curious...
(((((
I have a new babylock that I am in love with. It's the one all the women who work at my sewing store own so I figured that was a good sign! It's air threading and NO TENSION knobs!!! woohoo
Carrie
I LOVE my Bernina. It serges like a dream! I had a Singer before and will never go back!!! Oh, and Juki actually makes my machine (Bernina just sells it).
One more time (humour me) ~ What serger do you have and would you recommend it?
Sorry, I know I asked about this a while ago, but I can't find the post now. Plus a few of us here have purchased more recent models, so...
1. What make and model serger do you have?
2. Would you recommend it? Why/why not?
3. Does it work well with thicker fabrics? (I work with a lot of hemp canvas type fabric, 3-4 layers, so it would need to do that, as well as thinner fabrics -- am I asking too much??)
I'm between getting a used one that needs repair ( suzanne), saving up a little more and getting a new one (like the Janome 504D everyone's mentioning lately) or just putting off purchasing one for another year or so til I can save up and get one like my MIL's. My MIL has a Babylock Imagine and she and I had a talk this morning. She said that I'll be unhappy with a cheaper model, that they are finicky and need a lot of attention, and that for the amount of sewing I do, I really need to invest in a better model. I tried out the used industrial Jukki serger, and while it would be good for most of the stuff for my biz, I really would like the options of different stitches because I'm doing a lot more personal sewing now.
I have a 20 year old White 534 that I bought used from a lady I met in Walmart (LOL, yes I talk to EVERYONE, even total strangers). Works fine, no differential feed, no bells & whistles, but it's all metal and I haven't broken it in the 4-5 yrs I've had it (nor has it ever been serviced aside from dh oiling & cleaning it twice).
If/when I upgrade I'll go for the White 2000ATS (or was it 1000ATS?). That one we were talking about a few days ago. Of all the machines I've seen mamas here link to that's the one I actually told DH I wanted some day.
Of course by then there may be a new one out but that's my current choice
elna 614
yes, I'd recommend it. sews great, goes through thick items
This is my second elna serger. First one was 15 years old and I used it for 3 years with the biz and it is still sewing for another amity mama. I upgraded because I kept through the timing off. It was just too much usage for an older machine.
Don't get the elna 744 though, it sucks!!!
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Allison
mama to Ara, Simone, and Zarin
Brother 929d - I think it works fine! Once I finally figured out how to use it, I've had no problems at all. Had it a year I think. Works well on thick fabrics although I think its time for new blades.
Really, it seems like you CAN get a nice machine at a low price and it can be reliable and strong for you.... I think with the babylock - it's nice b/c of the extra features (threading/tensions, etc) but I don't think it's any more reliable.
I also wonder if alot of serger complaints aren't due to operator error (I know mine were).
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Alison - mom of
Brian 5/28/02
Ruby 6/2/04
Location: Looking forward to whatever the future has in store
Posts: 3,251
I have a Simplicity Frontier SL390. It was easy to get to know, handles multiple layers of fairly heavy fabrics, isnt too hard to thread. I think that its a good machine for home sewing and has all the options that I could ask for. I cant see having a huge problem with it anytime in the future and dont see a need to upgrade, at least for quite some time.
I think I paid $232 via ebay.
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Jenn
Single mama to my two loves *~Feedback~*
"If you keep banging your head against the wall, you're going to get headaches."
I have the Babylock Evolve. OMG, that thing does everything I ask it to except keep my coffee/tea warm. Thick fabrics are no problem. Its an amazing piece of machinery. I just wish that the foot was a bit narrower, but it has to be wide to accomodate the coverhem.
I'll add. I borrow my friends Janome mylock (can't remember the number, on of the cheaper ones) when I need a back up serger and it works great. I highly recommend Janome if you don't want to spend much. I think she paid $300 in the store. You could probably get one cheaper on ebay.
Also, she went through 3 brother 929 before demanding her money back from walmart. That thing was a hunk of junk. It would cut (not break) the thread while serging. It had a design flaw (all three!).
had a white 1934d, liked it.
upgraded to a viking 905, then for $50 more to a 910. i'm definately happy with it, but the white really was just fine. if you go for the white, get the 2000ats online rather than the 1934d from JoAnn, unless you're planning on upgrading at some point. i would recommend any of the above, they all handled dipes and soakers and garmet construction quite well. they also did fine with thin stuff (like muslin), but i did have a problem with trying to hem 5mm playsilks. could have been operator error, though...
-sarah
__________________ My Feedback
Mama to A, 11/02 and Little O, 12/06
i have a viking huskylock 340d that i just *LOVE*. i got it at the salvation army for $75, serviced for $60 and it was as good as new. i asked the viking dealer if i should buy a newer one and they told me unless i was going to buy the 905 or 910 to keep the one i have cuz it's a reliable machine.
it bit the dust last summer (or so i thought) so i bought a janome harmony from sears for $318 (i bought the 3 year warranty). i like it but i don't love it. i think i was too comfortable with my viking kwim?
i found my viking manual and viola! problems are fixed! so needless to say i have a janome harmony sitting here collecting dust. lol
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Liz~ single mama to Kaitlyn Logan and Christine
My First Half Marathon!
Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit.
Sergers...which brands do you like?
between getting a used one that needs repair ( 
suzanne), saving up a little more and getting a new one (like the Janome 504D everyone's mentioning lately) or just putting off purchasing one for another year or so til I can save up and get one like my MIL's. My MIL has a Babylock Imagine and she and I had a talk this morning. She said that I'll be unhappy with a cheaper model, that they are finicky and need a lot of attention, and that for the amount of sewing I do, I really need to invest in a better model. I tried out the used industrial Jukki serger, and while it would be good for most of the stuff for my biz, I really would like the options of different stitches because I'm doing a lot more personal sewing now.
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