How To Buy a Sewing Machine
When you first decide to get into sewing, the most important piece of equipment you’ll have to buy is a sewing machine. This machine is the most expensive item you’ll have to purchase, but it’s also the most useful.
As there are many models of sewing machines available, this guide will inform you of how to find the one that is right for you.
The Basics
First of all, when you’re just starting to learn how to sew, you don’t need the $1000 machine that’s computerized. There are many expensive sewing machines out there with a lot of neat features, but they’re not what you need to get started.
When you’re starting out, you only need a home sewing machine with basic functions. These basic functions include sewing forwards, sewing backwards, and bobbin winding. If you find a machine that can’t do any one of these things, don’t buy it — but DO tell me about it because I’ve never heard of one that can’t.
There are many companies that make sewing machines, but the two most well-known brands are Brother and Singer. Both are known for making affordable and reliable machines that are great for beginners and up.
However, the most important factor when acquiring your first sewing machine is whether it is new or used.
Buying a New Machine
If you decide to buy a brand new machine, you’ll find that you’ll have a lot of options. There are many retailers that sell sewing machines including Walmart, JoAnn’s, and Amazon.
Regardless of the price and where you prefer to shop, your first machine should cost between $50 and $250, but NEVER $300 or more.
When you purchase a new sewing machine, you should expect a few items to be in the box. The two most important parts are the machine and the foot control.
A foot control is what you press on to get your machine to stitch, and it also provides power to the machine.
Other common components are various presser feet, machine needles, and a manual.
Acquiring a Used Machine
Receiving a used sewing machine can be an interesting experience. Some people inherit their first machine from a family member or find one at a garage sale. They might come with all of their original parts or be missing some.
The price for these machines might range from free to $200, which means used machines tend to be cheaper than new ones.
When looking at a used machine, you need to check a few things.
The first thing to consider is what items will be included. The machine and the foot control are the bare minimum because you can purchase different presser feet and machine needles later.
If the manual is missing, it’s possible that it will either be available online or similar enough to another machine that you can figure out how to use it without help.
The second issue you could run into is that the machine needs to be repaired or serviced. Costs for servicing a sewing machine vary by where you’re going to take it and what work needs to be done.
In my experience, I’ve had service run as cheap as $40 and as expensive as $80.
Generally, you only need to have a sewing machine serviced once a year if you use it regularly or if you think it needs to be repaired. Getting a machine tuned up or fixed can include taking the machine apart to clean it, replacing defective parts, or even resetting the thread tensions.
If your first sewing machine is used, you should get it serviced before using it to make sure there are no problems.
In addition to that, I also recommend informing the person doing the service of any information about it that you know. This could include where you got the machine, when you received it or its age, and any issues you notice. If they know of any problems to look for, it will help with getting your money’s worth.
Conclusion
If you’re new to sewing and want a sewing machine, you’ve got a lot of affordable options to choose from.
At some point, your sewing skills will grow and you’ll want a new machine, but until then you just need something simple to get started.
Note: All of the photos included in this article were taken by me.