Quote Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC View Post
Dread,

I don't know anything about your specific machine but your last comment made me say something.

If people say the machine is noisy and rattles I would immediatly look elsewhere. One factor of any machine is vibration control. High vibration leads to excess wear and failure.

My Pfaffs are all over 30 years old. Each runs smooth and vibration free. And each is still in daily use.

Now some machines are called thumpers. But they run at very slow speeds and have a lot of weight of metal moving. Most of these are very heavy duty machines like those used to sew saddles and harnesses. The mass of moving metal is needed to drive a needle thru 1 1/2" of solid leather.

The reason that a good quality machine cost so much is because "you get what you pay for" and they are proven over the years to do the job they were designed for and to last for years.
And in the long run are very inexpensive to operate.

A craftsman is only as good as his tools. Buy the best you can possibly afford.
Bolting it to a table or otherwise mounting it on your work surface helps considerably from what I was told.

And I am thinking that noise is a relative thing. When looking around, I keep finding these whisper quiet models... And find all of the internals are made from things not metal. It looks like people give 1 star ratings about sewing machines for even a slight electrical hum. I mean, I can't say for sure, but it seems to me that a machine made from metal parts would probably draw fire from some types.

I've done a lot of looking... This model has been around for years and years and years it looks like, since before I was born, and it has remained virtually unchanged. It still comes in the dull army olive drab green. It only has 10 stitches. I've found some kind of kit where you can alter this particular model and hook it up to a foot powered pedal. (No electricity required) I've also read in more than one place and heard it from a sale person in an customer service email that they are probably going to drop this model from production, which is why the prices have dropped on it so much recently. Some places still have them listed for 600 or 700 dollars or more, but most have dropped down to 399.99 or even 299.99, including some refurbs for 199.99. I could actually get one of the refurbs right now this minute... For 199.99. I mean, that is not a bad deal at all for a good 'starter' machine. But the refurbs don't have the 25 year coverage on the machine and free in home servicing that the new ones have.

School is going to provide me with a 'free' sewing machine, a midrange Brother unit, which is going to be mine to keep. I've been told it is nice enough for light to medium duty work.