Sewing machine recommendations

TestKnit

Hi peeps,

So, not a quilter, but an amateur seamstress. I got into sewing relatively recently (about 2 years) and my sewing machine died. It was one of those purple detailed, toy machines. Nobody wants to repair it, as technicians can't find the pieces for it, and they're... cheaply made to put it lightly. So, it's come to it. I need a real, domestic machine!

Except, I have no idea how to research it! So, I imagine perhaps you might have some recommendations for me as quilters! Do you machine sew? What do you think of your machine?

Please help!

ilgirasolesara

Hello
I'm a professional quilter, since 2005! I tried a lot of sewing machine, from Brother to Singer (probably the most recommended for the European amateur tailors). The brother one is my best friend, and now I’ve given it to my daughter for her creative projects. Two year ago I purchased this quilt machine: pfaff quilt expression 720
It comes with lots of automated features and a great built-in computer. Surprisingly, I’ve been really happy with it. Sure, it’s pretty expensive for a beginner (about 2000 euros), but you can count on great results.

TestKnit

ilgirasolesara replied at 2025-09-08 07:29
Hello  
I'm a professional quilter, since 2005! I tried a lot of sewing machine, from Brother to Sin ...

Hi,
Thanks for your recommendation! It's a bit out of my league, but it was very cool to learn just how far technology has gone for sewing machines! I might save up for it, or buy one second hand if I find one. I'm half sure you wouldn't find one like this in Argentina, some people are still using the OLD singer machines! We're traditional XD

But, the Brother and Singer machines, you do find those here. If you don't mind, what model was your daughter's machine? I'm sure that, if you trusted it enough to be a good choice for your daughter, that you trusted it enough for a beginner.

MissPriss

I recommend finding a solid vintage machine, one that does at least zig-zag stitch. You can get incredibly solid, easy-to-maintain vintage machines for less than $100 USD. I recommend Singer 401, Singer 500, and Pfaff 130. I've heard good things about Singer Touch and Sew 600 machines (avoid the 700 series!), but I have no experience with them myself.

Most of these will require a separate attachment for buttonholes, but you can pick those up for $10-50.

I personally will never buy a brand new sewing machine. They are very overpriced for the quality, and I don't like being locked in to dealership repairs for machines with motherboards.

TestKnit

MissPriss replied at 2025-09-11 00:59
I recommend finding a solid vintage machine, one that does at least zig-zag stitch. You can get incr ...

Vintage machines might be a really solid option actually! Thanks for the tip, and also for the advice with the Sew 700s, I had barely heard anything of them.

Separate attachments aren't really a problem as long as the machine can do the basics, like a zigzag.

Things with motherboards in general are the devil. My fiancee is a CS engineer, and I work with online civil engineer tools daily. Our computers and phones are the only things that we'll own with a mboard!