Buy a new sewing machine, or repair a vintage one?

May 7, 2018 2:27 PM

I want to have a sewing machine that's good for a upper-basic to intermediate sewer. It seems my options are either to repair a vintage (metal, solid, simple) Husqvarna machine or buy a new one. Are new machines (plastic, LCD screens etc) going to last as long as a well-repaired vintage machine?

We've received a gift of cash and would like to buy a sewing machine. It'd be used mostly for repairs etc., but also for making our own clothes. The wish list is:
- Reliability and longevity. With minimal care (oiling, cleaning etc) it should last for decades.
- Strong enough to handle jeans (not all the time, but every now and then)
- A handful of relatively basic functions (zig zag, buttonholes, etc). Anything over 20 different stitches is unlikely to be used (at least, it seems that way - but maybe we'd use them more if we had them?)
- Funtions that help with quiltmaking are a plus, but not essential.

Budget is kinda flexibly- we're happy to spend over $250, and could go over $500 if there was some compelling reason why you get much more for your money at that point.

We have access to an old Husqvarna machine (from th 60s, we think). We're living in Sweden, so they're pretty common. We're considering sending it to get refurbished, as it seems like that would definitely give us reliability, longevity, and toughness. Are we right in thinking that a refurbished old machine would have a longer lifespan than a modern one with various electronics and plastic parts?

Buuut, a brand new machine would have things that would be very handy (buttonholes etc), and even if it's not as rugged as the old one, could we still count on 20+years? If so, what's a good intermediate machine around our price point?

I've found this old question which has some good tips, but it's from two years ago and doesn't consider refurbishing an old one.

Thanks for the help!

posted by twirlypen to Home & Garden (15 answers total)

Are we right in thinking that a refurbished old machine would have a longer lifespan than a modern one with various electronics and plastic parts?

Yes.

even if it's not as rugged as the old one, could we still count on 20+years?

No. Electronic sewing machine buyers regularly complain that their machine has been discontinued by the manufacturer and parts are no longer available. If the circuit board goes or a plastic part melts or the LED screen blows (it happens!) you're just out of luck and out of pocket.

Buuut, a brand new machine would have things that would be very handy (buttonholes etc), and

You can get a Husqvarna buttonhole foot!

In short, if you need this investment to last 20 years, refurbish. If you're not OK with planned obsolescence in 5 - 10 years, refurbish. But if you actually just really want cool stitches and 10! kinds! of button holes! there is nothing wrong with that either and you should go for a modern electronic machine.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:00 PM on May 7, 2018 [8 favorites]

I'd say: scout a few repair shops, or get recommendations from trustworthy sewing friends. Then take your old Husqvarna to them and see what the repair would cost. A good repair shop will have many refurbished second-hand machines, of which some will have various fancy features. You can either get your old machine repaired, or part-exchange it for a new or new-old one.

I have a 1980s Husqvarna- Viking 400 Computer, for example, which is programmable and comes with a special buttonhole foot; has LCD displays and a multitude of stitches, adjustable to a fraction of a millimetre; and is built like a tank.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:03 PM on May 7, 2018

I blew through two new plastic machines before I got my 1964 Singer. The vintage machine has lasted me longer than the other to put together, and never gives me a minute's trouble. I got a vintage buttonholer for a song at a thrift store, and some other specialty feet for cheap online. I oil her maybe once a year and I'm good to go.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 3:53 PM on May 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

I love my 1970s-era Kenmore for sewing clothes! Meanwhile, my friends who quilt replace their modern machines every five to eight years. They just don't last anymore.
posted by christinetheslp at 4:11 PM on May 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

I can’t speak about Husqvarna machines, but the one thing I wanted when my mom died was her 1964 Singer sewing machine. That thing has been used a LOT, and Mom never had anything done to it except get it cleaned and lubed once or twice. Meanwhile, I’ve been through three new sewing machines before I finally gave up.

And you can do buttonholes on any machine with a zigzag stitch.
posted by MexicanYenta at 5:50 PM on May 7, 2018 [3 favorites]

I have a 1970s Kenmore that can do a zillion fancy things, using a box of interchangeable cams as analog instruction sets, instead of digital logic boards. Which is pretty cool in its own right. My favorite is one that stitches little chickens in an embroidered chain. So don't assume that old means incapable of fairly sophisticated stuff. I'm sure there's someone out there making custom cams for this format. This may not be terribly relevant to a 60's Huskvarna**, but 70's Kenmores are fairly easy to come by in the states at least, in refurbished good condition for a few hundred bucks, or you buy one broken for $20 and spend a hundred or so on professional repairs and parts.

Like stand mixers and percolators and certain types of bikes and pyrex (and a zillion other things*), it is true they just don't make them like they used to, at least for the mass market at sane pricing. And you'll easily find 1960-1980 stuff in this vein working well in 2019, while 1990-2010 stuff has long been broken and not able to be properly repaired.

*The trick of course is knowing which things this applies to, which is why this is a good ask :)

** I know people in the states who seek and use Huskvarna chainsaws of that era
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:21 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have my grandmother's 1946 Singer machine. In my lifetime (I'm in my 30s), it's needed a new belt, which it got sometime in the late 90s, and a new cord, which I gave it a few years ago. It doesn't have a zigzag, so I really can't sew knits on it. I do have a buttonholer for it. It also has a really interesting collection of feet, which apparently don't come on modern machines, like an automatic tucker, gathering foot, and hemstitch foot. If you know what kind of feet your machine has, you can find vintage feet on eBay for not that much money.

I am religious about oiling it before I use it, and am careful to top up the grease tubes in the motor. It saw me through my couture sewing and pattern making classes at FIT, and I still use it for light sewing and mending. I've hemmed my jeans on it, and done some upholstery sewing also.

If I were in your shoes, I'd keep your machine and refurbish it, and see if you can find a buttonhole attachment for it.

(Bulky jeans seams are easier to sew if you baste them how you want them, and then hit the thick parts with a rubber mallet before sewing.)
posted by Lycaste at 6:30 PM on May 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

Wirecutter disagrees with the conventional wisdom that fixing up an old all-metal machine is necessarily better than buying a new high end machine except when you're spending less than $500. But they do recommend some new machines at that price point.

I sew on a 1965 mid-range Singer. It's fine--it's noisy, sometimes balky and buttonholes or other fancy stitching really does not work as well as newer machines.It's great for the stuff in my vintage pattern library (women sewing most of my patterns at home would have been using a machine similar to mine) but I'm saving up for a new Husqvarna.
posted by crush at 7:26 PM on May 7, 2018

Funtions that help with quiltmaking are a plus, but not essential.
A walking foot can help with feeding multiple layers, so check if those are sold for your model before you decide.
posted by soelo at 7:48 PM on May 7, 2018

I think with the budget you mentioned I'd get the old machine refurbished, sew with it for a while, and if I still felt I wanted some modern options I'd get something like this (which is apparently a rebranded Janome from a solid company with a better price).

For sewing things like jeans, make sure you use needles specific to the task (your sewing store can advise you) - it makes a huge difference.
posted by trig at 8:20 PM on May 7, 2018

I had no idea 1964 Singers were a Thing here! Echoing what has been said above. My '64 has performed consistently first for my mother and then for me for over 50 years. I oil it when it gets kind of choppy and, because it's mechanical and not computerized, I can do minor repairs myself. I have never had trouble finding parts for it.
posted by Elly Vortex at 8:55 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

Wirecutter disagrees with the conventional wisdom that fixing up an old all-metal machine is necessarily better than buying a new high end machine except when you're spending less than $500. But they do recommend some new machines at that price point.

Oh, yeah, nearer the top of the line the modern machines do get better. Our local Jo-Ann's has a classroom that anybody can sign out and use for free if there isn't a class going, and since my room is small I tend to go there whenever I have a big pattern to lay out. The machine in the classroom is Singer's best new model, and sewing on that is a dream. But for an affordable workaday machine I still prefer my golden oldie.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:43 PM on May 7, 2018

Do you like the old machine? Do you like the things that will not change when serviced (size, weight, light position, foot pedal, that sort of thing)? Can you thread the needle without too much swearing? Can you get a walking foot and a button hole foot for it? Can it sew jeans? Because it is nice to refurbish old things, but some of the improvements in sewing machines over the years have legitimately made them better.

The old metal sewing machines weigh a ton, and they do eventually get to the point that they can't be fixed, or cost a fortune. If the parts are easily available in your area, that will be less likely to happen, but 20 years isn't a given, even for the old metal beasts.

Sewing machines are similar to bikes. The cheap and old ones often cost more to fix than it costs to just buy a new one. It can be a gamble either way. And they have moving parts and things will wear out and they will need to be serviced at some point, which will probably cost more than it's worth at that point.

The Singer Heavy Duty series might be a good fit for you, assuming the parts and servicing is available in Sweden. It's mechanical only and designed to be able to handle thicker fabric. With that budget, it's worth checking out your local sewing shop too. They might offer lessons, or at least troubleshooting, which can help you avoid the teething problems that you often get learning to use a different machine.
posted by kjs4 at 12:59 AM on May 8, 2018

I have a 70s-era Singer and it has literally never had one problem. My mom used it from new and now it's mine. She has a new fancy something and honestly, I prefer the Singer.
posted by mrfuga0 at 6:50 AM on May 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

My first machine from childhood was a very basic Singer and then I got a slightly nicer used machine for a gift. They weren't great but were absolutely fine for me. Then I had a 1984 Pfaff synchrotronic that I got used and worked great for years... until it broke twice almost back-to-back and cost a lot to repair. This winter I ended up getting a new Pfaff Passport 3.0 and LOVE it!!!! It was almost $700 and this was during a big sale; this amount felt ridiculous after my previous experiences but it was ultimately worth it. Admittedly, it broke shortly after I got it -- but it was fixed easily -- and I was scared to use it for awhile but am finally doing so and I definitely notice the difference. I can see how it wouldn't be worth it for many people though: it's got lots of bells and whistles but still is a more simple machine for hobby sewers who'd probably be fine with a good Singer. I mean, I probably would be, too, but it was nice to treat myself now that I finally can.

Bottom line: it took some getting used to but now I love my new machine. As others have said, if you love your old machine, then why not just get it fixed. However, if you want it and have the big bucks for a new one -- and we're talking about $$$$ because my expensive machine was still so much cheaper than most other options at the sewing shop, then go for it. Just visit a reputable shop and try out their machines. It may feel worth it or it may not. And if you do get a new machine, you'll probably feel a bit of fear or buyers remorse but it'll go away and you'll happily sew again even more than before.

Oh, and my new machine automatically cuts the threads and I can't tell you enough how amazing it is!
posted by smorgasbord at 5:39 PM on May 8, 2018 [1 favorite]