Pfaff Variamatic 1117 Sewing machine help - I need a manual

I also love the *old* Singers. Just not the new lower-end machines.

The same can be said for a Ford, a Chevy, a Toyota, or a Saturn. If there is a carburetor, it's most likely made by Aisin, and other parts are made by other companies. Same with a computer. Or most anything you name. Manufacturing has changed.

Then the same can hold true for Pfaff, Bernina, Husqvarna, Baby Lock, Brother, Viking, and others for many of their models. Kenmores have been done by Janome for some time now. White also did them way back before Electrolux purchased them under the HV label, when White was a brand to contend with. Pfaff does not build any of their machines anymore. There are NO Pfaff plants at least there are still Singer plants. They are assembled in the Czech Republic or Sweden does that then negate the Pfaff brand or lessen the quality. True that Singer has produced some dogs, but then so has many of the other brands, and as more brands are combined under new holding companies there will be even less difference. Pfaff is a close to non-existence as a company can get.

Well, there may have been "lower end" machines in 1960 when I bought my 401A, I really don't know. As I recall, I paid over $300 for that machine, at a time I was making $37.00 per week (8+ weeks of pre-tax income). Let's see, my current income is in the neighborhood of $675.00 per week, so a machine of similar quality would be about $5,400. Yup, that sounds about right, maybe even a little high.

Anyone wanting a "new" machine for $200 is bound to be disappointed with the quality. That would be equivalent of trying to find a machine in 1960 for under $24.00. I know I wouldn't have touched one selling at that price, even though I was struggling financially.

Unfortunately, there is a *demand* for SMs in that price range, look at all the posts here from people wanting a machine for "under $500" or whatever.

Beverly

Asin Seiki is the largest producer of sergers in the world.....they brand for everyone. Hosei is another --- they do the TOL Pfaff ones. Pfaff picks and chooses from a list of standard options, just like a car, and the serger is built. Juki contracted with Singer to produce the embroidery machines from the XL1000 to the current XL6000 and Singer offered to give them a market outlet for some of the smaller sergers/ sewing machines that Juki produce . It is a good combination rather like Janome and Pfaff/VSM has had for years. Or Juki and Pfaff/VSM/and others have now. Singer even supplied some Pfaff machines in the early 90's a complete line of machines were all Singer made and before that in the

60's Singer made machines badged Pfaff and also did a complete Viking line. . Then there are the clones----machines built in Japan and sold by all the major companies as low end or 'introductory' models. A way to build brand loyalty. A machine company designs and engineers a product and has it built......very much like my Mazda truck, which in fact is really a Ford, or so all the parts say...... Manufacturing has changed, making brand loyalty hard. When you see a Singer serger priced at $300.00 and the very same one badged Husqvarna for $700 it is disconcerting. Companies do what they do best now, and cheapest be it a whole machine or specific parts, then they export to assembly plants all over the world. As Asian labour is still cheap, parts are shipped there for assembly and for several companies parts are cheaper made in Asia but assembly pants are in Sweden, or Switzerland, Brazil, US, etc so the parts are shipped there for assembly. Same as car plants, appliances almost anything that is sold. . . Even quilts. Sears contracts Amish women in Indiana to do the tops, then they are shipped to China to be put together and quilted.....but they are still sold as hand made in the US.

Singer still does built machines. In fact they build for other brands too. Most are in the $500. top price range though.

Elna does not make any of their machines, and Bernina and Husqvarna buy many from Janome too. None of the machine brands make their own parts all are done in a few plants in Asia HV only assembles machines just like most of the other companies from their own designs, but even those may come partly assembled from plants in Eastern Europe and Asia. There are 3-4 serger manufacturers all located in China, Taiwan and Japan who do all the sergers for all the brands. Toyota does some commercial embroidery machines but nothing domestic....that is all purchased. Singer is now contributing to the VSM machines in a big way along with the Pfaff ones. Hopefully the holding company for them will continue to see profit in the companies and we can relax a bit before the next sale.

True, but I am just saying that it is no longer true that *any* machine made by Singer these days is undoubtedly a good one. You can't trust the low-end models, because they are made by the cheapest bidder.

Excuse me, but didn't Singer stop producting their own machines before the 90s? And my understanding from the other sewing machine lists I am on is that Singer never badged their machines to anybody else. If you have proof to the contrary, I would be really interested in reading it so I can wipe out what these other researchers/historians have told me.

A Viking/Husqvarna machine that is called a Viking, a Bernina machine that is called a Bernina, and a Pfaff -- they are all good machines.

Only the mid-range machines. They don't do the low-end machines.

Still Singer plants? Where? (this question is asked in the pure sincerity of one who always seeks the truth and who loves learning)

No, just as you can't trust the low-end of any name-brand appliance's products. Refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, washers, dryers, etc., often have different manufacturers for different models in their line. Sometimes the low-end is well built with fewer features, sometimes it's junk.

I have no recent sewing machines except my Singer xl6000 and my Pfaff

1475. No Touch & Sews or Stylists, either. I do have several FWs, 401s, 99s, 66s, a 115, a 15, a bunch of 301s, 306s....I wish there were some way to transport some of these to people who come here asking about inexpensive machines. The Pfaff 320, the Elna Supermatic would be great for some of them. I need that scanner Kate and Jean have.

You really have to do your homework these days. Shop about and ask who is doing the better little stuff this year. Last year when I bought the Singer 117 Featherweight II for mum, it was the best in its class. This year the same shop is stocking the Frister & Rossman Cub SP to fill that gap as the newer 'improved' Singer 118 just isn't as good or as friendly to use as either the 117 or the F&R.

I think the feds bust it... They've gone over to a hand-held gadget like an iPod! ;)

Some folk keep buying the same brand because they know no different. My parents fell into this trap with the machine they bought for my for my

21st birthday: they got a mid-range Singer, and it was crap. A real Friday Afternoon Special, built at Kilbowie after they went over to assembly only of parts bought in from wherever would do them cheapest. That machine was a real disappointment to us all, and I've been very wary of all manufacturers ever since. 4 years later I sold it and bought the Frister & Rossman. I never looked back!

Kate: I placed 22 of these in a public school a couple of years ago. Half were 117's and half were 118's. They are doing very well with them. It is a Christian school with a very active home studies class for both boys and girls. They sew for a charity that makes sleepers and blankets for the Romanian babies abandoned to those orphanages where all they do is stay in cribs for ever. The Singers have not had any repairs or problems in over 2.5 years. I do regular maintenance spring and fall. It was a package deal and the school got an embroidery machine too. Very pleased with the placement. I got it through my Pfaff supplier at the time, as he was a dual dealer. AS for always putting down the low end machines, there have been several problems with high end ones too. HV is in its third recall her for ignighting embroidery machines, Pfaff has had numerous bobbin assembly breakage problems, and Bernina is experiencing problems with the CD players smoking. Quality is relative, it is not necessarily guaranteed by brand name. My current low end favourites are the Janome Jems....great little machines and excellent for the 5-8 year olds I teach and under $400 with the quilting accessories. Much less expensive than the same model sold by Pfaff/VSM.

Recently there have been several very very serious house fires in Canada caused by LG refrigerators and not one or two either. LG has not pulled the models involved, I believe so far there are 3 different ones, and have not placed warnings on them either. You take a chance on anything whether you pay a high price or not.

The complete 4000 line in the 90's was made by Singer for Pfaff. Before that it was the Calandas. Fineses models were done in the Romanian Singer plant. Sever models of Sergers were done by Singer, most popular was the Pfaff 756, most hated was the 4762.

That's good to know. I bought the 117 just as the last of them were going out. The 118 just wasn't as friendly, and all the ones the shop owner had tried were the same: the knobs and dials were not as easy to read, and were stiffer to turn. Also, they didn't click home at each stop so well... Just little things, but the F&R Cub SP had the edge on the 118. If they hadn't tried to 'improve' it, Wilf would still be selling the 117!

Comes as the Huskystar with HV. Dunno about VSM - different company. I keep hearing good things about the Gem, but the UK distributers won't sell it along side the HV machines in a n HV main dealership, as far as I can determine. Dunno why not: Bernina are quite happy to do so, and if they were confident of being able to stand up to the competition... I haven't yet tried one. I may well next time I go down to Tunbridge Wells.

It's also odd about the HV machines, and Berninas... We don't seem to have had any of those problems in the UK!

For the cheap and cheerful end of the market people like Janome and Brother are going to have to think seriously: I have a VERY cheap and cheerful 'E&R Classic' on my bench right now: it belongs to a customer. Made in PRC and going for £79.99

|Sewing%20Machines), it's cheaper and has a larger harp area than the little Brother sold along side it, and having tried both, I'd go for the Classic!> Recently there have been several very very serious house fires in> Canada caused by LG refrigerators and not one or two either. LG has> not pulled the models involved, I believe so far there are 3 different> ones, and have not placed warnings on them either. You take a chance> on anything whether you pay a high price or not. I'll keep an eye on my fridge! Mind you, it's a couple of years old now, and working beautifully.

VSM is the name of the company that sells Husqvarna, Viking, Simplicity, Gristner, White, Husky etc. Viking Sewing Machines. Well at least it was, since Dec 2005 they are now known as SVP---Singer Viking Pfaff.

So a distributor rather than a manufacturer or brand. Hm...

Actually it is they seem to be calling them selves "Inspira" these days. I have not noticed any change in any of them Viking, Pfaff or Singer, and White since the change in investor groups.

Web site has become much easier to use, there is postings of brochures now too. Something we have fought for a long time to get. The Smart machines are out. But generally the people are much easier to deal with. Many of the old guys are gone and the Singer people are doing both VSM/Pfaff and Singer now. Also no delays in parts and no one tells us they cannot get it because it is not current stock. I was able to acquire 3 more 7570 hooks to put in new machines about 3 weeks ago. I use them rather than the new ones because I think they are better. So far all replacements have been ok. I just know that the Canadian operations are much easier going now---people do not seem so uptight anymore.

They had better watch the Inspira thing.....there is a digitizer that uses that name and she is a right bear about the mis use of her business name. I have seen the Inspira attached to that quilt frame thing they are trying to sell.

Its the name of the Company, not a distribute, just VSM. They went to that from HV a few years ago during one of the holding company switches.