reliability of Berninas

I have a Bernina 1008, and totally love it. When it was passed to me pre-loved, it had been a loaner machine, and the foot pedal had ceased to work on the slow setting. I got it a new one as I use the machine with the kids. Other than thread snargles made by kids not putting the presser foot down before starting to sew, it has never put a foot wrong. It seems to love all thread, even metallic embroidery thread if I use the right needle!

I also have a dearly loved Husqvarna Lily 550. It's been in the shop twice in 10 years for a fix: it needed to have the carrying handle replaced when it was new, and later swallowed a bit of thread, stangled it's tension mechanism, and took a serious thread-exctomy to sort it out. This was in an area inaccessible to the user.

I have a number of other older machines, and the only ones that have ever been even slightly picky about thread are the hand cranks, which prefer silk or cotton thread to most poly threads. They don't give trouble with poly threads, but they just go sweeter with the silk and cotton.

You have free time: go machine testing!

The catch where I live is how far away ALL the shops are! [sigh!].

But it's fun to dream anyway.

Martha

....

Maybe I should too. All I do is straight stitch and a little zig-zag.

Can you use a walking foot on a mechanical?

Martha

I'm beginning to think so too. Unfortunately, the shop closed.

A friend who bought the same model, and sews maybe six hours a day, has never had any problems [sigh!].

Martha

That's in part what's so frustrating. These six, plus the five that are finished, were going to be dropped off by a friend at the house of the Project Linus coord. My friend was going that way first week of Sept, and since the Linus coord lives three hours away [we're a rural state], it would have saved me a LOT of gas.

Oh well, I'll live.

Martha

... Some things just don't seem to fit with us. ... I have tried not to be

I used to play viola da gamba, and the person from whom I bought my bows had a particular procedure when it came time to choose a new one.

He handed you a bunch of bows, unlabeled as to price, that he thought were possibilities, and sent you off to the sunroom to play with them for at least an hour. He did so because he felt people too often chose the wrong bow because of its high price!

Both times I bought a bow from him I ended up with one about $300, nowhere near the $2500 one I immediately discarded as being wrong, wrong, wrong!

Martha

I think I may go for a mechanical; at least there is no circuit board to burn out!

Martha

Yes, I use them a lot on all my mechanicals.

Since John speaks so highly of the Bernina 1008, and since the only dealer vaguely close to you is Bernina, I clicked over to ebay to see what was there. They have a 1008 for $ 400 and it has enough fancy stitches and buttonholes to exceed your wish list. Three of my SMs have come from ebay and I've been blessed with good prices and fine SMs. It's a risky thing to do and I'm not urging you to try it - just wanted you to know it can be done. Polly

"Martha" I think I may go for a mechanical; at least there is no circuit board

Perfect - proof positive!

What a very, very sensible man. I was exactly the same with pianos. I could get a great sound from my Steinway; and a Bechstein, but not from a Bluthner or a Bosendorfer. . In message , Martha writes

You can use a walking foot on virtually any machine. It has nothing to do with the control of the machine, whether mechanical or computer. It is simply a function of the needle going up and down, and being connected to it. There are generic walking feet which will adapt to any machine that has a screw in needle positioning screw. About the only difference is whether your machine is low shank or high shank. Whatever machine you choose, the dealer should be able to provide you with the appropriate walking foot for the machine you choose.

John

I bought my Pfaff 6122 new in 1998, I think. I got the best machine I could without computer parts. To me, it has plenty of features. Imagine my surprise when a few months ago I wanted a new throat plate and was told that I had an "older model." (It reminded me of the first time a store clerk called me "m'am.")

I agree with what others have said. The older machines without the fancy features are more reliable, but now I want to know what constitutes a good old vintage machine. Is 10 years old a dinosaur?

--Lia

Wow...that 1008 looks so very much like my 930 that is about 25 yrs old ...perhaps a few differnt one...#15 & # 16 don't look like anything I have on mine but that great Serpentine stitch is there . That is one handy stitch. Anyone know when the 1008s were made? Mary

Right now! They are the current mechanical Bernina.

Have you written to Bernina directly? Real letters with stamps seem to do best, in my experience. Even better is to find out who the CEO is and send it to him/her personally. Looks like he's HansPeter Ueltschi:

Kay

That is an excellent idea. I shall do it.

And thanks for the name!

Martha

Thanks, John!

Martha

Thank you for looking!

But I probably will stay with the shop I use now.

But I WILL write to the head of bernina!

Martha

st

They are made in the Thailand in the Bernina assembly Factory with parts that are made in Switzerland by Bernina at their factory, and the parts are shipped to Thailand and assembled with local labor. They are saving the cost of high priced Swiss labor by doing that. It uses the old style Bernina feet and is extremely simple and straight forward, in it's sewing ability. Nothing fancy, just basic sewing stitches. Incidentally, If you ever get interested in thread painting or free style machine embroidery, this is the machine that is used most often for that purpose. The dial stitch regulator is a must have for that usage, and this machine has that feature. You can infinitely vary the stitch width by adjusting the dial, as opposed to the push button preset adjustment on the computerized machines. I wouldn't get rid of my 1008 for anything. period.

John