A huge assortment of sewing machines on store shelves presents us with a difficult choice. Sometimes a purchase grows into a whole problem. In the selection process, many questions arise that are very difficult to solve on your own: Which one is right for me? Will I overpay for unnecessary features? How long will it last for me? Will she be interesting to me in a year? Will I be able to deal with her? The easiest way is to go to a specialized store and ask for the help of a consultant, but this is not always possible and not always right ….
Instruction manual
1
The first thing you should pay attention to is the weight of the machine. A normal machine should not weigh less than 6-7 kg, otherwise it will not have a metal frame (base). On such machines, everything is attached to a plastic cover and a frequent cause of malfunctions is a breakdown or deformation of the plastic case, which cannot be restored. Therefore, the machine must weigh 6 kg or more. The greater the weight of the machine, the more metal and metal parts in it, which increases the service life.
2
It is necessary to determine the number of operations that you will need for normal work at home.
If you need a machine to sew curtains or bedding (inextensible materials), then the presence of knitted seams is not necessary, but if you are going to make minor repairs to clothes or sew products, then the presence of knitted stitches is mandatory.
If there is a need for decorating products with patterns, then decorative stitches or alphabets (monograms) will not be out of place.
If this turns out to be not enough, then it makes sense to consider machines with an embroidery unit. A sewing embroidery machine will be convenient if the amount of work is not large. Otherwise, it would be better to have two cars separately.
3
Decide on the shuttle device.
Sewing machines are distinguished by a shuttle device.
In household machines, there are 3 types of shuttles: swinging (classic), horizontal (rotating) and double running.
a) swinging (classic) shuttle is the easiest option. found on cheap machine options, as it requires regular cleaning and lubrication, thread gathering is difficult, higher wear of parts due to rolling (changing direction of rotation) of the shuttle. Price is an advantage of this type of shuttle. Ideal for rare work, performing minor repairs of clothes in everyday life.
b) a horizontal shuttle is suitable for more frequent work. It is found on more expensive versions of sewing machines, since it is less whimsical compared to a swing shuttle, has a higher resource, is more convenient than others to work, the thread gathering on this type of shuttle is easier (due to rotation). The optimum ratio of price and quality. Suitable for frequent work.
c) The double-shuttle shuttle is considered the most reliable and durable, made by analogy with the industrial one. On machines with this type of shuttle the easiest thread gathering, which reduces the likelihood of tangling. The cost of such machines is the highest, but justifies itself with higher performance. Suitable for continuous use.
4
When choosing a sewing machine, you should pay attention to the presence of an electronic unit. Its presence speaks of enhanced functionality and a significant simplification of machine control, there are also many pleasant and sometimes irreplaceable functions (speed limitation, needle positioning, spot fixing, thread trimming, etc.)
In sewing machines with an electronic unit, the load on the mechanical part of the machine is reduced, therefore, the service life is increased, but you need to pay attention to the manufacturer and assembly.
note
There are many manufacturers on the sewing machine market. There are several large and well-known companies that monitor their production and introduce new technologies; the rest simply copy well-known brands and call them by their names, but the copies are much inferior to the original (the quality of processing parts, replacing the engine and components with cheaper and lower-quality ones and naturally assembly). Many companies moved their production to Asian countries (China, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, …). The most high-quality is the Taiwanese and Thai assembly. It is best to choose sewing machines of famous brands.
Useful advice
Do not completely rely on the opinion of sellers, as they sell what you need to sell.
