Oh, how disappointing. Hope you get a spiffy new one soon!

I would recommend that you find a sewing machine store which sells used machines. Look for a sturdy, mostly metal, non computerized machine which should also be in the price range you stated.

Craigslist or yard sales, when possible, as well as Freecycle are possible other sources. People near me are giving away older machines which just usually need a little simple maintenance work. There are instructions all over the internet for repairing your own older machine. The new ones are pretty unrepairable as many of the less expensive ones use plastic gears.

I've been very happy with BabyLoc, you can find them on sale for <$1,000. Well worth it, I was sewing drapes with multiple layers of fabric and heavy interfacing - it sewed like butter.

$145 sounds like plenty to spend. How old? What brand?

I have a Brother Project Runway machine I paid $135 new @ Walmart for it. It does get clogged with lint a lot....then won't sew...has to be taken completely apart. Oh well......sewing machines are finicky. My Bernina is a backup if I want to sew heavy upholstery weight fabric or do embroidery.

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that! You have my sympathy for that awful feeling of not having a working machine in the house, it's just a hole in the space, and doesn't feel right. Hope you find a replacement machine quickly and easily. (I keep 2 machines now to prevent the gap weeks when service is required.)

Early in the pandemic, I was sewing so many hundreds of masks that I put lots of wear on my machines, and finally broke the old plastic gears on my 45 year old Singer. While that machine was in the shop I used my Husqvarna, and an older Bernina lent by a friend.

You may know this, but I didn't since I'd never sewn on a Bernina before, but it's a really great, solid, machine and will definitely be my next purchase. I won't hesitate to buy a used Bernina after seeing how well they perform. Sometimes I see good machines at Goodwill, too, but I haven't been there in the past civid-covid-year.

My DIL just bought a fancy new Husqvarna, and she likes it so far, but too new to say much yet about performance.

I would look for a vintage Kenmore made in Japan if you need just a basic machine. All metal. Various models, free arms, 9 stitch, 14 stitch, etc. All mechanical machines.

Kathy, right now I have a Babyloc serger, my Mom's vintage singer that I learned to sew on (still love and use that machine) and a little Bernette by Bernina that I bought a few years ago. That little Bernette 46 was only about $150 new on sale at our local quilt shop and it does anything I would need a machine to do. To buttonhole or zigzag with the vintage Singer I have to put on an accessory/attachment, much simpler with the Bernette.

Well, I looked on Amazon and Walmart online. The Brother that Walmart had is very similar to my old machine and I can scavange parts from the broken one. I used to have 2 machines, but gave one to one of my DDIL's and she uses it a lot! (she makes click bags and masks too) So tonight I took a trip to Walmart and bought the $145 machine that I think is the same one Nicole has!

I have to keep making my click bags so I can have another give away!

Where we live it is 2 hours to the big stores, so this was only a 30 minute drive.

Plus I had broken all my needles and needed to buy more!

Thanks for all the advice, but my big sewing days are over. I'm done with prom dresses, wedding dresses, clothing and any other thing I don't want to sew. Although my kids have asked for me to make their dogs flannel quilts!

I have a photo book full of pics and it is so much fun to look back at all the things I have made, with love, for family and friends!

Kathy, how did you break your machine? Just curious.

Like you, I am finished with the sewing that I used to do. No more of those same things for me. I will make exceptions for my linen pants and simple dresses and tops. But, only for me.

I have downsized my sewing room and gotten rid of a few machines, lots of fabric that I know I will never use because all of life has changed, and lots of patterns. Many of the patterns I had to just recycle because I could not give them away. I could find no one who wanted them.

Morz6, I have a selection of machines much like your own. I have my moms old Singer 400 from the 50s, a much loved mechanical Bernina from the 70s that I love, and a Babylock serger that I just can't find the love for.

That old Singer is a workhorse! I learned to sew on it. Mom got it brand new when I was little. She also bought me the Bernina when I was a young mother. And, I inherited her Singer when she had to give up her home.

One problem with some of the older Berninas is that they company lost a back stock of replacement parts for the machines and the can sometimes be hard to get fixed. They are good machines, though.

The old Singer has a worm gear and it is powerful and solid!

The serger I have never found love for. I find it too much trouble to switch it out from one function to another to do just a bit of something. If you are doing multiples of the same thing over and over, it might make sense. But, to have to change the needles and rethread between construction techniques is just too much. I regret buying it and might try to sell it.

I am old school sewing and have sewn for decades without a serger. I never did like the serger and I like to sew only on natural fibers anymore. The serger is designed to give a factory finish and I dont need that. I know how to do a proper finish as it has been done for a very long time.

Why do I want my hand made garments to look like they were made in a factory?

I wish I had thought it through before I bought this expensive machine.

I have gotten rid of so much in my sewing room that there is now an echo in the room.

My BabyLoc isn't a serger, it's a well made regular sewing machine. I've never broken a needle, I use Schmetz brand.

I second looking for a used machine...they can be so much less expensive and the older ones were often better built.

I too wonder what broke that it's a goner.

Here's the model Brother I have.

No complaints here. I think a Brother sewing machine is a real work horse. I like the digital read out. I like buying new machines as opposed to repairing them too. ☺ My grandmother used to have her machine cleaned and oiled once a year $100. That was 20 years ago!

Two years ago I joined a craft & quilting club(very rich women that did nothing but quilt, golf & take cooking classes in other countries/pre-covid. Could afford to purchase literally any brand. One wrote 5 books on quilting, now teaches via Zoom). Many of the ladies owned Brother. It's a highly respected brand!

The Brother I broke, I abused! I’ll admit it, I make my click bags and at one point in the process there are 8 layers of fabric I am sewing thru, plus I hit some straight pins (forgive me sewing gods)! It seems I knocked the bar that goes up and down with the needle off kilter and it leans to the left!

My old 1977 Singer Touch and Sew 778, was very forgiving of my straight pins. When it died (may it rest in pieces) I gave away most of the parts of it on the Sewing Forum many years ago. People were very happy to get these pieces! In fact, I had someone email me about 3 years ago to see if I had any of it

Thats my story and I’m sticking to it!

Nicole, the machine I broke is a Brother with 39 stitches. The one I just bought has 99 stitches and is a Project Runway.

Wednesday morning, I worked at Joann’s for 10 years and collected lots of fabrics, threads, patterns and a lot of notions. DH said he didn’t know why they even bothered to write me a paycheck! I knew we were selling our home and moving to “the cottage” and would no longer have a 10 minute run to a fabric store, but a 1 or 2 hour run to one. But after 10 years of living here I started downsizing my stash of stuff. I no longer did community theatre costuming, so no need for all those supplies. But I did find some very happy sewers who loved getting a lot of “stuff”. I had one whole under bed tote with just cone thread in it! Kept only white, grey and black, but recently bought some purple, ya never know!

Sometimes I think of what I got rid of, but know I can buy more if needed.

Most needle bars are designed to swing to the right and the left as a setting eg when you're doing zippers, so just make sure you didn't hit the setting somewhere before you toss it out.

The zipper foot has a right and left mount on my Brother, then a button to move it a notch. Kathy....?

I do like my Bernina....but.....I just want to sit and sew...get my project done. If the Brother clogs up with lint....I can move to the Bernina until I have the time to clean it. Having a 2nd machine Kathy....is something to consider. ☺ Keep your eye out for one...maybe.

I was using it at the left setting. When I put in a new needle it wasn’t straight, but I knew there was an issue. 4 broken needles in 2 days kind of told me there’s a real problem! I can’t see putting another $100 or more into a $125 machine.

In sympathy. The buttonhole setting on my 10-year-old mechanical Elna conked out last month. It would cost $80 just to have the machine picked up from the shop to take in for an authorized repair. I have no idea what a repair would cost. The sewing store tried to sell me a fancy Brother (I think) that has @ 6 different buttonhole selections. I only need 1 type.

Kathy....your new machine is BEAUTIFUL! The hum of a brand new Brother....makes my heart flutter. ♥♥♥ It's akin to getting a new car!

I’ve been playing!

If you are getting lint build up, it's usually from the thread. I was told to stop buying and using the Coats and Clark thread, as the quality has gone down, and now causes lint to build up in the machine and create problems. As I seldom sew anymore, I have not thrown out my older thread, but if I need a color I don't have anymore, I do buy the Guttermans thread. Of course fabric does play a part in the lint build up, also, especially certain ones, but I have noticed the difference in the thread lint building up in my bobbin case.

Sorry you had to buy a new machine Kathy.

I agree with Raye--I like the BabyLoc machines. I took sewing classes and learned on Babyloc, I have a singer personally and there's no comparison. BabyLoc is a wonderful machine.

I have been having the pleasure of using my friend's Janome Jem Gold. I love it! It's smaller than my Viking 500 and my Kenmore that was given to me new in 1977. It's a work horse. We have been making replacement lawn director chair covers out of a vinyl coated heavy fabric, and I have had no problems sewing the multiple layers on it. They have made these for about 20 chairs now, besides sewing on jeans and other heavy fabric. And it works just as well on normal fabrics. I don't know if it's still made anymore, though.

Kathy, know you will love your new machine. Wish I had taken the photos of all the things I have sewn on mine. What a great idea. All I have are the memories of all my hubs suits, pants, shirts, all our clothes from the 1960’s on to 2021. My singer is still running after 54 years. It stopped one time many years ago and I took it apart and started it again. Your new one sews beautiful stitches. Enjoy! Sewing is still my favorite hobby at 82.

I agree with Tami - I only buy Gutterman thread

A babylock sewing machine probably has more uses than does the serger. I just find the serger too much work to fiddle with and the rewards of using it are elusive.

I wish I had bought a new sewing machine instead of the serger. It is a long story. I thought that it would jump start my tired sewing mojo, but it just never did speak to me.

I finally got my mechanical Bernia working again and that is what I use to sew, mostly.

I have a serger too, but don’t use it much, but when I do use it I love it. It makes beautiful finishes on baby clothes.

Beautiful!!!

A serger is certainly no replacement for a regular sewing machine. I do like using mine for nicely finished seams, but a standard sewing machine is required for a lot of sewing tasks.

Right, the serger will NOT take the place of a sewing machine.

A sewing machine is actually much more versatile than a serger and is a much more valued tool than a serger. I could do entirely fine without the serger, but could not sew without a sewing machine. Sure, there are some things that can be done entirely on a serger, but that is not what I wish to sew. If you make a lot of t-shirts and knits you might be able to use only a serger.

I find that much serger sewing requires a learning curve from my old school sewing techniques that I have been accustomed to for over half a century. I can't be bothered with it. I still have in reserve, for various reasons, some garments that I sewed decades ago using my old school knowledge and experience and I can assure you that they are well sewn with just the sewing machine.

Back in Feb. I posted on this thread about my button hole function conking out on my mechanical Elna. I thought I would trade it in for a new mechanical Elna, but there were no Elan machines available anywhere. No one knew why or when they might be available again.

I needed to finish a shirt I started in January, so I spent time looking at machines online thinking I could just get a low end one with buttonhole ability until I could get a new Elan. I decided on a Baby Lock Zest and went to the shop to take a look. The 4-step buttonhole isn't something I want to do after using a 1-step for years.

I asked if they happened to have any Elnas yet. They just got one in! It was a computrized machine that was way more than I thought I needed having planned on another mechanical.

Then I asked about Janome. They had a nice 2222 with 1-step button hole on sale. It was a nice machine (for fine - midweight fabric) that I thought I would get until I decided to take the Elna for a test run. My buttonhole problem is solved and then some.

Tah dah ....

Rats! My photo isn't loading.

Well.....I just tried sewing upholstery weight Sunbrella fabric on my Brother....and it couldn't go through 4 layers(top, bottom, piping & sewing over velcro). It was just too much for it. So I switched over to my Bernina....and WOW! It just flies through it! The sound of my well oiled machine, purring along, is music to my ears. Took me 30 minutes to complete a project I'd let sit for 6 months. ☺ My new seat cushions w/ velcro closures in the back.

My machine has been giving me a fit lately. I was wondering what it cost for a tune up. I saw a nice one at Walmart today with a ton of stitches I think it was 100 different ones. Only $145. Its a brother. Is that the one you got? I may just get a new one and stop worrying with this one its about 20 yrs old..

Try, try again.

Ta dah!

The buttonholes are amazing! The machine stops sewing when the buttonhole is finished. It has 3 types of buttonholes. It comes with a 1/4" seam foot along with 6 others. Many of the things I didn't know I needed, but quickly learned I do.

I looked at serveral revies of the Janome after I got home with this one wondering if I should have just got that for the 1-step buttonhole feature. Its a great machine but wouldn't suit my needs. Most common complaint is that it jams when trying to sew heavier fabric. I would have needed to get a model more equal to my new Elna.

@joann_fl That is probably the same one I got. It's a Project Runway Brother (pic in post above). I have spent a lot of hours on it lately. Have 41 of my click bags set aside for my niece's wedding shower next year, plus I've probably made another 50 to 75 that I have given away. I'm really happy with it. No more heavy sewing for me, just things I like to do, although my DD says I need to make each of the grand dogs a blanket! I have the fabric, Hope I can get them done by the end of July, when kids come to visit.

Have 10 old DGD and 8 old DGS coming to stay with us for a 5 days. Will probably spend a lot of time at Lake Huron and on our lake tubing! They went tubing for the first time last year and they really liked it!