Doing a fashion design course and need a sewing machine.
Where can I find best value/ discounted sewing machine?
LadyCocoa1234 on 20/01/2017 - 17:05
Comments
Head into Spotlight, start a conversation with one of the workers there about cat ownership and they'll slide you an employee discount.
In all seriousness, I'd look at community noticeboards at your nearest aged care community center.
This sewing machine deal was posted just yesterday:
Elna EL2000 Sewing Machine $99 (Reg: $249) @ Spotlight (VIP Membership Required).
See if it is suitable. Looks like sensational value. Cheers.
+1 For the EL2000 - I got one for my wife in 2015 for $149, which was a very good deal at the time. Same machine, same warranty, 30% off?! Well worth it!
And whilst a secondhand machine may very work for years, you might be up for spending money on repairs sooner, instead of a warranty claim. So the peace of mind value is definitely a weighty factor in the total purchase price (of any given item, not just sewing machines).
Try an indipendant sewing machine shop (esp one that does repairs) and ask about second-hand machines. If this is a thing you're going to do more than once or twice a poor quality machine will be more of a hinderance than a help. Better off buying quality second-hand.
If you can "inherit" or borrow one long term from a friend or family member, that also works.
If you want a model to look for, try the Singer Heavy Duty series. RRP is $500-$700 depending on the model.
But! Check if your course is using home machines or industrial machines. An industrial sewing machine is quite a different beast (looks like a desk with a machine built in).
I would also recommend looking for an older machine. They are sturdier and I believe they are more heavy duty. The ones I have looked at more recently in Spotlight do have electronic features but most sewers are unlikely to use those things. Does yours need to have particular features? Do you need to have an overlocker?
My school has a textiles department but the course does not run very often. As a result we have a large number of regularly maintained good quality machines that are just sitting there doing nothing. I suggest that you ask around the local high schools to see if they are
a) offering textiles as a subject
b) possibly selling off their machines or
c) may be in a position that they can lend you one for some time until you find out for sure exactly what kind of machine you actually needMy suggestion is to look for 2nd hand older machines and have them serviced.
If not, consider the Husqvarna Viking Emerald.
ebay/gumtree