It is very frustrating trying to shop around for many things. It is a real mixed bag.

I understand why you dont feel that you get sound reviews about many things. And, you are right that very few reviews ever talk about what is under the hood. You want to know what is in there. Is there one little piece of stuff that is a weak link and maybe the other one has something better?

A lot of reviews, I think , end up being more about how the person feels with the product, rather than a result of having some real facts about it. Most consumers dont know what is inside there that makes one product better or worse than the other one. How are they to know? I dont think most want to kno,either.. What they want to hear is how many stitches, what attachments, how many patterns, etc. They dont usually want to know how the gear inside gets powered, or what it is made of, or what kind of belt is uses.

I used to work retail sales and the first thing I learned about selling is that you tell the customer what it can do for them. What are the rewards to them. Beyond that, they dont want to know about what is under the hood. They dont care how. They just care that it does.

I used to sell Kenmore machines, as a matter of fact. I thought they were some pretty good machines for the price. That was in the late 80s.

You are on the right track to look for a nice mechanical machine if you can find one.

My main machine is an old mechanical Bernina from the 70s.

I would shy away from the computer models, but I am sure there are some good ones and some love their computerized machine. They do get incredibly pricy, though.

I dont have any real recommedations for you but I do relate to your desire to have just a good, basic machine with a few stitches.

Have you thought about maybe a used commercial machine? You can sometimes get those machines at prices way below what you might pay for some home machines.

I had a Juki commercial machine for decades because I had a business where I used it. I know of some other home sewers who ended up buying Juki commercial machines just to use. Mine was purely machanical but I know of other Jukis that were computerized.

I actually sold my Juki for much less that the price of even a basic home machine.

It is just a thought. You might look around at it. I got the impression that the one you looked at was a home machine.

You did say that you have use for sewing some heavy fabrics. A commercial machine would do it, and they sew the more delicate stuff too.

It would be fun to have a machine that does a few tricks, to treat yourself. A big commercial one would be great, but one built for the home might just be more satisfying and you might find it to be easier and more fun to use, too.

Just a thought.

I can totally relate to your shopping habits!

Be wary of things that are labeled as being "heavy duty". Be very wary of it! That is often a cover up for something that is anything but. Dont believe that it is really as claimed.

I agree with your hubs that you should not rule out spending that extra and get something that you want. It is not as if this is going to be a repeated purchase.

I took a look at that HV model and it looks pretty nice.

Are you finding that avialability is a problem? For a while it was almost impossible to buy either a sewing machine or a bicycle.

One thing I dont understand is why the ability to sew through multiple layers of denim is a measure that it must meet. How often do you do that and what does that indicate to you about the machine, or how it is made?

If you are really going to do much heavy sewing, you will really need a machine made for doing that. A home machine might do that, but not for a long time or on a repeated basis. Believe me that you are not going to want to do that to your machine after you have shelled out the money for it and there is it is, sitting all shiny and new right there on your table.

More than the ability to pierce layers of tough fabric, you are going to appreciate some of the finer features of your new machine.

I sold my commercial Juki for a mere $100. I just wanted it gone and did not wish to apply much time or energy trying to get more for it. Yes, it is heavy.....very, very heavy. I had gotten years of use from it and I just needed for it to be gone. I probably would have even given it away. It was powerful and sewed at a high rate of speed. I made a small income off of it for years.

I have my moms old Singer 400 that has a metal worm gear. Now, there is a powerful gear! As far as I know, that is not a feature of modern sewing machines. This machines does not use a belt to turn the gears. It is by direct drive. This was just an average normal Singer for its time.

It really is difficult to find out what is inside so many of the consumer items that we buy.

That is one of my disappointments with reviews. Most point out features of use rather than features of make and construction. That is all most people want to know. Folks like you and me are not the average. Yet, we end up making choices based on the normal criteria because the only way to know what an appliance is made of is to take it apart yourself and see. Not gonna do that!

Let us know what you decide on, and take your hubs suggestion and spend a bit more than what you first thought. I dont think that you will regret buying something that offers you the promise of more. And, all new!!!!

Those old Kenmore were good machines. I think that they were made by Janome, but I can't swear to that. It has been a long time.

Well, WM, today I tried a Baby Lock which was nice but seemed small. So I headed back to the shop that had the Emerald 118 that I had liked, planning to buy it, and it turned out to be even smaller than the Baby Lock when I took a second look. So, to make a long story short, I went straight to Joann's and bought a roller storage case for 50% off, and went home and moved my Kenmore out of the clunky hard case, and into its new cushy bag. It's just hard to argue with a machine that can sew through 8 layers of denim without whining! So, I have solved the aggravation of trying to wrestle it in and out of the closet. Lifting from the bag is still a bit heavy, but I have been working out so I can manage. Someday I might have a more compelling reason to trade up, but right now, I am just going to cool my heels. Thanks for your support! Dale

You sound like me.

After deliberating back and forth and back and forth, I usually end up doing the same as you did.

I just decide to not buy anything.

I would not replace my Bernina if it goes out again, as it has done in the past. I would just stick with my moms old Singer 400 from the 50s. That is a good machine.

I used to sew a lot, but I have almost stopped sewing altogether.

I really dont find much that I want to sew with anymore, and the casual purchasing of anything sewing related has disappeared. Now, most have to either wait for a delivery or travel way too many miles to buy the most basic of supplies and fabrics. It is just not worth all that effort. And, it is so expensive.

Still, glad that I can sew for the few simple things that I still do want to deal with.

I have a Baby Lock serger that I just dont love. Baby Lock is a good machine, but I found that I really do not care to use a serger. My sister bought a BL sewing machine about two years ago but has not found much to sew and her machine sits unused, mainly. She is not sure now why she thought she needed another machine as she has lost her Bernina in Katrina and has been without one all these years.

If you do think again about buying a machine, you might look on craigslist. I will bet that a lot of folks will be getting rid of those machines they bought to sew masks with. There must be a lot of cheap ones that people bought, but probably some better ones as well. I understand that it was hard to buy a machine in this last year.

What with fabric stores being so few..................there is not much future in sewing, I dont think.

Sad thought, WM. But it does seem that sewing is becoming less and less common, other than the quilters who seem to be keeping it alive. Like gardening and other self sufficiency skills. I guess it is logical as everything we need can be purchased for less money and effort and with more variety, and we all work to earn money to buy it. No time left for DIY. Now that I do have more time as a retiree, I am still trying to figure out what new pastimes I want to pursue. More sewing wasn't on the list, hence no new machine....yet.

If the problem is the weight of the Kenmore (or your prospective new machine,) can you have a stand or table built for it so you're not lugging it around?

I could have a whole long rant about self-sufficiency, and it's sibling, lack of respect for people who work with their hands.

Thanks for your idea CT. I would definitely keep it permanently set up and devote a piece of furniture to it if I sewed regularly. But my frequency doesn't justify the floor space in my hobby/workout/music/computer/storage room.....yet... LOL. I'm with you on the respect for people who work with their hands. More so in my mind, for the people who do the cleaning, maintenance and other physically demanding and unglamorous or dangerous jobs for a paltry wage, while those of us with a cushy desk job rake in very nice salaries. I have never felt right about that. And when you think about it, how quickly would things go to pot, if toilets weren't cleaned, garbage wasn't collected, and hospital rooms weren't kept disinfected?

I finally put my old 45 lb Kenmore on a cart with a lift. I can shove a lot of supplies inside the cart and push it into a closet. A new machine would have been cheaper. :)

I also replaced my old sewing machine a year ago, and I can give you advice based on my experience. If you don't want to be disappointed, better not to consider buying an inexpensive household sewing machine made from plastic. Most likely you will not like it unless it is an expensive premium model from the Viking, Pfaff or Bernina.

Better look at an industrial lockstitch. This way, you will not only upgrade your old sewing machine, but also take it to the next level. Modern industrial sewing machines are equipped with a silent and powerful 550 W motor. This will allow you to sew fabrics of any density, not just light ones. In addition, the sewing speed on new straight stitches can be adjusted. The industrial machine also comes with a table. This way you will have a complete tailor’s workplace even at home.