Serger Recommendations?
bo...@newnorth.net
A freind of mine is looking to purchase a serger at the lower price
range. Is there any recommendations I can help her with. Makes and
Models? Any response would be appreciated.
annette
Truly Donovan
CarolP3186 wrote:
>
> In article <54j130$r...@unix.newnorth.net>, bo...@newnorth.net writes:
>
> >A freind of mine is looking to purchase a serger at the lower price
> >range. Is there any recommendations I can help her with
>
> JUKI 634DE is good for about $500. Also a used Bernette 334ds.
As someone who has gotten *LOTS* of mileage out of a serger that does not have
differential feed, I have to disagree that it is a minimum requirement or
even a minimum realistic requirement. If the choice is between a serger with
differential feed and no serger at all because she can't afford the one with a
differential feed, get the serger without differential feed.
--
Truly Donovan
"Industrial-strength SGML," Prentice Hall 1996
ISBN 0-13-216243-1
http://www.prenhall.com
CarolP3186
>A freind of mine is looking to purchase a serger at the lower price
>range. Is there any recommendations I can help her with
Minimum realistic requirements are 4 threads and a differential feed. The
JUKI 634DE is good for about $500. Also a used Bernette 334ds.
Carol in Spotsylvania, VA
Paulette Pierson
Check out Nancy's Notions web site
http://www.sewingwithnancy.com/
In the "Sewing Room Library" - under Sewing Room. Nancy and Gail Brown have
an article on buying a serger. They make the point that you really need to
determine what kind of serging you plan to do. That will determine what your
needs are. If you are going to serge the occasional knit garment, finish a
napkin with a rolled hem and use the serger to finish seams sewn on a
conventional machine, you may not need differential feed. I have an Elna L5,
no differential feed, but I use my serger as described above. It's true, I
don't push my serger to the limit. I'm much more comfortable with sewing on
my conventional machine.
We don't all need or want the same things in our sergers or sewing machines.
You can always trade up later. It is important to *test drive* a few sergers
or sewing machines before you buy. Just my $0.02 worth.
Paulette
mede...@calweb.com
I agree. I have a 3/4 Bernette with no differential feed. I rarely
use the 4th thread, and there are alternate ways for doing the same
thing that differential feeds do. Also, as I understand it,
differential feeds are for gathering only.
Truly Donovan <tr...@lunemere.com> wrote:
>CarolP3186 wrote:
>>
>> In article <54j130$r...@unix.newnorth.net>, bo...@newnorth.net writes:
>>
>> >A freind of mine is looking to purchase a serger at the lower price
>> >range. Is there any recommendations I can help her with
>>
>> Minimum realistic requirements are 4 threads and a differential feed. The
>> JUKI 634DE is good for about $500. Also a used Bernette 334ds.
>As someone who has gotten *LOTS* of mileage out of a serger that does not have
Terry & Diana Lindsley
Truly Donovan <tr...@lunemere.com> wrote:
>As someone who has gotten *LOTS* of mileage out of a serger that does not have
>differential feed, I have to disagree that it is a minimum requirement or
>even a minimum realistic requirement. If the choice is between a serger with
>differential feed and no serger at all because she can't afford the one with a
>differential feed, get the serger without differential feed.
>--
>Truly Donovan
>"Industrial-strength SGML," Prentice Hall 1996
>ISBN 0-13-216243-1
>http://www.prenhall.com
I have to agree with Truly. I've had my Pfaff 784 for 6 or 7 years,
no differential feed, and haven't figured out where I would need it.
Please - no bashing - someday I'll get a new serger and I'll probably
get differential feed, but for now it's not high on my list. I can
gather, etc. without it. I'd say go for a serger without it rather
than without a serger.
Diana Lindsley
Molalla, OR
Alice
Terry & Diana Lindsley (tcd...@molalla.net) wrote:
: no differential feed, and haven't figured out where I would need it.
I would guess it would depend on what fabrics you primarily sew with.
Since I have sewn mostly with rayon over the last few years and have a
crappy Singer machine it's almost impossible to come to the end of a seam
and have both pieces of fabric even. I think diff feed would be great to
have.
--
Alice
please send all email to mud...@primenet.com
Alexandra Wright
Re: differential feed: What I love about it is that I have been able to
sew any knit with out it getting wavy on me and I have been able to sew
any fine fabric without it puckering. These were problems for me in the
past. Sandy in WI
Foxhollow2
I have a serger with differential feed but my question is - how many feed
dogs do you have on your serger? My serger has only one long feed dog.
Do all sergers have only one feed dog?
tere...@aol.com
Hi All:
I have a question somewhat related.
I have a Bernette 334D 3-4 thread serger. I find that I am not satisfied
with the stitch when sewing woven things on it. Example, when I sew seams
in pants or shirts for my husband, I find that I don't like the looks of
the loops of the thread on the outside. I invariably take it to my sewing
machine and finish it by running a seam on the inside of the serged seam.
DH likes the serger seam for the finishing, and I like the sewing machine
seam for its looks from the outside.
Anyway I am seriously contemplating getting a 5 thread serger. Any
feedback would be welcome. Specifically-I have tried an Elna out, and
really like it. I haven't tried any of the other models yet. Can a 5
thread serger do 3 or 4 thread? Anything in particular I should ask? I
know I want the differential feed, because I currently have that.
Teresa
Teresa Herman
Tere...@aol.com
When Life hands you scraps, make a quilt!
Mike & Sylvia Quirk
A 5-thread serger would solve your problem. The 3 or 4 thread stitch is
not strong enough on wovens, it's meant so stretch
Elna has the nicest 5-thread serger on the market. The latest is the
Pro 925, with a narrow and wide cover hem and a triple cover hem. The
Pro 905 with one cover hem is still available and you may be able to
still find a Pro 5DC. It was the model previous to these two and would
be a good buy if you don't need/want the computerized tensions. I've
tried several brands and I find the Elna is the easiest to thread. The
stitch quality is excellent. It can do 2-3-4 or 5 thread stitching.
All these models also have a computer screen with settings included for
each stitch and speed control. You can do a rolled hem without changing
plates or feet.
Hope this helps, Sylvia
Mary Yohn
tere...@aol.com wrote:
> I have a Bernette 334D 3-4 thread serger. I find that I am not satisfied
> with the stitch when sewing woven things on it.
>
> feedback would be welcome. Specifically-I have tried an Elna out, and
> really like it. I haven't tried any of the other models yet. Can a 5
> thread serger do 3 or 4 thread? Anything in particular I should ask? I
> know I want the differential feed, because I currently have that.
The main reason to get a 5-thread serger is for getting that better quality
seam on woven fabrics. As far as I know, all 5-threads are also able to
be set up for 2/3/4 thread serging. Be aware that 5-threads are much more
complicated machines and can be more fussy, less reliable, etc. If Bernina
has a 5-thread serger now, I would check them out. (They withdrew their
old 5-thread from the market years ago because it had so many problems.
They wouldn't come out with a new one unless they had all those problems
fixed!) Elna also has a 5-thread, I think, though I prefer Bernina for
tension quality.
Be sure to keep your 334D! It's nice to have an extra serger set up all
the time for a rolled hem, or for sewing knits.
Mary
Joanne W. Morrison
i have a bernina 2000de which i love , i had a singer before
an i hated the tension settings. i have my own sewing business and
i need reliability and consistency, i really got it with the 2000de!
i also found the stitch tightness to be excellent without having a
need for a five thread! compared to other sergers i tested the
tightness was superb/ dddddrote:
> A 5-thread serger would solve your problem. The 3 or 4 thread stitch is
> not strong enough on wovens, it's meant so stretch
>
> Elna has the nicest 5-thread serger on the market. The latest is the
> Pro 925, with a narrow and wide cover hem and a triple cover hem. The
> Pro 905 with one cover hem is still available and you may be able to
> still find a Pro 5DC. It was the model previous to these two and would
> be a good buy if you don't need/want the computerized tensions. I've
> tried several brands and I find the Elna is the easiest to thread. The
> stitch quality is excellent. It can do 2-3-4 or 5 thread stitching.
> All these models also have a computer screen with settings included for
> each stitch and speed control. You can do a rolled hem without changing
> plates or feet.
>
> Hope this helps, Sylvia
>
> tere...@aol.com wrote:
> >
> > Example, when I sew seams> in pants or shirts for my husband, I find that I don't like the looks of the loops of the thread on the outside. I invariably take it to my sewing machine and finish it by running a seam on the inside of the serged seam. DH likes the serger seam for the finishing, and I like the sewing machine seam for its looks from the outside.
>
> > Anyway I am seriously contemplating getting a 5 thread serger. Any
> > feedback would be welcome. Specifically-I have tried an Elna out, and
> > really like it. I haven't tried any of the other models yet. Can a 5
> > thread serger do 3 or 4 thread? Anything in particular I should ask? I
> > know I want the differential feed, because I currently have that.
Paulette Pierson
Mary Yohn writes:
>Be sure to keep your 334D! It's nice to have an extra serger set up all
>the time for a rolled hem, or for sewing knits.
>Mary
Mary,
You must have more room in your sewing area than I have. I have a serger and
a sewing machine set-up all the time and by the time I add the ironing board
and fabric storage I don't have any space left.
Paulette
Pat Lyle
Truly Donovan <tr...@lunemere.com> wrote:
>As someone who has gotten *LOTS* of mileage out of a serger that does not have
>differential feed, I have to disagree that it is a minimum requirement or
>even a minimum realistic requirement. If the choice is between a serger with
>differential feed and no serger at all because she can't afford the one with a
>differential feed, get the serger without differential feed.
OK, I feel stupid asking, but "What is differential feed?"
Hugs,
Sawdust Patty
Hugs,
Penny S.
I would totally agree with the comments about differential feed. I have
an 10 year old Babylock BL4-428 that runs like a top and will hadle
anything from netting to 3 layers of fleece!
Penny S.
Pauline Botelho
I have two Singer sergers (older) that were under $400 when new (I
inherited one from my MIL), and I have a Husky with differential feed. I
agree that it is not essential. I can achieve similar results by using
the finger behind foot trick to ease even more when serging, similar to
doing this on straight needle. Basically, the two old Singers meet most
of my needs, and I just keep them all threaded in different colors and
use whichever one has the right/similar thread for a project. Even a
very basic serger is better than no serger at all! I think I like the
rolled hem on my older machines better than my Husky--they are pretty
close.
Pauline
Alexandria, Va.