These sound like old mechanical machines. They don't sew as smooth as the new electronic ones.The older machines would have more "metal" in them. I wouldn't expect a warranty, it's a fly by night operation.

I opted to buy a Brother machine from Walmart. At least Walmart will be there in a year. I paid $135, it's electronic, it has about 40 built in stitches & a self threader. But......I may have broken part of the bobbin compartment.....had it a year and now it needs to be repaired. I talked to a repairman who said he refuses to work on this type of machine. :0)

NO,no,no,no!! Those machine are total crap. Do not be sucked in. Furthermore, these ads are the epitome of bait and switch - all the low priced machines will have been "sold" before anyone gets there.

Their first point "Sophisticated, can sew buttonholes, etc.." well, any decent machine can do that. So this is not a "feature".

Second point "Sews a professional serging stitch". Um, well, no it doesn't. It will sew an approximation of an overlock stitch, but it's basically a back-and-forth zig-zag with a straight stitch. It will not trim the seams, and it lays down a whole lot more thread than a serger will. Bulky, and not attractive.

Third point "Will sew all fabrics". WTH - most sewing machines will!

Steer clear, go to a reputable dealer and look at what they have to offer. Not all are expensive, and dealers will have high-quality used machines WITH WARRANTIES!

Or take your old machine in and have it repaired!

I googled and found a site that had esentially the same ad but a different store and the reply she got was that this add was plastered all over. The concensus was to steer clear.

Thanks for the input on the Singer -- I thought it sounded a bit suspicious. Good to have that confirmed.

Any comments on the other machine -- the Husqvarna?

Husqvarna is a reputable brand. If there is something wrong with the machine, it should be easily repaired.

It should do everything you want it to do - it's not that old! Maybe a few lessons from a dealer?

RUN,don't walk away from those singer sales!!! They are total CRAP.If you search the archives here you'll find out what we have all said in the past about those sales.It's another one of those"if it sounds too good to be true,it probably is".Only drop the "probably"
Kathi

If the Husqvarna is cheap enough perhaps it will give you enough value as a trade in for a machine you find later on. Get it as a stepping stone....part of a future plan. You might find the Lily is really all you need with your Kenmore repaired as a back up. That is what I'd do. Husquvarna's are good machines and run away from those Singers advertised..in a word they are JUNK. I have yet to hear ANY good word from someone who purchased one at those sales....lots of bad experiences - put the price you would pay for the singer garbage to the Lily. Just MHO. Budster - let us know what you decide.

Thanks, Budster, for the encouragement about the Husqvarna. I'll have a chat with it's owner and see how reasonable her price is. For now, I'm using it for free, and she's not really missing it, so it's a win-win!

Maybe I'll ask to keep borrowing it at least until I can get the old Kenmore in the shop and see if it can be brought back to scratch.

It's really awful about the Singer machines being such Junk. You'd think they'd care more about their name and reputation than to flood the market with cheap/defective machines.

Thanks again to all of you who helped me avoid that mess!

--Amy

Singer is owned by somebody else now. Things aren't the same as they once were. Same with appliances. The way to tell what's good and what's not, is price. You really do get what you pay for these days.

IF you decide to purchase and say yes to your friend, I'd ask around to what it might be worth from a dealer who has trade ins. You don't want to be paying top dollar no matter how little it was used. You are in a win/win, your friend not using it and letting you have it for now at no cost. Just MHO. Budster