Brother Sewing Machines from 1990s to 2017
While I prefer vintage, all metal sewing machines for my own sewing, I do actually fix and/or service newer, plastic machines, too, if I can do it cheap enough, because even though they do not have profitable resale value, at least not above $35, some people can only afford that kind of price, & I would rather make it possible for people to be able to sew, & save, & put back to use, the resources already invested in even these plastic, newer sewing machines.
Many newer plastic sewing machines, like the Brother VX-1120, utilize a metal frame under the plastic case. Supposedly this gives it strength, but if they are going to build an aluminum frame inside, why not just do the type of cast aluminum body style like the early class 15 machines, which are proven strong, & just add zigzag capability? Many inner frames are skimpy, & just aren't stable enough to prevent flexion, & some plastic machines don't even have the metal frame at all, so they are very unstable.
This leads to having the machines get out of timing easily, due to the needle hitting the throat plate, or needle plate. It also can cause skipped stitches, or make a machine unable to make a complete stitch, at all, due to the thread getting caught on the damaged metal of the needle plate, or the bobbin hook. Such burrs can be repaired, by rubbing them off with a fine dremel, or super fine sand paper, or jeweler's rouge, a very fine sandpaper made of denim fabric, impregnated with diamond dust, which can sand the burrs smoothly off, so the machine can create stitches properly, again.
Cast aluminum metal inner frame, but note the use of plastic in just enough places, to ensure it will
break down, so you need a new one, relatively soon.
I did once sew for an entire week, 8 to 10 hours
a day, sewing faux suede, one one of these Brother plastic sewing machines, using a roller foot, & even with
the stitch length set to it's longest, it could barely make the
smallest stitches, so it took forever! I was having to sew the suede
like a patchwork quilt, to cover an entire wall of windows, in the
livingroom of a family friend. I let her keep the sewing machine,
afterwards, since she would only have needed it for mending, but it was a
real struggle to get it to sew, even with the right needle, foot, &
thread.
The box of sewing machines are covered with claims of 15 to 20 "functions", even though the only stitches the machine can do, are a straight stitch, & a zigzag stitch. However, because you can lengthen & shorten the length of stitches, & lengthen or shorten the width of zigzag stitch, it is easy to legally represent the zigzag stitch as a "button sewing function", "buttonhole function", "applique function", " satin stitch", & if they include a darning plate, to cover the feed dogs, that automatically makes it a "free motion embroidery machine", as well as having a "darning function". Over time the mechanical sewing machine has the same basic shape & function, but occasionally, they will move the knobs, or design a different sticker or paint scheme, to "mix it up", to convince buyers that if it looks like a new machine, you "have to have it"!
The original sewing machine manufacturers knew they had to teach people how to sew with a mechanical sewing machine, so they wrote & illustrated their sewing machine manuals accordingly. Today, due to international trade, & immigration, & while some countries have a standard "mother language", most manufacturers provide multi language manuals, which are very poorly written, often with glaring translation mistakes, making them nearly useless, particularly to those learning to sew for the first time.
If a newer, plastic sewing machines is all you can afford, or is the only thing available where you live, just take good care of it, clean & oil it as best you can, & don't abuse it. Make sure you use the correct size & type of needle for your sewing machine model, as well as for the specific type & thickness of fabric you are sewing, & use the correct size & type of thread for your fabric, as well. You should get a few years of use out of any sewing machine, & if your newer plastic machine doesn't last that long, maybe you should consider looking online, or at local garage sales, to buy one of the old, very heavy, all metal sewing machines. Believe it or not, approximately 90% of all sewing is the STRAIGHT STITCH lock stitch, that your great great great grandma's antique sewing machines sewed! (Zigzag & overlock, or serger stitches are the best for stretch fabrics, though, & are rapidly accelerating in use!)
Always remember, that most sewing machines manufactured from the late 1960s onward, are purposely designed to break, part of the business model of "built in obsolescence", which companies do on purpose, so you will need to replace your sewing machine, because the parts that break are no longer available. This is true of nearly everything humans manufacture, not just sewing machines, because it is the only way a manufacturer can guarantee you will need to buy a new machine.
No matter how many feet, accessories, attachments, pedal & cord, even if they are in a $30 plastic case, these Brother sewing machines usually only sell for $30 to $35.
Most new sewers prefer to get the "newer" machine, some seem to believe that newer is better, not having experienced the excellent quality, & incredible versatility, of the all metal, vintage sewing machines. Even the straight stitch only, antique sewing machines have more capabilities than some of the plastic modern sewing machines, particularly if you have the attachments like the zigzagger, blind hemmer, buttonholer, monogrammer, & walking foot. I don't really like selling the modern plastic machines, but since I can make them work well again, & the many people prefer a newer machine, or don't know about, or can't afford the vintage metal machines, I go ahead & try to save these "hunks of junk", yes, that is even what I call them, when I am selling them! LOL
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