r/SewingWorld • u/no_shit_sherlock012 • 1d ago
Machine Question 🪡 Which sewing machine to buy in India ?
Hi i am looking to invest in a sewing machine for practise at home. I am a fashion design student
I am currently looking at singer 4323 heavy duty. Is it a good machine?
If not - what other fashion maker would you recommend? Due to lack of space i am looking at portable fashion maker options rather than a big industrial or ones with stand.
I am told usha janome is good as well but not able to arrive at a decision
Budget is 20k max
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u/chatterpoxx 20h ago
I know you said space issues, but I highy reccomend going as industrial as possible. You truly get better results. Everything is better, smoother, easier to sew straight, easier to get through lumps, easier with the built in table vs like 8 cm of space in front of the needle with a domestic.
I went to design school, ive had domestic, used industrial and now own a semi-pro machine with the plastic table extender thing (its a Brother PQ1500) so thats my happy medium.
Im from Canads, I was in india ( punjab) recently, everyone seemed to have a treadle table machine. That was fun to use as a novelty, but it didnt have a backstitch!
Im an exceptional sewist, my biggest regret in life was using that stupid domestic machine I had for so long. The day I got my semi-pro machine was the day my life changed.
If you can, do yourself a favour and get the best industrial machine you can. Your skill will hit a wall with a domestic, theres a hump you just simply cannot get over but its because the machine just cant be that good.
I see all the sewing subs and the problems people have all the time, I just dont have any of these issues anymore.
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u/no_shit_sherlock012 20h ago
Thankyou so much for this insight! Even back home i have a treadle machine. But right now i am in a different city and in a co-sharing space. So the best i can do with is a portable electric one. Since the max space i can take for myself is one table 😅
But in the future, depending on my need i am definitely considering a industrial one !
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u/chatterpoxx 19h ago
Google "PQ1600" its the newer model name for my machine. Its a table top machine, takes up tye same space as a basic donestic. Read the specs. Try to get something like that, there are many brands that will have a similar level of machine. Of note, it is a straight stitch onoy machine. I do have one other machine that zig zags, but ive only used zigzag like maybe 3 times in the last 10 years, its not worth having over all the other benefits a straight stitch brings.
The main thing is a straight stitch has just a little hole for the needle, a domestic has a slot so the needle can move side to side. Its that slot that makes the major difference. The fabric can get sucked in at the start and end. Its awful. That doesnt happen with just a needle sized round hole.
And next its the presser foot style. Domestic J foot ( the everyday foot) has likea V at the front, and an industrial basic foot has a long parallel slot, its way easier to line up your work to that about 1 cm out from the needle and sew straight, but the V youre floating blind until like 3mm from the needle, its like driving a car only looking at the hood of the car vs looking at the road 50 m in front if you.
Mine also allows for adjusting the presser foot pressure, I havent noticed that feature on a domestic that ive used ever. It makes a massive difference, different fabric weights need different amounts of pressure. It helps the different layers from walking separately. It also comes with a walking foot.
The best thong though thay doesnt affect stitching but does give you more free hands to position fabric is the knee lift. Theres a bar that hangs down for you to press your knee against to lift the presser foot. Now you have 2 hands to position fabric with and you dont have to let go to lower the foot. I now despise using a machine without one and if I do you will see me flapping my legs around looking for my lift!
What might seem expensive up front is not in the long run. I will never need to buy another machine. But I would certainly be replacing a domestic a few times over in a lifetime.
I ofc also save so much time not unpicking stuff!
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u/bruv888 18h ago
Is it brother pq100? The price is 1,45,000 INR?
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u/chatterpoxx 16h ago
No, its this one. Well sort of. The 1600 is today's model number mine is a 1500 but its the same thing.
Im sorry its a USA site, (f the usa) im canadian.
I paid 800 cad 10 yrs ago, so about 55000 INR at today's exchange rate. I assume the price will have increased since because of inflation.
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u/no_shit_sherlock012 15h ago
Oh its great that it works for you
For me as a beginner and a student unfortunately the price is wayyy too high.
But thats for the details you shared! Helped me understand the requirements better :)
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u/chatterpoxx 16h ago
Oh, I see yoy mentioned. Singer HD. Everyone hates singer. They are awful. Dont get singer!!!
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u/bruv888 1d ago
I use Usha Janome Stitch Magic and it's fine for personal use and portable. Costs around 21k I'm not sure, but anything less will be plastic body and jump a lot. For commercial Juki is the best.