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Posted by Kate Dicey on May 21, 2006, 12:10 pm
Hannas Mum wrote:
>>You really have to do your homework these days. Shop about and ask who
>>is doing the better little stuff this year. Last year when I bought the
>>Singer 117 Featherweight II for mum, it was the best in its class. This
>>year the same shop is stocking the Frister & Rossman Cub SP to fill that
>>gap as the newer 'improved' Singer 118 just isn't as good or as friendly
>>to use as either the 117 or the F&R.
>
> Kate: I placed 22 of these in a public school a couple of years ago.
> Half were 117's and half were 118's. They are doing very well with
> them. It is a Christian school with a very active home studies class
> for both boys and girls. They sew for a charity that makes sleepers
> and blankets for the Romanian babies abandoned to those orphanages
> where all they do is stay in cribs for ever. The Singers have not had
> any repairs or problems in over 2.5 years. I do regular maintenance
> spring and fall.
That's good to know. I bought the 117 just as the last of them were
going out. The 118 just wasn't as friendly, and all the ones the shop
owner had tried were the same: the knobs and dials were not as easy to
read, and were stiffer to turn. Also, they didn't click home at each
stop so well... Just little things, but the F&R Cub SP had the edge on
the 118. If they hadn't tried to 'improve' it, Wilf would still be
selling the 117!
> It was a package deal and the school got an
> embroidery machine too. Very pleased with the placement. I got it
> through my Pfaff supplier at the time, as he was a dual dealer.
> AS for always putting down the low end machines, there have been
> several problems with high end ones too. HV is in its third recall
> her for ignighting embroidery machines, Pfaff has had numerous bobbin
> assembly breakage problems, and Bernina is experiencing problems with
> the CD players smoking. Quality is relative, it is not necessarily
> guaranteed by brand name. My current low end favourites are the
> Janome Jems....great little machines and excellent for the 5-8 year
> olds I teach and under $400 with the quilting accessories. Much less
> expensive than the same model sold by Pfaff/VSM.
Comes as the Huskystar with HV. Dunno about VSM - different company. I
keep hearing good things about the Gem, but the UK distributers won't
sell it along side the HV machines in a n HV main dealership, as far as
I can determine. Dunno why not: Bernina are quite happy to do so, and
if they were confident of being able to stand up to the competition...
I haven't yet tried one. I may well next time I go down to Tunbridge Wells.
It's also odd about the HV machines, and Berninas... We don't seem to
have had any of those problems in the UK!
For the cheap and cheerful end of the market people like Janome and
Brother are going to have to think seriously: I have a VERY cheap and
cheerful 'E&R Classic' on my bench right now: it belongs to a customer.
Made in PRC and going for £79.99
(http://www.tesco.com/electrical/product.aspx?R=8229528&bci=187|Sewing%20Machines),
it's cheaper and has a larger harp area than the little Brother sold
along side it, and having tried both, I'd go for the Classic!
> Recently there have been several very very serious house fires in
> Canada caused by LG refrigerators and not one or two either. LG has
> not pulled the models involved, I believe so far there are 3 different
> ones, and have not placed warnings on them either. You take a chance
> on anything whether you pay a high price or not.
I'll keep an eye on my fridge! Mind you, it's a couple of years old
now, and working beautifully.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
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