| Buyers Guide to Sergers |
Sergers are the funnest little machines to have in your sewing room. It's really
difficult to make a professional looking garment without one. If you have never used a serger before,
go get on one and take it for a spin. They are
fun and fast and make you feel accomplished without having to do much.
On the down side, they are a bugger to thread. Here is something common to hear: "My neighbor / sister / grandma / friend just gave me their serger because it didn't work / they couldn't thread it / they never used it." Sad. Because there really isn't much to basic serging except threading the machine and adjusting the tension dials untill the fabric and thread lay flat and tight. You don't even need to know what tension is. You just need to have fingers to spin the dials and patience to find the right combination of numbers that looks good.
Q and A
- What is a serger?
- A serger is the same thing as an overlock machine. It is a type of sewing machine that can sew a seam, finish the seam's edges and trim off the excess fabric all in one step. Sergers are available in many different styles and are a wonderful complement to the traditional sewing machine.
- What do I look for in a serger?
- Good reputation (Babylock for home sewing, Juki for industrial sewing)
- A top knife for cutting (a bottom knife is safer, but the cut is not as smooth or regular).
- Heavy or at least with suction cups on the bottom to keep the machine from drifting.
- If you are getting your first serger, pick a simple four thread serger. Don't go get a fancy five thread or more serger that does tons of things. It'll most likely overwhelm you and take the fun away from serging.
- What is a good price range?
- A good starter serger should be between $200 to $400 new.
If you are buying used, avoid machines with excessive wear marks on the table or foot controller as this is a sign of heavy use. Make sure that you get the manual and all of the attachments that went with the machine. If they aren't all bundled together, someone probably didn't care too much for the machine. If you are buying new, a factory refurbished machine is a fine choice. They usually have the same warranty as new but they come at quite a discount.
If you would like to sell your serger/overlock machine, we offer a sewing machine consignment service.