Buying a sewing machine was the best thing I did, kitwise. I bought a japanese zig-zag machine. There is a host of brands and makes of them. If you get models from the 50's and a bit into the 60's you'll get all steel, all good machines. Like the electric singers, pfaffs and others from the same era the are almost all flatbed, made to fit in a table/cabinet or with the self standing base, they have separate motors on the backside and bobbin spooling mechs at the front, right by the flywheel. Most of these machines are fantastic, and can be have for very little money. I paid about £50 for a machine in mint condition. And since they're all steel they are repairable well beyond our lifespan. These kinds of machines are abundant on the used market.
This is mine, ain't she a beauty? Like an 50's american car, ahh, everything was better in the past (before I was born even, can't reminisce about, but it feels like that..)
I wouldn't sacrifice zig-zag for the apparent robustness of the old threadle and handcrank machines, I do all my overloking with zig-zag, makes life easier.
The low shank system has endless presser feet options (I have like 15 different, favourite is by far the fell seam foot and bias tape binder), and I managed to find a buttonholer for it, makes identical buttonholes at a breeze. Fantastic stuff really, light years better than any plastic electronic machine with cheap plastic snap-on feet I have yet to come across. I can even do furniture grade leather in a few plys and heavy canvas in a pinch. But since I like working with heavy stuff I have now bought a walking foot machine (a used Pfaff 145 that's being overhauled). Gonna go get it in a few weeks, and hopefully sort that three phase motor out...
Sewing is addictive.
Oh, whatever you buy, be sure to get a thread stand, that way you can buy industrial thread, which is a h3ll lot cheaper, and some bonded nylon thread isn't avalaible on domestic spools. Also, usually vertical hook assemblies with real bobbin cases are more robust than horisontal hooks, and machines without bobbin cases, where you just put in the bobbin in the hook just causes a fuss. In my experience at least.
Even more post scriptum! I have to say that these kinds of machines are also easier to oil than modern machines. They are also far more quite than modern machines, comparing with my girlfriends modern husky viking emerald, mine runs like a whisper. Only machines to run quiteter I've come across are industrial machines with clutch motors in good condition or with servomotors.
