Can someone recommend me a quality sewing machine?

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I am looking to get a used sewing machine so I can make myself a weighted a blanket. I know nothing about sewing machines and was hoping an experienced aspie could recommend me one from my local craigslist.

These are the ones I was looking at:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/art/2678285416.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/hsh/2676187206.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/for/2664037460.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/art/2673112924.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/hsh/2678780029.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/hsh/2675480880.html

I am looking for a sewing machine that is built to last. Do any of these look like a good deal?

Thanks!

My first chioce would be the Pfaff, second to the last in your list. My second choice would be the Singer Fashion Mate, last in your list.

At the price on the Pfaff I'd probably take it sight unseen. The Singer I'd want to see work before buying it. Regardless of which one you get, take it to a service center that deals with that machine and get it cleaned, lubed, and adjusted. Then buy needles for that machine. Different machines are designed to work with different needles. Get the ones the manufacturer specifies for the machine you buy. (The service center should be able to tell you this.)

I've had crummy luck with newer model Singers and a lot of the hobbyist and entry-level machines. I'm going to sound like an elitist when I say this, but they're really not built the way they used to be. Even thirty years ago, an entry-level machine was designed and built to make clothes. Lots of clothes. The weight of cloth required to make pants and winter work shirts required a certain amount of oomph and resiliency out of a machine. The older machines were built for it. These days an entry-level machine is built to hem the occasional pair of pants, not crank out garment after garment. They really aren't built the way they used to be.

If you're serious about getting a machine, move fast. That Pfaff won't last long. The walking foot is a major bonus.

Gaaah... Add the Singer 6233 to the list, too. Actually, I'd probably take it over the Singer Fashion Mate if it's in good working condition. But I'd jump on the Pfaff first.

Great, I just emailed the person selling the Pfaff, so hopefully it will soon be mine. She mispelled Pfaff in her listing, so people searching specifically for Pfaffs will probably not see it .

Any idea on how much I should expect to pay for a tune-up? If possible, I'd like to get set up for $200 or less, but can spend a little a more If I know I am gonna get a good machine.

I believe you when you say that they don't build em like they used to. The phenomenon is not limited to sewing machines. Most appliances and consumer electronics exhibit the same pattern. 30 years ago, even when a product had a designed lifespan of say 10 years, it would likely last much longer because devices were over-engineered to compensate for a lack of real world data on the longevity of new fabrication technologies. These days, we are much better at accurately predicting the life span of a device, so even when the specification calls for the same lifespan (which I expect is rarely), we likely end up with a less-reliable result.

Thank you for your advice.

I honestly don't know. If the machine is in good working condition, it shouldn't cost that much or take that much time. But if there's anything that needs real work (timing comes to mind) it might cost more.

I hope you get the machine. I've had people misspell brand names in listings before. It can really help!

Nice, the Pfaff is mine. Picked it up today and watched it sew! Now I just need to figure out how to work this thing.

Hey, awesome!

I'd be willing to bet you can get a manual for the machine from Pfaff, or from a service center. Pfaffs have an honest to goodness walking foot, which won't look like the foot in any of the photos of a "How to Sew" kind of book. But if you can get past that, a how to sew book is probably not a bad route to go. I haven't checked out "Sewing for Dummies" though the other books in that series I've used have been quite good. Cruising a bookstore and flipping through books wouldn't be a bad idea. I wish I could take sewing classes, but there aren't any offered where I live. Serious bummer.

It's worth getting the manual to any machine you get because it'll have detailed instructions for loading bobbins, setting bobbin tension, loading top thread, the manufacturer and model of needle the machine was designed to use, etc. Endless frustration can be avoided that way. (I spent several days loading the bobbin wrong on a machine before I figured out what I was doing wrong. By then I was ready to use it as a doorstop!)

Have fun!