Serger...

I have given up on my Huskylock 936.  It just doesn't seem to be reliable any more.  It is 13 years old and has been used a ton but I would have liked it to have lasted a little longer.  I did have issues in the spring and took it to the dealer who did their best with an aging machine. They told me then that it might last a few more years or a few months.  Looks like the latter is it.

This sent me to the internet to see what type of sergers are available.  Then, I decided I needed to make a decision on what stitches I would actually use.  Well, folks, I can tell you the list is fairly short.  In all the years I owned the 936, the stitches I used the most was a 4-thread overlock and then the 3-thread overlock.  Oh, I did play around with other different stitches.  The few times that I used the cover stitch I was never able to get it to stitch correctly.  In fact, this past spring, my sewing buddy and I went through a bunch of stitches with the 936.  Would I use a 5-thread safety stitch or any of the 2-thread stitch option?  Yes, I can definitely see uses for them.  I can't say why I never used these stitches. Getting a machine with a 2/3/4 thread options is fairly easy and relatively inexpensive.  The price goes up when you add the double chain stitch and the 5-thread options.   So, my thought is that I would probably use them if I had them but will most likely just go with a 2/3/4 thread machine.  I could yet surprise myself and go with something entirely different.

I am intrigued by the air threading of the loopers and have decided to visit the local Baby Lock dealer.  My sewing buddy and I will spend an evening looking at machines.  Since these machines are more or less the cadillacs of the serger world, it should be interesting.  I haven't looked at this brand of sergers since the mid-80s.  After looking at the various models and at the short list of stitches that I know I will use, I've decided to look at the Eclipse DX.  It is a 2/3/4 thread with the air threading of the loopers and you can still manipulate the tensions should you choose.  I have no doubt that I will be shocked at the price of these machines.

I also decided that I wanted to look at the Juki sergers.  My first serger was a Bernina Funlock that was made by Juki.  It was a great little serger until I got serger envy and had to replace it.  So, here are the two models that I'm interested in:

1.  The MO-655. This is a 2/3/4/5 thread serger.  It does not have a cover stitch option.  It does have the options of the double chain stitch and the 5-thread safety stitch.  This machine is relatively inexpensive.  I do think that it is an older model which is reflected in the price.

2.  The MO-1000.  This machine feels like it is the cream of the crop.  It is a 2/3/4 thread with air-threading of the loopers and needle threaders.  Oh, what a temptation.  This one is great for aging eyes.

Unfortunately, there are no Juki dealers nearby.  I found a place about 40 miles away but it looks like it's in someone's house and not an actual dealer.  I did call but didn't get a return call back.  The next shop is around 100 miles away.  Of course, there is always the Amazon purchase for a Juki but I would prefer hands on testing before making a purchase.

Anyone used any of these machines?  I would like to hear about the pros and cons of each.

Happy Stitching!