Brother 1034D 3/4 Lay-In Thread Serger
|
List Price: Our Price: $198.54 You Save: $264.76 (57%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $178.69 (click here) Category: Art and Craft Supply See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Brother 1034D 3/4 Lay-In Thread Serger
Customer Review: Sergers are not scary!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first serger. I had used one briefly in the past, but I didn't have to set it up. In the short time I have owned this machine, I have realized that sergers are not as difficult to deal with as people make them out to be. This serger in particular is a joy to use. It is apparent that Brother has tried to make the 1034D as user-friendly as possible. I'm looking forward to learning how to use all of its capabilities and putting it through its paces.
FEATURES & SET UP
1. The machine is color coded for each of the four different tension dials and thread paths. This was one of the selling points for me.
2. The machine comes already threaded with thread corresponding to the color of the tension dials. Also, the manufacturer has done a test chain and sewn a test swatch. It illustrates exactly what part each of the four threads play in the creation of a four-thread balanced overlock stitch. This is also illustrated next to each of the colored tension dials.
3. The tension dials are large and easy to adjust.
4. The normal stitch length and width, and differential feed are marked on the dials. It is easy to use these marks as a baseline when making adjustments.
5. Two of the three feet which used to be optional (for approximately $25-$30 each) are now included.
6. Accessories included with this machine are of very good quality.
7. The various instructional media are very helpful.
THREADING & OPERATION
1. Threading the machine is very easy to do. There are colored guides and illustrations, as well as numerical prompts.
2. It runs very quickly and smoothly. It is not much louder than any mechanical (non-computerized) machine I have ever used.
3. The knives can easily be disengaged and reengaged with a lever.
4. The stitch finger is easy to remove and insert. There is also a storage spot in the front cover for the stitch finger when it is not in use.
5. This machine does a very pretty scarf rolled hem. The four- and three-thread balanced stitches are perfect right out of the box.
Customer Review: fantastic machine, especially for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this machine for several months. I LOVE it. It totally defies the "you get what you pay for" way of thinking, because it costs so little yet works well. I keep it clean (with vacuum cleaner and also compressed air to blow out debris) and oiled and it works flawlessly. All adjustments and settings are easy to implement. Some people find overlock machines difficult to thread, and recommend tying old to new thread rather than re-threading the machine. This machine is SO easy to thread, I find re-threading to be faster and more simple. Yes you have to use tweezers in a few places but they are provided and once you get the hang of this machine, it goes very quickly. The lower looper threader is very easy (watch the included video clips).
After using this machine for several months, I wanted something with more capabilities and was very disappointed with other machines I tried: the Viking s15 and the Singer ProFinish (which although vastly different in price are mechanically the same machine, made in the same factory but with different plastics and included accessories) -- both of which were terrible (unreliable, mechanical problems). Trying inferior (and yet more expensive) machines made me realize what a great value the Brother 1034D is. It can't do everything, but it does a lot -- and very reliably.
The only negatives are: it's a bit noisy compared to a regular sewing machine, if you're not used to that -- BUT it works twice as fast, so that shouldn't be a big deal; and there's only one screw for both needles so removing one while keeping the other in place (to do a 3-thread vs. 4-thread overlock) requires a bit of dexterity, but is not so bad once you're accustomed to it. Also because of the design of the machine your stitches are limited to the edge of things (there's no room to the right of the needles/loopers, even with the cutter disengaged).
For those who want to sew stretchy fabrics or otherwise want their projects/garments to look professional, without spending a fortune, this is the machine you want.
Customer Review: It's as great as everyone says it is!
Summary: 5 Stars
While researching sergers, I looked at everything - from the $2k Babylock to the $199 Singer. I debated long and hard. I was really stuck on purchasing a machine with a coverstitch option and from a dealer that would provide me with lessons. Once I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to mess with constantly changing the machine from the coverstitch to the overlock stitch - I wanted 2 seperate machines - it brought me to a much lower price bracket.
I purchased this serger because it was the most reviewed of any other serger out there - in any price bracket - on top of that - it got the highest reviews. Also, with all the tutorials out there, geared to this particular serger, I was confident that I would be able to learn to use this with out classes that I was willing to pay so much more for.
I am so pleased with this purchase - just like everyone says - you plug it in right out of the box and I was ready to go. I did open the front cover of the machine and study the thread paths before I hit the pedal. And the next day, I did switch all the colored threads to cones, by knotting the new thread to the old. The DVD that comes with the machine is so informative.
The stitches this machine makes are so professional looking. I read a lot of online sewing blogs, and I must admit, my beginner serging with this machine looks way better than some of those sewing bloggers out there - they really need to fix their tensions. ;)
Keeping in mind that I have never touched a serger in my life, and to be honest, I never really cared to, until recently... with a little bit of studying and online video watching, I found it fairly easy to start this machine up and give all my products a professional look - with very little cost invested. I would recommend this machine to anyone. :)
Happy Serging!
Customer Review: Buy It!
Summary: 5 Stars
When my 14 year old Pfaff serger began acting up I began researching what was happening with sergers. Here's what I learned.
1. Pfaff, Viking and Singer are all owned by the same company now. Customers are not pleased with the dumbing down of the Viking and Pfaff sewing and serging machines. I tried out the machines and found that the prices on the low end machines (Pfaff and Viking) were much higher than the Brother but did no more. Checked the internet on Bernina, saw no better features and knew that Bernina was always the most expensive of all machines, so I just moved on.
2. Wanted an auto threading machine (Babylock) but did not want to spend over $1200. Also, I had no use for the extra stitches. (If I were going to buy a high end machine, it would be a Babylock due to its auto thread tension and auto threading).
3. Bottom line is that the now low end machines are better than my old Pfaff mid priced serger. No point in paying for repairs.
4.Finally, for the Brother Serger -- Thought I would try it and send it back if it was junk. It's GREAT. Looper threading is much easier than my old machine. It has a free arm which my old machine did not. The Brother only takes about one second to remove the stitch finger to switch to narrow 3-thread overlock or rolled hem and sews these beautifully. I haven't tried the gathering foot yet, but I had to buy that foot extra many years ago and it is a foot I use, so nice bonus to have it included with the Brother. The Brother is no louder, nor does it vibrate more than the $1000+ machines that I tried in the stores.
5. Bottom line,I needed a serger to do 3 and 4 stitch overlock, gathering and rolled hem. This Brother gave me exactly what I needed for a great price. Couldn't be happier.
Customer Review: Good, Basic Machine
Summary: 5 Stars
I am currently taking fashion design courses at my local community college to improve my sewing skills. Because we have to be speedy, my usual methods of finishing seams (French, Hong Kong, etc.) were taking up too much time...the profs want us to just use the overlock machine. Problem: There are only 3 overlock machines in the lab, always a line waiting to use them, and it isn't always convenient to drive over to the school just to finish the seams.
I wanted an inexpensive and basic serger that I could use at home. I didn't need it to thread itself. I didn't want fancy bells and whistles. I just wanted it for finishing my seams.
I've had it for a month and have used it for four garments and I am very pleased with it. It is certainly easier to use than the industrial machines in the lab!
Pros:
*Great price for what you get
*Compact size
*Easy to use--I was playing with it within 15 minutes of taking it out of the box
*Easy to thread because of the on-machine color guidelines
*Has a nice overlock stitch that finishes seams quite well
Cons:
*Very plasticky--the worst being the flimsy thread tree that is plastic instead of metal
*No case or handle--just a soft plastic cover similar to the old plastic typewriter covers
*It does have a tendency to scoot with the vibration...not a lot but I have to return it to its original location on the table frequently (really a minor issue)
*Instructions can be kind of sketchy...read and re-read completely...information you need may be further down the line (to be fair, I haven't watched the cd--it says it is for PC and I have a Mac)
If you are looking for a starter serger for a reasonable price, this is a great place to start!