advice on what to look for in an overlocker sewing machine please?

Question

First time buyer but experienced sewer. Need to be able to work with light and heavy fabrics including leather and denim

Answer 1

Sit down and try it at the store to see if it vibrates around the table. Thread it two or three times to make sure the threading process is not too complicated.

Ask if you can run a few scraps of leather/demin through it to see how it handles.

Make sure there is solid dealer support.

I started out with a Singer, which is a relatively inexpensive all-round workhorse, a little noisy and could take really thick fabrics but was reliable (if a bit noisy -- a rubber pad cuts down on that somewhat).

I now have a Bernina and wouldn't use anything else now; but it's a significant chunk of change (it was a present or I wouldn't have one!).

Answer 2

Yes look in the yellow pages and find a dealer near you. Once that is a fabric store also is the better choice since they always include unlimited sewing classes with your purchase. Try for a Husqvarna or Bernina both are well made machines and even a used one will be in pristine commercial. Those are the only two machine manufacturers left. Every name brand out there of any quality is made by one or the other. A good brand new machine runs 1500 to 2k but you can get a trade in with few sewing hours on for under 500. The free lessons and 1 yr warranty are well worth the cost