Is the most expensive sewing machine the best?

May 3, 2023

In recent years, sewing machines have increased in price considerably. When I bought my first sewing machine (a household one), I chose a PFAFF Passport 2.0 . My budget was a maximum of 5000 SEK as I didn't know how much I would use it. After I figured out how the machine worked, it has run like clockwork. Occasionally, I have seen questions in various forums about which sewing machine to choose that can cost a maximum of 5000 SEK. At first, I recommended the machine I bought until I discovered that it had increased in price, today it is almost 8000 SEK (although currently lower price due to discount). So how should you think today if you don't feel like spending 10,000 SEK on a sewing machine that you hardly know if you will use?

My trusty one broke during the sewing LAN I attended in February, so I had to borrow my mother's sewing machine. My mother, unlike me, is not very fond of sewing. She mostly sews curtains and wants to have one on hand in case she needs it for something special (usually for her job as a preschool teacher or for the home). Her choice fell on a super cheap sewing machine, a Brother DS120X . It had received pretty good reviews and is incredibly low in price, so when I got to borrow it I was pretty excited to see how much of a difference I would notice. Brother is generally a good and well-known brand of sewing machines. However, you usually hear about their overlockers being very loud, which is true in my opinion.

I had my mother's sewing machine for just over a week. During that week I sewed stage clothes for my cousin's daughter with several different mockups. The things I tested during that time were therefore sewing zippers, sewing hems and sewing in quite a few layers of fabric as well as a substantial elastic. I sewed in two different linen fabrics, one of which had embroidery. So you could say that my mother's sewing machine was put to the test. But before we get into my opinion of the whole thing, I thought I would do a quick comparison between the machines.

What are the specs for the Brother DS120X?

20 stitches (incl. overlock stitches)
3 x 1-step automatic buttonhole function
Automatic stapling function (at start and end)
Machine speed setting (can be reduced by 50%)
Stepless adjustment of stitch length and width
Display with overview of settings
Needle stop up/down
Drop-in flush system
Bright LED lighting
Needle threader
Handles thick layers of fabric (9mm)
Weighs 4.8kg
3 year warranty included

Included accessories:

Presser feet: zigzag foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, overlock foot, zipper foot, blindstitch foot and monogramming foot
Instigator
Needle set
Brush
Screwdriver
10 coils
Foot pedal
Protective hood (soft)

What are the specs for the Pfaff Passport 2.0?

70 stitches - large selection of 7 mm stitches
Original IDT built-in overfeed - even fabric feed from above and below, perfect for quilting, pattern fitting and when sewing long pieces of fabric such as curtains, both layers are fed evenly all the way.
Two LED lights
Start/stop button - sewing without foot control
Needle stop at the top/bottom of the fabric
Speed control
Built-in needle threader
Weight 6.7kg
2-year warranty on the sewing machine and 5-year warranty on spare parts

Included accessories

Presser feet (standard presser foot, decorative presser feet (2 pcs), blind hem foot, zipper foot and automatic buttonhole foot)
Coils 5 pcs
Felt tray
Screwdriver for the needle plate
Universal tool (hump jumper)
large wire tray 2 pcs
Small wire tray
Scraper and brush (in one)
Edge ruler
Extra spool holder
Foot control
Power cord
Needles
Hard hood

So how are the machines to use?

I have been incredibly happy with my Pfaff all along. It has worked like clockwork, is incredibly strong and does what it is supposed to. It can sew in a variety of different fabric qualities, thin and thick and I have never felt limited. What I have been less happy with is when I have to sew buttonholes but I mostly think that this is due to operator error, i.e. that I don't really know how to do it even though I follow the instructions in the manual. Some buttonholes have turned out well, others not so it has been quite complicated to get it done.

I was extremely impressed with the Brother DS120X, as I had very low expectations considering the price. It was considerably stronger than I thought, made nice stitches and worked all in all quite well. Personally, I am quite unimpressed by "many stitches", as I use a few when I sew so I don't think it's a problem that it "only" has 20 stitches. It has the stitches I use, i.e. straight stitch where I can set the stitch length, zigzag and "overlock" stitch. That gets you pretty far.

However, I think it's quite ironic that they highlight as an advantage that it can handle 9 layers of fabric (9mm) because this was actually the biggest limitation I felt with the machine. I'm quite spoiled with being able to sew incredibly thick layers and that my Pfaff can handle it without a problem, at least if I use my humper jumper that comes with the Pfaff. The presser foot height on the PFAFFF is about the same as on the Brother machine, but the difference in the movement of the presser feet (i.e. how much they can tilt) is enormous. The Brother machine's presser foot is quite stiff and the inclination is quite low while the PFAFFF can tilt up to 0.5 cm difference. In the pictures above you can see the difference in movement between the Pfaff and the Brother machine. Even when I sewed on the zipper and the elastic, I noticed a clear difference in that it was not as strong as the PFAFFF. One thing that I thought was significantly better with the Brother machine than my PFAFF is that when you reverse a stitch to secure the thread, the Brother machine reverses immediately. The PFAFF always takes an extra stitch before turning.

Another difference I noticed, which is not really better or worse, but just good to be aware of the difference, is that the needle position on the PFAFF is always set to the middle (3.5). On the Brother machine, it is set completely to the left as standard. It can be adjusted of course, but it can be good to know if you have a strong preference.

So do I recommend the Brother DS120X? For those of you who sew a lot and have an established interest in sewing, I wouldn't have bought it as my main machine. I could have perhaps considered buying it as an extra machine to have in the summer cottage or something like that, but then I would have planned projects afterwards that I know it would have handled. For those of you who are new to sewing, may not have the world's biggest budget and you don't know if it's something you'll get hooked on or not, the machine is very good. It's probably a sewing machine that you could get by with for two or three years anyway without feeling the need to upgrade.

So no, you shouldn't choose the most expensive sewing machine just because it has nice features and more stitches, but choose a sewing machine according to your needs. If you are unsure which sewing machine to choose, visit a sewing machine shop and try it out. Here in Jönköping I recommend JL-Sycenter. Jacqueline is so knowledgeable and will help you find the right sewing machine that matches your needs.

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