IKEA sewing machine: 70 euros vs the classic Singer

IKEA sewing machine: 70 euros vs the classic Singer

The doubt is reasonable, and anyone who has inherited a sewing machine at home has had it: is an IKEA sewing machine for under 70 euros worth it, or is it money down the drain? The opening post sums up the starting point well: sewing runs in her family, she sews without being a professional, and her home has always had Alfa and Singer machines with spare parts and accessories still findable years later. The question is not whether the Swedish giant's machine sews, but whether it stands up to a machine built to last decades.

The majority answer early in the thread is uncomfortable for the bargain hunter: according to one participant, IKEA is buy-and-throw-away, acceptable quality but with no intention of lasting. The advice repeated most often is to find out who actually manufactures the machine —the precedent of Lidl selling a big brand at rock-bottom prices hangs over the whole conversation— and, if usage will be intensive, play it safe. The alternative that comes up right away is to wait for the machines Lidl and Aldi release seasonally: a Singer for 99 euros or a Silvercrest for under 70 are positioned as the middle ground between a cheap whim and the definitive investment.

What owners of the IKEA machine say

The most useful testimony is second-hand and comes from someone whose household uses it daily: the IKEA machine works for trouser hems and simple repairs, but it is not as smooth as an old Singer and struggles with thick fabrics. No drama: it does the job if use is occasional. The problem appears when you ask it for regularity.

That is where the most repeated technical argument comes in: the pedal. On cheap machines it is far too sensitive, forcing you to watch your estimulante ilegal constantly and tiring you more than a higher-end machine. Someone who has sewn on an inherited Alfa and on a 50-euro Lidl machine describes it bluntly: the cheap one vibrates and shakes the table as soon as it speeds up, while the other runs like silk even though they weigh about the same. The difference is not in the purchase price, it is in the repeated-use experience.

The Lidl machine as the middle ground

The strongest consensus in the thread points to the machine Lidl sells seasonally. A Victoria 270-E for 59 or 69 euros or a Singer Serenade for 99 are considered a better buy than the IKEA one for just a little more money. The value for money is described outright as fantastic, and some warn that on offer day you should get there early: it sold out in ten minutes.

The thread's evolution adds an interesting chapter. Lidl refreshes the model with a redesigned Silvercrest, and a buyer who called customer service to compare antiestéticatures ends up purchasing it and delivering her verdict: the electronic pedal lets you go slow or fast with ease, something other machines fail to achieve. It comes with five presser feet, an LED light and automatic tension control. The weak point of the previous generation —that overly sensitive pedal— seems solved.

The real cost of sewing at home

Against the enthusiasm for making the machine pay for itself with a few alterations, the classic economic objection appears: fabric is expensive and it is cheaper to buy the garment ready-made. The counterargument that wins out is that textile quality has dropped and the machine is justified by the repairs: taking in almost-new jeans, extending the life of clothes that are as good as new, making costumes. For full garments the consensus is that things get complicated, though it can be done.

The thread's outcome is what you would expect. The person who peine the discussion is clear: she will keep saving and buy a basic Singer or Alfa, because her plan is not to do hems but to sew her own clothes. Another participant, after much comparing, ends up ordering an Alfa during the sales. The cautious prediction is simple: the IKEA machine will keep selling for occasional use, but anyone thinking of serious sewing will end up paying twice as much for a machine that gives them no trouble.