Buying a sewing machine, whether mechanical or computerized can be an exciting and important purchase!
Remember, you are committing to spending a few hundred dollars. So, hopefully you will get a machine you can use for a long time. One that will be easy to use and will not break down often.
So how do you make the decision on the sewing machine that is right for you? Do you go for a mechanical or a computerized one? Will you use the machine on one type of material or many different fabrics?
Some of the things to consider when thinking of buying either a mechanical or computerized sewing machine will include:
- your budget,
- how technologically savvy you are, and
- the types of sewing that you will be doing.
In this guide, we will look at the two main types of sewing machines, mechanical and computerized sewing machines.
Mechanical Sewing Machines
As explained in the introduction, mechanical sewing machines tend to be cheaper than computerized sewing machines. This is because computerized machines are more comprehensive and advanced. With a mechanical sewing machine, you choose your stitches by turning a knob or dial. There are no buttons to press.
You will find a lesser number of stitches on the mechanical one simply because of its mechanics.
Another key feature of the mechanical sewing machines is that it has simple instructions on how to use it.
The majority of the machines will have a one stop button-hole. It won’t measure the size of your button-hole and it will be a one style button-hole.
A mechanical sewing machine has fewer stitches compared to a computerized one. But mechanical machines are easier to maintain and cost less compared to computerized ones.
The disadvantages of mechanical sewing machines are that they have a limited number of stitches. They also have less buttonhole options and can be more cumbersome to use.
Here is our pick of the Top 5 Best Mechanical Sewing Machines!
Computerized Sewing Machines
Computerized sewing machines have lots of features to help you save time and make your sewing experience easier and enjoyable!
Some of the features include:
- Automatic needle threader
- Built-in-stitches
- Automatic tension
- Buttonholes
- Automatic needle up & down
- Lcd screens
- Automatic thread cutter etc.
Computerized sewing machines are comparatively more smoother than mechanical machines. Many of them have also been designed to work without a foot pedal. Instead, there is a start/stop button in front of the machine with the option of controlling the speed.
The most noticeable feature with computerized sewing machine is that you have a huge selection of stitches to choose from.
Some machines offer you as little as 60 stitches while others can go as high as 900 stitches! The more expensive the machine, the more the stitches you are able to choose from.
With a computerized sewing machine, you have the option of choosing where the needle stops. It can be whether the needle is in the up or down position. This can be beneficial to quilt or patch workers! Think about when you are sewing around corners. You could have the needle stop down so that you can continue stitching from the same place you started. This is a definite benefit when compared to a mechanical sewing machine. With a mechanical machine, when you stop sewing, the needle will stop at the point you release your foot off the pedal. This is whether the pedal is down, up or midway. This may require you to wind the handle in order to lift up the needle if the machine stopped with the needle at the bottom position.
Is a computerized sewing machine better?
Overall, the simple difference between computerized vs mechanical sewing machines are:
- Mechanical/Electronic sewing machines have dials and knobs that allow you to choose stitches and change other settings of the machine. They are less complicated to use and come with simple instructions. Other benefits are that they are easier to maintain and cheaper than computerized sewing machines. Though they do come with a lesser number of stitches
- Computerized sewing machines on the other hand are much more advanced. They allow you to do a variety of utility and decorative stitches. In addition, they also allow you to create embroidery designs. Generally, they come packed with many automatic features to make the sewing experience smoother.
So, between a mechanical and a computerized sewing machine, which is better? Well, it all depends on what you want from your machine. What kinds of projects you will be undertaking, and the budget that you have among others.
If you only need to do basic sewing such as simple home projects and repairs, then a mechanical sewing machine will do just fine. But, a computerized sewing machine can be beneficial because you have many more stitching options. Plus, a computerized sewing machine makes sewing much more smoother
At the end of the day, buy the best one you can afford. To continue on in your search for a sewing machine, check out some different articles we have!
