Bernina 1030

I've been thinking of taking a sewing class.  I'm going to be moving within the next year or so (yes, my plans have slowed considerably) and there is a sewing "school" in the area I'm considering.  Common to a lot of these kinds of businesses, this one has machines students can rent for a class or a lab session or you can bring your own.  I think I'd prefer to bring my own machine, one I'm used to and I know is working well. 

With that in mind, I've been searching for a good portable machine.  I need it to be: 1) actually portable, meaning fairly lightweight and compact; 2) full-featured; 3) excellent; 4) inexpensive.  I first considered the Bernina 810 or the 1000 but the stitch selections are limited to 7 stitches, only one of them being a 'stretch' (which is actually just a multipoint).  I'll probably sell those two machines as I don't see myself using them much, if at all. 

I bid on a 1030 I found on eBay but the listing stated it had several problems, issues she had tried to resolve at three shops only to be told her machine was not repairable.  (That sends up a lot of red flags, both having to do with what the seller is divulging and what she might have been told in order to get her to buy a brand new machine.)  I placed a half-assed bid and thankfully didn't win it, although this is the machine I really wanted. 

I bought an eBay 1010 (BIN) whose seller stated that she had "made stitches" and that the machine was in perfect working order with "no issues."  The machine arrived in terrible condition: broken, parts missing, wrong parts, cosmetically in much worse shape than the pictures (her pictures of the machine were distant and not in great focus or light so it was hard to determine), the wrong foot controller, etc.  I wrote to her asking her how she managed to make stitches considering that the parts she needed to do so were missing and she responded "We had a death in the family and we are in no mood to deal with someone who thinks they know everything about sewing machines."  That's a direct quote in response to a question I politely asked.  Needless to say, I returned the machine and got a complete refund and she earned a nice, fat negative feedback.

I then bought another 1010 (again, BIN) and once again the machine isn't in great shape, although it does have proper parts and runs.  It will need serious attention, though.  It's rough.  *sigh*  No, it doesn't "run smoothly" as the seller described.  I won't leave feedback at all but I wish people weren't so ignorant about of the definition of "smooth."

So, a 1030 appeared on eBay and the price was remarkably low.  The 1030 is a very sought-after model as it's similar in function to the 930 (one of the best ever made) but is more portable.  It has the knee lever for lifting the presser foot, a dedicated basting stitch knob, and the needle up/down feature available at the tap of the user's heel on the foot controller.  Great!  I was determined to win this one and with 10 seconds left in the auction, I placed my rather high bid and won.  Only $36.  Why?  The seller misspelled 'Bernina' and so the listing didn't appear in any of the 'Bernina' searches of machine-flippers, those who part out machines, those who collect, etc.  It included the machine, cover, cords and controller.

Although I'm not a huge fan of the look of these '80s and '90s machines, this is to my eyes one of the prettier models, its two-tone blue with silvery aluminum knobs and cream color scheme.  It's in very good condition except for a few scratches here and there and the left spool pin being slightly bent.  It included the #0 Bernina foot (a kind of universal zig-zag foot) so all the stitches can be sewn without buying any others. 

For those of you not familiar with the Bernina brand, genuine Bernina feet are notoriously expensive to buy regardless of the generation.  In fact, ALL of the attachments and cords and controllers and bed extensions and...are expensive and so every single item that is included in a sale is worth considering.  One presser foot can fetch as much as $50 depending upon what it is.  The Bernina walking foot I have retails for $189, new.  Whenever you are considering purchasing a Bernina, make sure you know exactly what is included because the machine head is just the beginning of your investment.  A genuine bobbin case can run as much as $70 depending on the model and many of the cheap, generic versions simply don't work well at all.  Believe me, I've tried a few.

I'm happy to report that after an initial oiling it runs flawlessly.  Now here is a machine that is smooth and quiet and stitches very well.  It fits my needs exactly and will likely be a great backup machine.  While not exactly lightweight, it's much more portable than the 930 or even a Kenmore 158 series machine.  The knee lever has been ordered (brand new from Germany -- it pays to look at the German eBay site) as well as an original box of attachments I found being offered by a seller in Japan.  The manual is available for free download.  All told, I will have spent a bit over $120 for a complete 1030 -- not too shabby.  I will update this post with pictures of the complete pile of stuff when it's all here, hopefully in about 2 weeks maximum. 

Once again the universe has looked out for me and once again I need to remind myself to be patient and wait for what I really want.