Fry's has the Brother LS2125i on sale for $60: http://www.frys.com/product/6142519

I think it's a great deal if you have a store nearby and don't need to pay shipping. Here's the Amazon link for some reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Brother-LS2125I-Lightweight-10-Stitch-Machine/dp/B000EOX28E/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1319815876&sr=1-1

I got this machine the last time it was on sale, and have seen one or two other people in the forum mention it as well, so thought I'd throw this out there. I'm far from a seamster, but here are my pros/cons after using it over about 5 months for some household and UL projects on everything from silnylon to Ikea window blinds:

Pros
-Good stitch selection (including buttonholer)
-Free arm mode

Cons
-No presser foot pressure adjustment
-Sensitive foot pedal

That's cheaper than paying to service my machine : )

Brad,

I orderd one.

I've been using my wife's Bernina for about 40 years. If something breaks I'll have to pay more than $60 to have them look at it. If this little Brother machine meets my needs I might be able to dodge the "broken Bernina" bullet.

Thanks for the tip.

Daryl

This was an eBay daily deal but they are still in stock.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brother-Compact-Lightweight-Sewing-Machine---Refurb/110754698337?afepn=5335869999&campid=5335869999&PID=1225267&_trksid=p1468660.m2000037

Bender, nice find. Looks like a good deal more features for $10 if you don't mind it being refurbished.

Brad,

Mine arrived and I have experimented with scrap pieces. It was easy to set up and does everyting I want a sewing machine to do. My wife's Bernina is going back into the box.

The only remaining question for me is durability. It has a good warranty, however, and for $60 I can't complain even if it does eventually bite the dust.

Thanks for the tip.

Daryl

No problem, and very glad it's working for you. Now the crux for me is making time to finish some projects!

I just ordered a walking foot for this machine. For $14 it was worth a try.

here

I finally got around to trying this walking foot.

Installed easily (less than a minute) and seems to work well.

I believe a similar attachment for my Bernina would have cost over $100.

PS-Just checked out the link. Price has been reduced to $10.

Edited by lyrad1 on 01/06/2012 20:37:15 MST.

Cool Daryl thanks for following up. What fabrics were you using the walking foot with?

Brad,

I tried it with scrap pieces of 1.9 ounce nylon and some very sleazy nylon that is about 1 ounce per square yard.

Daryl