New, but improved?

I brought my Bernina into a local sew & vac to get an estimate for a full service. After learning it will set me back 120 big ones, I was told I was going to lose it for up to two weeks! Ack! The thought made me a bit panicked, as my shop is doing really well AND I have a couple custom orders in my queue as well as the shop in Maine I'm working on. SO. I dusted off my old Singer (in between the Singer and the Bernina I had a White. I broke the plug housing thing that is attached, so it no longer worked. I - stupid silly me and drunk on love for my spankin new Bernina, threw out the White which could have been fixed without a doubt.).

I hate Singer sewing machines. No offense to those who use and love them, but I hate them, and I get the feeling it's mutual. I've had three. I broke all of them. This one that was sitting in my basement since we moved here, was still somewhat operable, so I figured I'd bring her in and get an estimate for a full overhaul. 130 big ones. I NEED a machine to be working at all times. I can't send my Bernina down with naught but my hands to sew with in the interim. So...I look the shop owner in the eye and say "give it to me straight....is it worth fixing?" She looked at me and said "let me show you a couple I have over here...."

Well, the first was a Viking - which I have the utmost respect for in terms of sewing machines. But, with a price tag of 900 bucks, I said "uh. no." My Bernina was 700 and that was on sale. This one was USED and still 900. You can imagine it was a mammoth machine, and could very likely sew through tires. But, I didn't need another expensive machine. She did offer me 100 for my Singer, though. But...still. She walked me over to a Janome. I do like Janomes. But, this is also a very expensive model...another 700 dollar machine. She offered it to me for 399, because it's a "close out" whatever the hell that means. I left her my Singer, and told her I had to discuss with Rob.

Anyway, long story short, he told me to go bring home "Jerome" because he didn't like throwing 120 at a piece of shit sewing machine that cost me 200 about 10 years ago. So....I bought it. She would only give me 40 for the Singer at that point though...being a "close out" and all....but I left there without a machine I hate, with a brand spankin new 700 dollar machine under my arm, a really nice tote for it (compliments of the nice shop owner who assured me over and over that I could beat this machine up and it would still sew), 20 bucks worth of thread, a new walking foot and lots of new bobbins.

I used it this morning for one of my custom orders, and it's fabulous so far. I feel confident that I can live without "baby" for a couple weeks if "jerome" continues to perform this way. I don't know if it's a "better" machine than my Bernina, but I'd venture "comparable". The Bernina weighs a ton and is the toughest machine I've ever used. I love it. This one is more fancy schmancy...so I'm really psyched to have them both. Best of both worlds I guess!