Sewing Machines for Under $100
After much searching, noting, and head scratching, I have assembled the Official WhatTheCraft Sewing Machine Recommendation List!
How did I choose the machines on this list? Online consumer ratings, my favorite shopping buddy.
These machines were selected because they not only had good ratings… they also had a lot of ratings and were at least decently rated at more than one of the review sites. A 5 star machine with 1 reviewer could be a fluke. Likewise, a 5 star machine on Amazon that has 2 stars on Ebay reviews is not a machine I’d gamble on.
*I should mention that unless otherwise noted, I have not personally tested these machines.*
The recommendations have been broken up into several groups by price.
Under $100
Janome 11574 / Kenmore 16221 – $99 refurbished on Overstock
(Kenmore and Janome are made by the same manufacturer & sold under different brand names)
Sears rating: 5 stars, 30 reviews
PatternReview rating: 5 would recommend, 0 might recommend, 0 would not recommend
Overstock rating: 4.8 stars, 36 reviews
Specs: 74 stitch functions, presser foot adjustment, buttonholer, zipper foot, free arm capability, drop-in bobbin
Brother XL2600I – $90 on Amazon
Amazon rating: 4 stars, 68 reviews
PatternReview rating: 1 would recommend, 1 might recommend, 0 would not recommend
Ebay rating: 4 stars, 9 reviews
Overstock rating: 4.6 stars, 147 reviews
Specs: 59 stitch functions, buttonholer, zipper foot, free arm capability, drop-in bobbin, electronic speed control, 25 year limited warranty