Should You Consider Buying a Refurbished Sewing Machine?

Budget becomes the largest barrier for most of the people out there to nurture the passion for sewing.

Many of us start saving money to buy the desired sewing machine. And for many, saving money is not a sweet opportunity!

That’s why there’s a huge market of refurbished sewing machines. For whom? For people like us – who tries to utilize every possible opportunity to reach our goal.

It’s saddening for most of us that brand new equipment is very costly. And sewing machine is not an exception.

In such a scenario, a refurbished sewing machine can be a lucrative option.

In this article, I’ll give you an elaborate idea on important considerations of buying a refurbished sewing machine.

What is a Refurbished Sewing Machine?

Let’s first get some idea on refurbished sewing machines. Simply put, a used sewing machine that has been serviced and repaired to perform like a new one is usually termed as a refurbished machine.

Sometimes, the machine is specially modified as well to bring in some new features.

Many people trade their old machine while buying a new one. These old pieces are then serviced and repaired for sale again at a comparatively lower price.

To be frank, there are both positive and negative sides to buying a refurbished sewing machine. Bear with me, and I’ll discuss them one by one.

Pros of Buying Refurbished Sewing Machine

Lower Price: This is the first and most significant pros of refurbished sewing machines. As I’ve mentioned earlier – budget becomes a BIG issue for many of the seamstresses.

Fortunately, the refurbished sewing machines are sold at reasonably lower prices, even lower than the special sale prices.

As a result, many people find it affordable to buy a refurbished specialized sewing machine.

Large Selection: There is yet another positive side of buying a refurbished sewing machine. If you’ve some idea about sewing machine market, you might know that older models are not available in the stores.

So, if you’re comfortable with an older model, you can easily find that in the refurbished market.

So, the refurbished market contains almost all new and old models. You have got to search a bit to find the desired one.

Cons of Buying Refurbished Sewing Machine

Parts Availability: In the cons section, we’ve learned that old models are available in the refurbished market. And you can easily buy one of them at a very low price. But, you must keep in mind that it’s pretty hard to find parts of older models.

If the parts of the model that you bought are not available in the market, you won’t be able to repair your machine if necessary. This is the biggest drawback of refurbished sewing machines.

Old Technique: On the other hand, old models are sometimes pretty challenging to operate, especially if you don’t have a clear idea how that model works.

So, I wouldn’t recommend you buying a refurbished machine if you’re a beginner.

What to Consider

Brand: If you’ve decided that you’re going to buy a refurbished sewing machine, my first advice would be looking for popular brands.

Now, you might face a situation where one is a comparatively new model but an unknown brand, and the other is comparatively old but an established brand. Go with the popular brand, if you can’t be sure of the newer model.

Age and Condition: If you’ve chosen a model and brand, the first thing you must inquire about is age and condition of the machine.

You can buy that machine based on credible feedback from the seller. If you’re buying online, try not to buy from a seller who doesn’t have any previous sale.

Questions to Ask

Many people want to know “What questions should I ask to get a clear idea about the refurbished sewing machine”.

Well, it would depend solely on your situation. However, here is a list of issues that you might ask about while buying a refurbished sewing machine.

Stitch capability of the machine
Needle threader available or not
Number of feet available with it
How to thread the machine
Hoops and their sizes
Number of previous owners
Approximate working hours since first use

Buying Refurbished Sewing Machine Online – A Word of Warning

It’s really unfortunate that people are being cheated in many cases of online shopping. However, the scenario is changing day by day.

There are some ways you can reduce the risk of being cheated. Never ever forget the following three steps:

Time of Auction: Don’t ever buy an item that has been placed on one day auction only. It’s most likely that the seller is a scammer and looking for quick money. It might even happen that the seller doesn’t even have the item in his/her possession.

Poor Feedback: Look at the feedbacks the seller has. If you don’t find any satisfactory feedback on this seller, don’t buy that item. Authentic sellers usually have plenty of feedback from their previous sales.

Payment Method: This is the final tier of your security measures. Always try to use Paypal as the payment method or cash on delivery.

The first option will protect you as a buyer, while the second option will allow you to check the item before making any payment. Avoid the advertisements that don’t have any of these payment methods.

Conclusion

So, what do you think now? Should you consider buying a refurbished sewing machine? The simple answer is “it depends on your situation”. Considering a purchase of refurbished machine can be a profitable move if you consider all the factors discussed in this article.

If you’re planning to buy a refurbished machine from a store, don’t hesitate to test the machine thoroughly before purchasing it. You should also check whether you’re getting any warranty with the purchase. A warranty makes a product more credible.

Hopefully buying a refurbished machine should not be a problem for you anymore. Just remain cautious and consider all the mentioned above issues while making the decision. That’s all!