Hello To All,
This is my first use of a “chat room”. Has anyone out there owned a Viking Computer (or Computeo) 500 sewing machine? I’m looking for a good entry/medium level machine for my daughter (34 yo) to do mostly home decorating sewing and clothing repairs. It needs to be sturdy, go through multiple layers of fabric, and sew a variety of fabrics and stitches. She specifically wants one with good buttonholes. There is a used Viking Computer 500 for sale-computer machine that I am looking at. It is the same price as a BabyLock Design Pro/Denim Pro and the Huskystar 224, but it is about 10 yrs old. It looks like it has not been used and it has been checked over by sewing machine repair people. Any input, advice? I need to decide within the next day or two. What do you out-there think?
Cordially,
3cats4me
Replies
I love Viking machines and have two. The computerized machines have really nice features such as the needle stopping in the complete up position rather than in between somewhere when you stop sewing at the end of a seam. In my experience a computerized Viking is easy to use and will sew just about anything well, denim layers to silk chiffon. If the sewing machine repair/dealer people give the machine a clean bill of health you might have a good deal. The only downside could be that after 10 years the factory warranty on some things will have expired. The upside of that is that the Vikings aren't terribly prone to breaking down. I had my computer machine for 20 years before it gave me any repair problems and those repairs were actually minor.
You might ask the dealer and repair person some questions to help you decide. Exactly what is still under warranty? Will the dealer provide support? Is the repair person readily available? What is the history of the machine - one owner, trade up trade in etc.? What is the typical service record of this particular model? Are parts still plentiful?
And bring a range of fabric samples with you to thoroughly test drive the machine. The dealer usually has some white crisp stuff so you can see the stitches but you need to try different weights and types. It is essential to thoroughly test drive any machine you are considering. Good luck with your purchase.
If it was in good condition and you have it checked out (cleaned and timed) right away, I would not hesitate to purchase such a machine. We use two 400s in a costume studio - heavy daily use - for nearly ten years and they are wonderfully user friendly workhorses. The 500 would be a bit of an upgrade from those. Go for it.
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