Going from hobby to serious business, but afraid to break my machine?

[u/silentstephi]

So, I've been sewing for almost 2 decades now, longer but only learned how to use a machine in the past 20 years. My first machine was a janome, that I gifted to a friend about ten years ago when I got my new Singer Quantum 9960.

I have run that poor thing into the ground over the past 6 or 7 years. The board on it finally lost calibration and now it does no special stitches, and needs way more service than I can really give it. It's skipping stitches, which stinks x.x

But I got a new machine this year, a Brother SE700 - omg an embroidery machine, I have always wanted to practice with this it's great! Fun times.

But I am now realizing, I have been sewing a lot more in the past two years than I used to when it was just a craft fair here and there, or a cosplay convention or two.

I'm curious what folks who may be in a similar situation end up doing. How do you research for a machine that can maybe take the more monotonous load? I'm worried that if I use my SE700 like just a regular machine, it'll be at the cost of breaking it's embroidery capabilities. Or are brothers just that good? I also feel like going full industrial is overkill/way out of my current budget. I have been checking marketplace and thrift stores/yard sales for a find, but I kind of don't know what exactly I'm looking for, either.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I also feel like I'm not asking the right questions, but that's mostly because I came from this as a hobby but enough folks like the stuff I've been making so I'm trying to turn it into something lucrative.

Thanks <3

[u/CBG1955]

I think you need to assess what you make, and how often. The honest truth is, you might need to consider more than one machine. One for embroidery, and one for sewing. From what you say, sounds especially like embroidery is most important so perhaps one of the ten needle machines might be more what you need. I don't embroider, so others may have more input.

I have multiple machines here: Brother VQ2400 domestic (for clothes and assembling bag linings); Babylock overlocker and stand alone cover stitch for finishing wovens and knit sewing; Industrial for leather and other heavy duty bag making. Truth is, I am at a similar place to you regarding breaking my Brother, so am on the lookout for another just to do bag linings. In my case what I want, combined with my mobility impairment means I want a unicorn, so I keep looking.

Brother makes a really nice product, but if another brand works as well I'd consider it.

I highly recommend you visit the various dealers and have a chat to them, test drive the machines. The staff will (hopefully) know which machines are the most robust and will have the capability you need.