Are you new to sewing and wondering what is the difference between a computerized and a mechanical sewing machine?
Or did you even know if there are categories of sewing machines or are you wondering if you should buy a computerized or mechanical sewing machine?
This post will answer all your questions of this kind and I’m sure by the end, you will be able to understand the differences between a computerized sewing machine and the mechanical one.
Should you like any of these two types, we have the best ones reviewed in separate posts on this blog, you can check them out.
Our Computerized Vs Mechanical sewing machines post will help you understand both the sewing machines better that ultimately will help you which one is suitable according to your needs and the budget.
What are the different types of sewing machines?
There are mainly three types of sewing machines – Computerized, Mechanical, and Electronic sewing machines but this post is about the comparison between computerized and mechanical sewing machines because these are most wanted.
Although electronic sewing machines are also used at home by hobbyists as they come with an On/Off button that can be used to start and stop the sewing machine.
You can check out the article – Complete sewing machine guide to know more about an electronic sewing machine.
While the mechanical sewing machines come with manual controls such as the rotatory dials for adjusting stitch length & width, thread tension, etc, the computerized sewing machines have a touchscreen to do these settings.
Also see: Best Sewing Machine for Quilting | Best Embroidery Machines
However, the mechanical sewing machines come with intuitive push buttons to make these settings.
The computerized sewing machines are designed based on the latest technologies and they can automate a lot of tasks while the mechanical sewing machines require a lot of manual work.
To do the settings manually, you should have a certain level of stitching skills.
Computerized Vs Mechanical Sewing Machines – How do they differ?
Whether a computerized sewing machine is good or the mechanical one, depends on the choice of the users.
While for some users, a computerized sewing machine is more convenient to operate, some others love to have a mechanical sewing machine.
The computerized sewing machines are built on the latest technology with a touchscreen for making different settings before you go ahead and stitch.
They lack physical buttons either the rotatory dials or push buttons that some people love.
Those who are tech-savvy may not like those big physical buttons, instead, they’d love to adjust the settings with a touchscreen.
Computerized features
The computerized sewing machine comes with features to connect it with a computer through the USB port. There are several advantages to this feature.
Since a computerized sewing machine can be connected to your computer, you can download designs from the internet and transfer them to the machine. It is not possible for a mechanical sewing machine.
Controls
The other difference between them is the size. Generally, the computerized sewing machines are compact and require relatively smaller space to store them.
While the mechanical sewing machines are bulky and have big physical dials that make the overall size of the sewing machine a little bigger hence you need a large area to store them.
Also, the computerized sewing machines are light-weight as compared to mechanical sewing machines because the mechanical sewing machine has a heavy-duty frame that adds to the overall weight of the sewing machine.
Pricing
The most important thing to note here is the pricing. Everyone has a different budget that they can not exceed.
The computerized sewing machines use the latest technology and have plenty of useful features that ease your life and the way you use a sewing machine.
With all these features, the computerized sewing machines are sold for a little higher price as compared to mechanical sewing machines.
So if you are preferring a computerized sewing machine, make sure you have more budget than you’d spend on a mechanical sewing machine.
Ease of use
Some people who are not techy savvy find computerized sewing machines a little difficult to get started with and operate.
Although they come with proper guidance but some high-end computerized sewing machines can leave beginner sewists confused.
Some non-techy-savvy people prefer mechanical sewing machines because they find them easy to operate.
Disadvantage
The disadvantage of computerized sewing machines is that some of them come with automatic features such as automatic thread tension controllers that adjust the thread tension on their own which needs to be controlled manually sometimes.
It doesn’t let you optimally adjust the thread tension as required which leads to bad stitching quality.
Since the mechanical sewing machine has dials to control thread tension, you can adjust it as required.
The other disadvantage of a computerized sewing machine could be the repairing cost.
Since they come with those fancy touchscreen and automatic features, the repairing cost of a computerized sewing machine is higher than mechanical ones.
Also, you can find local shops to repair mechanical sewing machines but the computerized sewing machines require you to take them to an authorized service station.
Which Sewing Machine Should I Purchase?
By now it has become clear how a computerized sewing machine differs from a mechanical one.
Hence, you should go with the sewing machine that you think will be easy to operate while it has all those features that you require in your sewing machine.
If you are with a low budget, you can opt for a mechanical sewing machine because the computerized sewing machines are slightly costly.
Although if you can increase your budget and are comfortable with adopting the latest technology, the computerized sewing machines should be your choice.
The computerized sewing machines are futuristic and can be used for many years to come while the mechanical sewing machines have the basic features only, though they are meant to be used for years as well.
What are the Best Computerized Sewing Machines?
There are different sewing machines that come with different features, designs, the purpose of use, etc.
If you are going to use a computerized sewing machine for home, you can buy some low price computerized sewing machines.
However, if you are going to use it for a business, you should go for a high-end computerized sewing machine.
According to our research and expertise, the best-computerized sewing machines for a home are Brother SE600, SINGER 9960, Janome JW8100, SINGER 7258, etc.
However, in case you are wondering what are the best Mechanical sewing machines, I’d recommend SINGER 4423, SINGER 4452
